As a reminder, to comply with an important federal mandate to improve email and web security, the latest version of Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) software—EDconnect or TDClient—must be installed by all users. As we described in a Dec. 16, 2021 Electronic Announcement, the deadline to upgrade is Feb. 20, 2022.
Important
To avoid losing access to the SAIG, all users must complete their upgrades by Feb. 20 to EDconnect 8.5.0 or to the current version of TDClient. In addition, a required security patch is now available for EDconnect 8.5.0 and must also be installed by Feb. 20. EDconnect users should refer to the sections below for further details about the patch and other important reminders. All required software is available for download on the Software and Other Tools page of the Knowledge Center website.
We greatly appreciate the work of TDClient users who have completed their upgrades. No further action is needed by these users.
Required EDconnect 8.5.1 Security Patch
After upgrading to EDconnect 8.5.0, users must also install a required software patch (EDconnect 8.5.1) by Feb. 20, 2022, to provide increased security and additional data protection. The security patch only impacts the ability to authenticate EDconnect users; there are no changes to the user interface or software functionality.
The EDconnect 8.5.1 security patch is now available on the EDconnect 8.5.0 page of the Knowledge Center website.
See the section below for guidance and tips on applying the security patch to EDconnect.
Note: EDconnect 8.5.0 must be installed on your machine prior to installing the EDconnect 8.5.1 security patch.
Installing the EDconnect 8.5.1 Security Patch
The EDconnect 8.5.1 Security Patch update installation file is available on the EDconnect 8.5.0 page of the Knowledge Center website. Follow the steps below to download and apply the installation file. Downloading the file does not install it; you must follow all steps to complete the installation.
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On the EDconnect 8.5.0 page, choose “EDconnect 8.5.1 Security Patch” under Software.
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After the EDconnect 8.5.1 Security Patch page opens, initiate the file download by clicking on the “EDconnect 8.5.1 Security Patch” link under Attachments.
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Select a location on your machine to save the security patch installation file (EDconn851.exe) or accept the default location.
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Once you have completed the download, go to the folder containing the installation executable file (EDconn851.exe) and double click it to begin the installation.
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After choosing Next, you will be presented with two options: Install or Remove. Select Install and then Next. Choose Start on the next screen to begin the installation.
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To confirm the security patch was successfully installed, start EDconnect. The splash screen will read “EDconnect 8.5.1” if the installation was successful. It can also be confirmed by choosing Help, then About EDconnect, where “EDconnect 8.5.1” will be displayed.
Note the following additional tips when loading the EDconnect 8.5.1 security patch to your PC workstation(s)–
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Be sure to close EDconnect 8.5.0 on your PC(s) before installing the patch.
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Microsoft Windows users must have admin rights to the PC workstation(s) running EDconnect 8.5.0 in order to overwrite the existing program file.
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If your EDconnect 8.5.0 database is installed on a network drive, and you have multiple PC workstations accessing that database, you must apply the patch to EACH workstation.
General Reminders for EDconnect Users
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EDconnect 8.5.0 must be used with the Windows 10 or Windows Server 2012 operating systems or higher. EDconnect 8.5.0 software is not supported on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, or Windows 2008. If a compatible operating system is not yet being used by the school, immediate attention is needed to upgrade to an operating system that will support the updated software.
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Some users who have installed EDconnect 8.5.0 have reported technical issues which may be related to the user’s local system configuration. If needed, please contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support for assistance with addressing these issues.
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Refer to the Dec. 16, 2021 Electronic Announcement for information about several known EDconnect 8.5.0 issues and workarounds.
We appreciate the attention of all SAIG users to this critical software upgrade.
Contact Information
If you have questions about the EDconnect or TDClient software, please contact CPS/SAIG Technical Support at 1-800-330-5947 or by email at CPSSAIG@ed.gov.