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School of Pharmacy

UCSF School of Pharmacy

Operating System Requirement Fall 2008

For students entering in other class years, see Operating System Requirement.

Operating System Requirements

 

Configuration A
required if not buying a new computer

Configuration B
required if buying a new computer

Windows

Either of the following:

  • Windows XP Home
  • Windows XP Professional

Any one of the following:

  • Windows Vista Home Premium SP1
  • Windows Vista Business SP1
  • Windows Vista Ultimate SP1

Macintosh

Mac OS 10.4 Tiger

Mac OS 10.5 Leopard

For information on Apple OS X hardware compatibility, please refer to OS X System Requirements or consult your authorized Apple dealer.

About Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)

Windows XP users: Microsoft is expected to release Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) in April-June 2008. We do not require this service pack release. Additionally, we recommend that you do not upgrade to SP3 until the University has determined what compatibility problems might exist with it. Because of the wide number of systems, it might be many months following its release before all issues are identified and resolved.

Update: Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Windows XP users: UCSF has identified only 1 known issue with Microsoft Windows XP SP3. After installing XP SP3, users of the UCSF wireless network are no longer able to connect. This problem is specific to how our wireless network issues IP addresses and most likely does not affect wireless networks you might use in other locations such as your off-campus home or in neighborhood cafes.

To prevent or resolve the problem, download and install the hotfix. With the hotfix applied, we now recommend that you visit update.microsoft.com to install XP SP3. It doesn't matter if you install the hotfix before or after XP SP3.

There are no other known issues with XP SP3, and this problem does not affect users of Windows Vista or OS X.

Service Pack & Critical Updates Required

We require that your computer has the most recent service pack and all critical updates installed.

Update Automatically

We also require that you configure your computer to install operating system updates automatically.

Questions?

Send e-mail to Web & Data Services Manager Frank Farm at farmf@pharmacy.ucsf.edu.

Next Software Requirement: Microsoft Office

Shortcut to This Page

To reach this page quickly or share it with others, use pharmacy.ucsf.edu/go/cr/sw/os, which redirects to a longer URL.

What operating system does my computer have?

  • Windows Vista: Select Start. Type winver and press Enter.
  • Windows XP: Select Start > Run. Type winver and press Enter.
  • Mac: Select "About this Mac" from the Apple menu.

Where do I buy computer stuff?

You may purchase computer hardware or software from any vendor. We recommend the UCSF campus computer store called The Technology Store because its location on campus at 500 Parnassus is convenient and because students can receive educational discounts on hardware and software. It provides complete computer systems as well as individual items, such as printers, mice, and cables. It also sells a wide variety of software applications.

Older Operating Systems

If you have a Windows or Macintosh operating system that is older than those listed above, you must upgrade to meet the requirement. Older operating systems include Mac OS 9, 10.0 Cheetah, 10.1 Puma, 10.2 Jaguar, 10.3 Panther and Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, Me, NT, and 2000.

Operating System Software Not Provided

Unfortunately, we do not provide operating system software for you, so you are responsible for purchasing it.