116943 FAQ: Rockwell Automation and Microsoft Product Compatibility https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.

com/app/answers/detail/a_id/116943

1 of 4

Rockwell Automation Support Center

116943 - FAQ: Rockwell Automation and Microsoft Product Compatibility
Access Level: Everyone
Date Created: 01/13/2011 06:31 PM
Last Updated: 02/24/2015 11:03 AM

What are the Frequently Asked Questions about Rockwell Automation/Software products and Microsoft's:
Windows 8/8.1
Windows 7
Windows XP Mode in Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 /Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2)
Windows Server 2012 /Windows Server 2012 Release 2 (R2)
Internet Information Services (IIS)
Internet Explorer
Office
SQL Server
Operating System Installation and Maintenance

Answer
This FAQ is intended only as an overview. For specific product compatibility information, refer to the Feature and Attribute Support in the Product Compatibility & Download
Center. For an example of how to use the Feature and Attribute Support page with Operating Systems, refer to 526139 - Which Rockwell Software Products are compatible
with Windows Server 2012?

Related Links
Operating System Installation and Maintenance
How to determine whether a computer is running a 32-bit version or 64-bit version of the Windows operating system

Windows 8/8.1 FAQs [back to top]

Which Windows 8/8.1 edition(s) does Rockwell Automation support?
Windows 8/8.1 is available in four 'mainstream' editions:
1. Windows 8/8.1
2. Windows 8/8.1 Pro
3. Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise
4. Windows 8/8.1 RT
For specific product compatibility information with Windows 8/8.1, refer to Feature and Attribute Support. Note: When using Windows 8/8.1 on PC (as opposed to a mobile
device), the Classic/Legacy "look and feel" can be restored with the Windows 8.1 Update and Classic Shell.

Windows 7 FAQs [back to top]

Which Windows 7 edition(s) does Rockwell Automation support?
Windows 7 is available in six editions:
1. Starter
2. Home Basic
3. Home Premium
4. Professional
5. Enterprise
6. Ultimate
As a rule, Rockwell Automation (RA) supports only the Professional Edition. If a product supports other editions, this support will be referenced in the product's release
notes. Note: For the Logix Editors, refer to 67020 - RSLogix 5/500/5000 on Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Which processor architecture(s) does Rockwell Automation support with Windows 7 Professional Edition?
Windows 7 Professional Edition is available for both x86 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) computers. Most products are adding x64 (64-bit) support and this support will be referenced
in the product's release notes. For more information, refer to:
32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions
67589 - Directory Locations in Vista, Windows 7, and Server 2008
117888 - FAQ: Software Installation and Operation on a 64-bit Operating System
Which Windows 7 Service Packs does Rockwell Automation support?
As a rule, Rockwell Automation (RA) supports the initial release (i.e., Service Pack 0). If a product also supports subsequent Service Packs (i.e., Service Pack 1, 2,
etc.), support will be stated in the product's release notes.

Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 FAQs [back to top]

Refer to 341918 - Support of Rockwell Automation Software in Windows XP Mode in Windows 7

Windows Server 2008 FAQs [back to top]

19/3/2015 1:34 PM

116943 FAQ: Rockwell Automation and Microsoft Product Compatibility https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/116943

2 of 4

Which Windows Server 2008 edition(s) does Rockwell Automation support?

Windows Server 2008 is available in four 'mainstream' editions:
1. Standard
2. Enterprise
3. Datacenter
4. Web
As a rule, Rockwell Automation (RA) supports only the Standard Edition. If a product supports other editions, this support will be referenced in the product's release notes.
Note: All the Server 2008 editions above are also available as a 'Full Installation' and a 'Core Installation', where Full is a traditional GUI environment and Core provides a
minimal environment for running specific server roles. For more information, see the attachment '2008 Server Installation Options'. RA supports only the Full Installation (of
the Standard Edition).
Which processor architecture(s) does Rockwell Automation support with Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition?
Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition is available for both x86 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) computers. Most products are adding x64 (64-bit) support and this support will be
referenced in the product's release notes. For more information, refer to:
32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions
67589 - Directory Locations in Vista, Windows 7, and Server 2008
117888 - FAQ: Software Installation and Operation on a 64-bit Operating System
Which Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition Service Packs does Rockwell Automation support?
As a rule, Rockwell Automation (RA) supports the Operating System initial release (i.e., Service Pack 0). If a product also supports subsequent Service Packs (i.e., Service
Pack 1, 2, etc.), support will be stated in the product's release notes.
Are Windows Server 2008 clusters supported?
As a rule, no. If a product supports clustering, support will be stated in the product's release notes.

Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) FAQs [back to top]

Which Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) edition(s) does Rockwell Automation support?
Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) is available in four 'mainstream' editions:
1. Standard
2. Enterprise
3. Datacenter
4. Web
As a rule, Rockwell Automation (RA) supports only the Standard Edition. If a product supports other editions, this support will be referenced in the product's release notes.
Note: All of the Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) editions above are available as a 'Full Installation' and a 'Core Installation', where Full is a traditional GUI environment
and Core provides a minimal environment for running specific server roles. For more information, see the attachment '2008 Server Release 2 Installation Options'. RA
supports only the Full Installation (of the Standard Edition).
Which processor architecture(s) does Rockwell Automation support with Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) Standard Edition?
Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) Standard Edition is available for x64 (64-bit) computers only. Most products are adding R2 x64 (64-bit) support and this support will be
referenced in the product's release notes. For more information, refer to:
32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions
67589 - Directory Locations in Vista, Windows 7, and Server 2008
117888 - FAQ: Software Installation and Operation on a 64-bit Operating System
Which Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) Service Packs does Rockwell Automation support?
As a rule, Rockwell Automation (RA) supports the initial release (i.e., Service Pack 0). If a product also supports subsequent Service Packs (i.e., Service Pack 1, 2,
etc.), support will be stated in the product's release notes.
Are Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) clusters supported?
As a rule, no. If a product supports clustering, support will be stated in the product's release notes.

Windows Server 2012/Windows Server 2012 Release 2 (R2) FAQs [back to top]
Which Windows Server 2012/Windows Server 2012 R2 edition(s) does Rockwell Automation support?
Windows Server 2012 is available in four 'mainstream' editions:
1. Standard
2. Essentials
3. Datacenter
4. Foundation
For specific product compatibility information with Server 2012, refer to 526139 - Which Rockwell Software Products are compatible with Windows Server 2012?.
Are Windows Server 2012/Windows Server 2012 R2 clusters supported?
As a rule, no. If a product supports clustering, support will be stated in the product's release notes.

Internet Information Services (IIS) FAQs [back to top]

Internet Information Services (formerly called Internet Information Server) is a web server application and set of feature extension modules created by Microsoft for use with
Microsoft Windows.
What are the recent IIS versions?
The recent IIS versions are listed below:
IIS 5.0, Windows 2000
IIS 5.1, Windows XP Professional
IIS 6.0, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
IIS 7.0, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista (Home Premium, Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions)
IIS 7.5, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions)

19/3/2015 1:34 PM

116943 FAQ: Rockwell Automation and Microsoft Product Compatibility https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/116943

3 of 4

Which Rockwell applications require IIS as a prerequisite to installation?

Several Rockwell applications require IIS as a prerequisite to installation:
FactoryTalk AssetCentre
FactoryTalk View Site Edition (Network)
FactoryTalk ViewPoint
FactoryTalk VantagePoint
Eprocedure (a component of FactoryTalk Batch)
Report Expert (an optional component of FactoryTalk Metrics)
Every IIS server contains Application Pools. Application Pools are associated with worker processes, contain one or more applications, and provide isolation among different
applications. On a Windows 64-bit OS, IIS Application Pools can be configured as 64-bit (default) or 32-bit (for backwards compatibility). For more information, refer to 117888
- FAQ: Software Installation and Operation on a 64-bit Operating System.
Does Rockwell support installing IIS on a drive other than C?
No. The default IIS installation is to drive C. There is information on the Internet on how to change this to another drive, but RA does not support IIS installation on drives other
than C.

Internet Explorer FAQs [back to top]

Which Internet Explorer (IE) version(s) does Rockwell Automation support?
As a rule, virtually all Rockwell Automation products support IE7 and many also support IE8 (and higher). If a product supports other versions (e.g. IE6, IE9, IE10, IE11), this
support will be referenced in the product's release notes. Note: For applications that only support IE7, using higher versions in Compatibility View is typically a
viable workaround.
Which processor architecture(s) does Rockwell Automation support with Internet Explorer 8 & 9?
The Windows x64 (64-bit) Operating Systems include both a x86 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) edition of Internet Explorer 8 (and IE9 can be downloaded). As a rule,
Rockwell Automation (RA) supports only the x86 (32-bit) editions. If a product supports the x64 (64-bit) editions of IE8 or IE9, this support will be referenced in the
product's release notes. To determine the edition being used, select Help > About Internet Explorer. The 64-bit edition will indicate "64-bit Edition" in the Help
Dialog (and the absence of "32-bit Edition" indicates the 32-bit edition).
Are non-Microsoft browsers supported (e.g., Mozilla's Firefox, Apple's Safari, Goggle's Chrome)?
As a rule, no. If a product supports other browsers, this support will be referenced in the product's release notes.

Office FAQs [back to top]

Which processor architecture(s) does Rockwell Automation support with Office?
Office is available for both x86 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) computers. As a rule, Rockwell Automation (RA) supports only the x86 (32-bit) installation even if your computer is
running 64-bit editions of Windows. If a Rockwell Automation product also supports the Office x64 (64-bit) architecture, this support will be referenced in the product's release
notes. Note: By default, Microsoft Office installs the 32-bit version of Office even if your computer is running 64-bit editions of Windows. For more information, refer to:
32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions
117888 - FAQ: Software Installation and Operation on a 64-bit Operating System
Which Office edition(s) does Rockwell Automation support?
Office 2013 is available in multiple editions and as a rule Rockwell Automation recommends the Professional Edition. Note: Software compatibility with Office is focused
primarily on Excel and testing is not typically performed with the other Office components. For more information on using Excel with FactoryTalk VantagePoint, refer to 60409 FactoryTalk VantagePoint & Microsoft Excel Compatibility.
Which Office Service Packs does Rockwell Automation support?
As a rule, Rockwell Automation (RA) supports the initial release (i.e., Service Pack 0). If a product also supports subsequent Service Packs (i.e., Service Pack 1, 2,
etc.), support will be stated in the product's release notes.

SQL Server FAQs [back to top]

Refer to 64647 - FAQ:Using Microsoft SQL Server with Rockwell Software FactoryTalk Products.

Operating System Installation and Maintenance [back to top]

What happened to the I386 folder that used to be on every Windows OS CD/DVD?
Beginning with Windows Vista and Server 2008 (32 and 64-bit), the I386 folder no longer exists. Microsoft now uses a totally new deployment approach using Windows Image
(.WIM) files. The main setup file is named install.wim. For more information, refer to the operating system's online Help.
Does Rockwell encourage the use of Windows Update (and Microsoft Update)?
Windows Update is a web based Microsoft Operating System utility used to update recent Windows Operating Systems, Internet Explorer and SQL Server against the latest
security threats (Microsoft Update also updates Microsoft Applications - e.g., Office). How and when these Windows updates are applied is configurable. Rockwell Automation
recommends that Windows computers used for control systems are configured to disable automatic updates, so as to avoid any untested alterations to a
production system. Disabling automatic updates can be configured on each computer individually, or via Group Policy in a domain environment.
However, Rockwell Automation understands that control system computers may need to be patched periodically. If patches must be applied to control system computers, we
highly recommended that they be applied manually and only after creating a system backup and referring to 35530 - Microsoft (MS) Patch Qualification.

File Attachments

Server 2008 Installation Options.jpg (73.84 KB)

Server 2008 Release 2 Installation Options.jpg (76.27 KB)

Comments (5)
ctleng76
10/01/2013 02:06 PM [Edited]

This needs to be updated in regards to Windows 8 support. It says the as of May 2013 Windows 8 is not supported. Well it's now August and we need to know if
there is any progress here. It is going to get more difficult to order PC's without Windows 8 and we need to know what will happen when that time comes.
Reply | Flag as Inappropriate |

Joshua Hutchinson
08/20/2013 11:44 AM

19/3/2015 1:34 PM

116943 FAQ: Rockwell Automation and Microsoft Product Compatibility https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/116943

4 of 4

I've asked the gentleman in charge of maintaining this FAQ to pop in here and respond to your concerns. Hopefully, he'll be able to provide a better picture of
where Windows 8 support stands at the moment.

Joshua Hutchinson
Rockwell Automation Support Center Admin
Reply | Flag as Inappropriate |

Joshua Hutchinson
08/20/2013 02:58 PM

***The information above has been updated***

For specific product compatibility information with Windows 8/8.1, refer to the Product Compatibility & Download Center.
***
I've been told that the Windows 8 compatibility is being brought through on a product by product basis and not all products will/have been updated.
Therefore, instead of trying to outline such a complex issue here, the link to the Product Compatibility & Download center will allow you to check on the
specific piece of software you are using.
Joshua Hutchinson
Rockwell Automation Support Center Admin
Reply | Flag as Inappropriate |

ctleng76
10/01/2013 02:09 PM

I clicked on the link do the "Download and Compatibility Center". Maybe I'm missing something, but there doesn't seem to be one bit of information
regarding Windows 8. All that is displayed is a non-intuitive search engine. This information needs to be easy to access and easily understandable, as
many users are now having to decide on an OS.
Reply | Flag as Inappropriate |

Joshua Hutchinson
10/01/2013 03:03 PM

1 - Click on "Feature Support"

2 - Click on "Select a Feature" drop down in the first column and select "Operating Systems"
3 - Click on "Select a Feature" drop down in the second column and select "Windows 8 Enterprise 32-bit" or "Windows 8 Enterprise 64-bit"
Under Products found, it will list all of our products that officially support Windows 8 (of either variety).
Please note, as of this writing, there is exactly ONE product that supports Windows 8. FactoryTalk VantagePoint EMI Client.
Joshua Hutchinson
Rockwell Automation Support Center Admin
Reply | Flag as Inappropriate |

Post a Comment

Product Tree for This Answer (expand/collapse)

DISCLAIMER
This knowledge base web site is intended to provide general technical information on a particular subject or subjects and is not an exhaustive treatment of such subjects.
Accordingly, the information in this web site is not intended to constitute application, design, software or other professional engineering advice or services. Before making any
decision or taking any action, which might affect your equipment, you should consult a qualified professional advisor.
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION DOES NOT WARRANT THE COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS OR ACCURACY OF ANY OF THE DATA CONTAINED IN THIS WEB SITE AND
MAY MAKE CHANGES THERETO AT ANY TIME IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION WITHOUT NOTICE. FURTHER, ALL INFORMATION CONVEYED HEREBY IS PROVIDED TO
USERS "AS IS." IN NO EVENT SHALL ROCKWELL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OF ANY KIND INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL,
LOSS PROFIT OR DAMAGE, EVEN IF ROCKWELL AUTOMATION HAVE BEEN ADVISED ON THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED IN RESPECT OF THE INFORMATION (INCLUDING SOFTWARE)
PROVIDED HEREBY, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MERCHANTABILITY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. Note that
certain jurisdictions do not countenance the exclusion of implied warranties; thus, this disclaimer may not apply to you.

This page is best viewed in Internet Explorer 10, Firefox 31, Chrome 37, Safari 6 or newer.

19/3/2015 1:34 PM