MSDN Academic Alliance @ VCU | Department of Information Systems

The Department of Information Systems and it's partnership with Microsoft's Academic Alliance provides any student in the Information Systems Major who is currently enrolled in Information Systems courses full access to Microsoft's development tools, server platforms, and operating systems.

Software Delivery

This software is available for secure download from our servers through an ELMS for E-Academy hosted front-end website as well as a shared network resource (the "I:" drive) for users of our computer lab faculties. Making this shared resource available will give users with slower connections access the the same software through the use of our labs. All software is in ISO format.

An ISO image file is an exact representation of a CD or DVD, including the content and the logical format. ISO files can end with either an .ISO or .IMG extension. The extension can be changed according to the requirements of your extraction software. Common utilities for writing an ISO file to recordable media such as CD-R include ISORecorder and Nero. The contents of images files can be extracted to hard drive using utilities such as ISObuster or can be mounted locally using utilities such as DaemonTools.

User Authenication

Users are authenticated using their Information Systems username (in most cases, their VCU eID). This is the part of your e-mail address preceding the "@vcu.edu".

Forgotten Password

Users may change their password as needed on the ISY Student Resources page.

Account Creation

Accounts for this site are updated 2 weeks prior to the start of each semester and every week after until add/drop date. If you are not able to access MSDNAA and are currently enrolled in a qualifying INFO class (INFO16x series and INFO360 are not qualifying classes), please email the program administrator with your request for an account.

Account Duration

Student accounts are generated each semester according to his or her class status. Accounts are valid during the semesters they are issued. Any lapse of enrollment in a qualifying INFO class will result in user account becoming inactive. Students taking a semester off or not currently enrolled in an INFO class will find their accounts inactive.

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MSDNAA@isy,vcu.edu is a program designed to cut the costs of education to our students. We appreciate your continued support and will strive to provide quality service to our students, faculty, and staff.