Maintained for Historical Purposes

This resource is being maintained for historical purposes only and is not currently applicable.

Windows 2000 Approved as EDE Software Platform

PublicationDate: 9/26/2000
Summary: Windows 2000 Approved as EDE Software Platform
Author: General Manager: SFA Student Channel

Posted on September 26, 2000

TO: All Destination Points
FROM: U.S. Department of Education
RE: Windows 2000 Approved as EDE Software Platform

The Department and its partners are pleased to announce that Microsoft’s Windows 2000 has been tested and approved as both a PC operating system and network environment for its 32-bit software products.

This approval includes the following EDE products:

1) EDExpress for Windows: all 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 versions, as well as the upcoming 2001-2002 versions (initial release in December 2000)
2) EDconn32: Version 4.0.1
3) QAP for Windows: Versions 4.0, 4.0.1 and 4.02
4) FISAP for Windows: Versions 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1
5) SSCR32: Version 1.2
6) Return of Title IV Funds: Versions 1.0, 1.1, and 1.1.1

The above products were tested and approved for use in the following types of environments:

1) Windows 2000 as a standalone operating system;
2) Windows 2000 Server with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows NT 4.0 as clients; and
3) Windows 2000 as a client to a Windows NT Server and a Novell 3.12 Server.

Generally, all software products performed well in all environments. There were no serious problems found and only a few minor issues that did not limit functionality of any of the software packages. The issues encountered included:

1) When installing CPS software, the user is prompted as to whether they want to view the INSTALL.LOG file (where install information is documented during the install process). In Windows 2000, the prompt is obscured behind another window (EDE Suite) created/opened by the CPS software install process. There is a Taskbar icon for it but you may not see this if your Taskbar is hidden. The software installation appears to end without a prompt.

2) All software tested in Windows 2000 incorrectly reported the current operating system in System Information, either as Windows NT or as Windows NT 5.0.

3) When trying to rename or delete files ending in “.dat” in Windows 2000, you are generally warned by the operating system that “these files are used by the operating system and by various programs. Editing or modifying them could damage your system.” CPS software does NOT cause this prompt to appear, but will probably create files with “.dat” as the extension. This might cause confusion if you try to delete one of these files.

Print testing was done with the following Hewlett Packard (HP) printers: HP IIIsi, HP 4, HP 4000N, HP 4M, HP 4MPlus, HP 4si, HP 5M, HP 5si, HP 5siMX. There are two HP printers normally tested for which there are no drivers currently available for Windows 2000: HP 6MP and HP 8000N.

No Windows 2000-related problems were found in the print testing. It was noted that when printing smaller numbers of records (less than ten), print times were generally slower with Windows 2000 than with other Windows operating systems. However, when the number of records being printed increased (to 100, for example), Windows 2000 was as fast or faster than the other Windows operating systems.

NOTE: It is crucial schools understand that while Windows 2000 may be supported, Access 2000 is NOT supported. Irreparable damage will be caused to the database of any of the ED products noted in this message if they are opened in Access 2000 and converted to that version. These databases are still designed for Access 97 only.

If you have any questions regarding EDconn32 Version 4.0.1, please contact Title IV WAN Customer Service at 800/615-1189, or via email at T4WAN@NCS.COM.

If you have questions regarding any of the other ED software products noted in this message, please contact CPS Customer Service at 800/330-5947, or via email at CPS@NCS.COM.