Eligibility

Cornell University provides the Microsoft Windows for all computers owned by Cornell University.

Microsoft Windows desktop operating systems can be installed on computers owned by Cornell University. Computers must have been initially purchased with a licensed version of Microsoft Windows operating system to qualify.

Please note that Weill Cornell Medicine has its own arrangement in place with Microsoft. Weill Cornell staff and faculty should check with their local IT providers for information about Microsoft licensing.

Download Windows OS

For installation on Cornell-owned computers by authorized IT support personnel.

If you wish to upgrade your Cornell-provided computer to Windows 11, please contact your department's IT support team.

• Windows 11 Enterprise Edition 24H2 (Oct 2024 release) - x64
• Windows 11 Enterprise Edition 24H2 (Oct 2024 release) - ARM64

Other Editions of Windows

The Education Edition of Windows 11 is covered under our license. Please fill out the CU Software Licensing Request form if you need the installers.

Professional Edition is covered under our site license, but is not currently recommended for use on Cornell-owned computers. Enterprise Edition provides a higher level of integration for managed desktops, BitLocker drive encryption, and other IT administration tools. If you have a special need for a Professional Edition of Windows 11, please fill out the CU Software Licensing Request form.

Home Editions and Ultimate Editions are not covered by our site license.

Earlier Versions of Windows

Windows 10 is no longer recommended for general use, but is still available for customers with a specific technical need to use it. Microsoft support for Windows 10 will expire on October 14, 2025. 

• If you have a technical need to use Windows 10 after this date, you will need to purchase a Windows 10 Extended Security Update (ESU) license for each computer. The ESU license can be renewed annually for up to three years. Please submit a CU Software Licensing Request for more information about purchasing ESU licenses.

Microsoft has ended extended support for Windows 8 (January 2023), Windows 7 (January 2020), Windows Vista (April 2017), Windows XP (April 2014). These versions are generally no longer available under our campus license. Computers running unsupported versions of Windows may not be put onto the Cornell network at all; doing so is a violation of Cornell’s IT Security policies. The IT Security Office may shut down network access at the port if they detect an unsupported OS on the campus network.

If your department operates research equipment controlled by a computer that requires use of an unsupported OS, please fill out the CU Software Licensing Request form to discuss your need and possible alternative solutions.

Ordering New Windows Computers

To take advantage of our Windows license, new computers must be purchased with a factory-installed (OEM) installation of Windows. For departmental purchases of new computers, we recommend that you buy the Windows Pro version. Upon receipt, you can then upgrade your computer to Windows 11 Enterprise at no cost to your department. 

If you have purchased a computer that did not have an OEM installation of Windows, please fill out the CU Software Licensing Request form to discuss options.

Automatic Activation via Key Management Service (KMS)

Windows 11 will automatically activate on any Cornell local network that has been configured to use our KMS Activation system. If your local network has been configured for KMS, you will not be prompted to enter a product key. Windows will also activate automatically from off-campus when you connect to the Cornell network via our Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. 

All local area networks maintained by CIT are configured for KMS activation. If you are an IT provider and would like to configure your locally-administered domain to use KMS activation, please see our How-To guide Activating Microsoft Products with the KMS Server.

If you have special circumstances which make KMS activation unfeasible or impractical, please fill out the CU Software Licensing Request form to request a Multiple Activation Key (MAK). Please tell us why KMS won’t work for your situation. We have a limited number of MAK product keys that we can release on a case-by-case basis when their use is warranted.

Virtual Machines

Under Windows On a computer whose primary OS is Windows, Windows can be installed on an unlimited number of virtual machines (VMs), as long as the computer originally came with a licensed version of Windows. 

Under macOS Windows can be installed on a Cornell-owned Mac through a desktop virtualization solution such as Parallels Desktop for Mac. Your department would be responsible for purchasing the virtualization solution itself. We do not recommend desktop virtualization of Windows on a Mac, and CIT does NOT support Windows software running in that capacity.

On Servers  Windows can be installed on VMs running on remote servers, provided that the hardware running the VM is owned by Cornell University, or on a Cornell-dedicated third-party hosting service (for example, Amazon Web Services) procured by Cornell University.

Home Use

Cornell's Windows installation resources cannot be used on a computer not owned by Cornell University or its affiliated institutions. Cornell staff, faculty, and affiliates are prohibited from installing these versions of Windows on any computer that is their own personal property or is owned by an outside private organization.

As an alternate solutions, instructors and students at Cornell may be able to obtain Windows Education Edition for free or at a very low cost through third-party software retailers. While CIT does not have a formal relationship with them, one such third-party retailer is On The Hub by Kivuto. To purchase software from On The Hub (link goes to a non-Cornell site), you will need to register your Cornell email address with them, and you may be required to provide proof of affiliation. 

Please note that any software you acquire through a third party-retailer is an agreement between you and them, and that Cornell University cannot provide any sales or order support.

Windows Server OS

Windows Server OS and other Microsoft server products may also be available for Cornell employees. For details about Windows server products, please see our Microsoft Server Products page.