MSDNAA

As a registered student or faculty member of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), you have access to a wide range of Microsoft development tools, operating systems, and platforms through the Microsoft MSDNAA program. Examples of commonly downloaded software include: Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Visual Studio, and Microsoft .NET software. To use this resource, read and follow the getting started instructions. Also make sure that you are familiar the Acceptable Uses.

Getting Started

If you have a SEAS account then you are probably already have a MSDNAA login. Try to log in by following these instructions. You may want to print this page for reference. If you have any problems, see the “Why can't I log in?” section below.

Go to MSDNAA and try to log on. Your username is in the form: username@gwu.edu; your password is was e-mailed to you when you were put in the system. If you did not keep that e-mail, you can have your password sent to you (step #2 in “Why can't I log in?”).
Once you've logged in, click on the software tab at the top of the page. From there you can see what software is available to download. You may want to try the “Sample Download” that steps you through the process of getting the software you want. It is on the left of the page.
You can find specific software by looking through the pull-down box near the top of the screen. It has an index of all the software available for download.

Who can use MSDNAA?

Because of our agreement with Microsoft, only the students and faculty in the School of Engineering and Applied Science can use this software. If you are a student, you must be registered in at least one credit-bearing course in SEAS. With a few exceptions, if you are eligible for a SEAS Computing Facility account, you are probably eligible to use MSDNAA. If you have access to MSDNAA, you cannot share the software you download with others who do not have access. If you have tried to log in and cannot, see the “Why can't I log in?” section below. This software is restricted to instructional, academic, and research use only, and therefore cannot be used for any commercial purpose.

Why can't I log in?

If you're having problems logging in, the solution is likely simple. Follow these instructions and you should be logged on in no time:

Make sure your logon name is in the form username@gwu.edu. In other words, if your SEAS login name is “george”, your MSDNAA logon would be “george@gwu.edu.”
If your username is correct, then your password is most likely the culprit. On the login page, click the link that says, “Can't remember your password? Click here for a reminder.” Enter your username (just like before), and wait a few minutes. Your password should be e-mailed to your GW e-mail account.
- When you get your password, keep in mind that it is case-sensitive. Many users just opt to cut and paste the password into the password box to avoid any confusion.
- If you didn't get any error messages, but still haven't gotten your password, double-check and re-submit your username. If it still doesn't work, move on to step 3.
If you get an error message that says “EMAIL ADDRESS was not found in our system.” and you are sure that you entered your username correctly, your username probably hasn't been sent to the MSDNAA server yet. If you recently received or changed your SEAS account, this is the likely culprit. The SEAS CF staff makes the list of all valid users once every semester; you probably haven't been added. Send an e-mail to us at msdnaa@gwu.edu. Make sure you include your SEAS account username. You should be put in the system within a few days.
If you don't have a SEAS account, come to the 4th floor of Tompkins Hall to fill out a request form. Bring your GWorld card and your GWMail account name.

Examples of Acceptable Use

Examples include but are not limited to:

A department may use Windows as an instructional tool for teaching operating systems concepts or theory or as a platform to teach about other software included with the MSDNAA program.
A department may use SQL Server 2000 to teach the concepts, theory, or procedures of database structures, database administration, or similar database-related courses.
A department may use Visual Studio to teach concepts, theory, or procedures in programming or language courses and may use Windows as the operating system to run Visual Studio or other programming languages.
A department may use Exchange Server 2000 to teach the theory, concepts, or procedures of messaging or collaboration.
A department may use Commerce Server 2000 and/or BizTalk Server 2000 to teach the theory, concepts, or procedures of e-commerce.
A department may use Windows for research projects related to operating systems; SQL Server 2000 for research projects related to databases; Exchange Server 2000 for research projects related to messaging and collaboration; Visual Studio 6.0 for research projects related to programming languages.

Examples of Unacceptable Use

SEAS is licensed under the MSDN Academic Alliance Program which enables students and faculty members to access software available under the Program. e-academy is responsible for making this software available to everyone for direct download over the Internet. You can access this software at http://msdn.e-academy.com/gwu_seas. Simply log into the System using your SEAS e-mail address (johndoe@gwu.edu) and password provided by the MSDNAA software and start browsing/downloading the software available to you.

In the beginning of each semester we (SEAS CF staff) compile a list of all valid users and update the list of users in the system.
The user receives an e-mail that points him to the location of the e-academy, username/password, general guidelines and description of the system.
The users would log on to the GWU-SEAS page at e-academy.com with the username and password provided in the e-mail http://msdn.e-academy.com/gwu_seas. The user can request the download of software from the software drop down menu.
If the user did not exceed the allowed number of downloads, he/she would be granted the right to download. After agreeing to the license agreement he/she would receive the license Key and download the download manager program.
The download manager program points to the location of the software (SEAS server hosting the wrapped version of the software) and allows the resume of the software.

Frequently Asked Questions

I forgot my password.: Go to http://msdn.e-academy.com/gwu_seas/ click on “LOG IN” (on the left under the button “Software Search”) you should find the message "Can't remember your password? Click here for a reminder".
How can I check the keys for the products I downloaded?: Log in. “MY PROFILE” (on the left under the button “Software Search”). From there click on “My Software”.
How do I get registered?: Contact your Program Administrator to see if you are eligible to download software from this System. Click on the Support button above.
How do I download software?: Find the product that you want to download from the products page. Click on the Get It button. If you are not logged in you will be redirected to the login page, and once you've logged in, you will be directed back to the selected product's page. If you're already logged in, you will be taken to the download page - click on the button to download and install your software.
Can I install my software on two computers at once?: No, you are limited to one installation only. If you have more than one computer i.e. home computer and laptop or work computer, you will need to choose on which one you'd like the use the software. Keep in mind as well that friends, family and colleagues who are not enrolled in a course in a department that subscribes to the MSDNAA Program are not allowed to access or use the software available from this website.
I have a new computer now, how can I re-install my software?: In the Support section, click on "Request Re-Install". You'll be asked to log in. Now you can request an additional install provided you give a valid reason for the re-install.
If my download times out or I get disconnected, how do I continue my software download and installation?: If you were in the middle of downloading the software itself, there will be a shortcut icon saved on your desktop that will allow you to resume your download. Double-click on the icon to begin again. If you don't see the shortcut icon on your computer desktop, you can use the "Request Re-Install" function in the Support section.
Is the software permanently unlocked by the license (or "key")?: No - the key allows you to install the software once. After that, if you need to re-install the software, you will need to use the "Request Re-Install" option from the Support section of the site. This is how the system helps to reduce software piracy.
What is e-academy?: e-academy is the company providing this distribution system, and the secure process for software downloads.

Other Technical Support

If you have any technical difficulties while downloading the software, please go to the support section in the website and click on Request Customer Support. Technical support is provided by e-academy.

General Inquiries

If you have any further questions or suggestions, contact us at msdnaa@gwu.edu.