After a longer than comfortable wait for Sage, business partners and, of course, end-users, the compatibility statement for Windows 7 has been released by Sage.
With the installation of a downloadable Hot Fix, Windows 7 can be run with Sage MAS 90 and 200 version 4.30.0.18 (all service updates must be installed) and versions 4.40 and 4.40.0.1. All references to Windows 7 refer to Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions and both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are included.
It is suspected that your IT department feels this is long overdue.
The unfortunate news at this point is that Windows 7 compatibility is not supported for MAS 90 or MAS 200. The good news is that Sage is continuing testing and plans to issue “additional details” during the month of March. We’ve anticipated the compatibility announcement would follow the release of version 4.4 and there have been no surprises to this point. You can read the official Sage statement addressing Windows 7.
Even with the release of the latest Supported Platform Matrices, we have not received any official statement from Sage regarding their support for running MAS 90 or MAS 200 on Windows 7.
However, a discussion in the MAS90 and MAS200 Users and Consultants group on LinkedIn has provided a little insight. It seems the next service update, scheduled to be issued in March, will support Windows 7 for version 4.3. I have to restate that this isn’t an official endorsement from Sage, but two Sage employees provided confirmation in this unofficial discussion group. The version 4.4 release of MAS 90 and MAS 200 is also expected to support Windows 7.
Windows 7 is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. While MAS 90 and MAS 200 are not being released as 64-bit applications, if all goes as expected, MAS 90 and MAS 200 will run in either environment.
Since the release of Windows 7, I have fielded a few questions about the compatibility between the new operating system and MAS 90 and 200. The only true indication of compatibility has been (and will be) the MAS 90 Supported Platform Matrix and MAS 200 Supported Platform Matrix that Sage publishes. As of today, Windows 7 is not included. Keeping in mind the track record of Microsoft-released desktop operating systems, it is usually wise to wait until the initial service pack has been released before upgrading.
While Windows 7 will allow users to run applications in XP-mode, when installing MAS 90 and MAS 200 in this scenario, the Sage PDF converter used with Paperless Office is compromised.
We experienced some of the same delays with Microsoft released Vista. With a little patience, we should be receiving notice from Sage that their testing is complete. It may require a service update to get us there, but when the time comes, Sage will notify everyone update the supported platform matrices.
Are you or your staff members anxious to complete the move to Windows 7?