Obtaining Microsoft software through DreamSpark Premium
DreamSpark Premium gives you easy and free access to Microsoft Software. DreamSpark Premium used to be called Developer AA or MSDN AA
Available Software
The School of Computer Science & Informatics subscribes to Microsoft DreamSpark Premium which allows our students and staff to download copies of some (but not all) of Microsoft's software for their own, non-commercial use.
The software available includes:
- — Windows 7 (x32 and x64 bit versions)
- — MS Visio
- — MS project
- — Visual Studio and the MSDN example libraries and documentation
- — SQL server (various versions)
- plus others…
Obtaining the Software
You can download the software from the Microsoft DreamSpark site for the School of Computer Science & Informatics. To obtain access, you will need to authenticate using your University username and password.
Go to the School's Microsoft DreamSpark site at http://msdn62.e-academy.com/elms/Storefront/Storefront.aspx?campus=cardf_csc. Click on the 'Sign In' button on the right and you will be taken to a Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics login page. Log in with your University username and password.
If your login succeeds, you will be redirected back to the software centre. From this site you are able to select software from the School's software catalogue through a 'shopping cart' type system. You will see a menu of categories and a gallery of software products. Click on a product to see a detailed page where you can add it to your shopping cart.
Once you have added the software to your shopping cart, proceed to the checkout to order the software. There is no charge.
After checking out, each item has a 'Download' link where you can download the software and get its licence code. A receipt will be emailed to you detailing where you can find a copy of the licence code information.
Your Rights to Use and Responsibilities for Microsoft DreamSpark Software
The Microsoft DreamSpark software is available for installation on privately-owned computers only. If you want Microsoft software for a machine bought by or through the University, please see about obtaining software under the University's Microsoft Campus and Select licences and other licence agreements.
For private machines, you may download and use Microsoft DreamSpark software for your studies while registered as studying or working in the School. Once you have left the School you will not be able to download newer versions, although some software will remain licensed to use for non-profit purposes. Please check the licence that's displayed during the checkout process.
You will get only one licence code (if needed) per product, and the details of the code and who has downloaded what software resides with Microsoft. Sharing any Microsoft DreamSpark software, product codes, or otherwise breaking the licence agreement will result in all your codes being revoked and you being excluded from the scheme.
Downloading and Installing DreamSpark Software
Downloads from the site are obtained using the Software Download Manager (SDM). After you have checked out your software, you will see a "Start Download" button. You can also see a list of the software you have previously checked out by going to "Your Account".
"Start Download" will take you to a page where you can download the Secure Download Manager (SDM) and the ".SDX" file for the product you ordered. The ".SDX" file uniquely identifies the product.
If you have connected to DreamSpark from a Windows system, the SDM download link will download a ".msi" self-extracting installer. Run this to install SDM.
If you have connnected from a non-Windows system, the SDM downloaded will be a Macintosh ".pkg" installer file. Run this to install SDM on a Mac.
You cannot install the Mac SDM on Linux, nor will the Windows ".msi" SDM run under Wine. Therefore, it's not possible to use DreamSpark from Linux. Users may use the Windows or Mac workstations in the School's labs.
Once the SDM is installed, run it and give it the ".SDX" file so that it can find and download the product you've checked-out.