This page contains help with how to order software from the Software Center. You must order a product before you can download anything, or to make a purchase for those products configured with a mail order option. If you have ever used a shopping cart on other web sites then the process should be familiar.

Before you can order the first time, you must first have an active account on the Software Center. (See instructions for how to activate your account).

(NOTE: Images and software titles that appear in the Software Center will change depending on what classes are currently scheduled or new software updates). After logging in, if you are not taken directly to the Software store front then click Software on the top menu.

You will see the Software store front (shown below) where selected products are configured for download or purchase. To find out what software titles you need for your class, check the Course/Software list under Available Software, or while visiting the ELMS Software Center web site, click the ...full story link next to the Annoucement about Activation, Software, and Restrictions for students.

Either use the Search by product titles box to find a list software titles, or look through the showcased icons with titles and other information below the search box to find software products configured for download or purchase (buy).

NOTE: Software configured for download will require a utility program capable of creating a CD or DVD from a downloaded image file (see ISO Images for details). Software configured for purchase typically costs about $20 USD but requires a credit card. You can also see a list of titles available for purchase along with current pricing by clicking the "Get Your Personal CDs Here!" link.

The examples that follow demonstrate ordering Visual Studio 2008 Professional, first as a Free Download and again to Buy the disc instead for only about $20; The process is basically the same for other titles. To order Visual Studio 2008 Professional, you can either click the down-arrow and then in the selection list you would find that this product is available, or you can find and click the icon on the storefront. To order the DVD for Visual Studio you would select the title shown below.

The selection list and storefront may change from time to time depending on what classes are running, and although only some titles will be available for purchase, all titles can be downloaded. (Note: ISO Image files will always be listed with CD, DVD, or ISO Image).

How to Order for Download

After selecting a software product to order, you will see a Product Details page for that item. If a product is configured for both Download and Buy then you will have two options as shown here, otherwise you will see just one option to Download only. This page allows you to view a product description and other information about the Mail Order / Shipping and Download options.

View Product Description presents an overview of that product and what you can do with it. Also shown on this page are the file size and approximate download times.

When you click Add To Cart, you then must agree to the MSDN Academic Alliance -- Student Installation and Usage Guidelines, otherwise you cannot proceed with the order. After agreeing to the terms, you will see the product just ordered in your shopping cart as shown below.

The Edit button allows you to change deliverable types for a product, if available. The Remove button will remove that product from your shopping cart. The Continue Shopping button allows you to add more items to your cart or log off - you can come back to your shopping cart and check out later.

Clicking the Check Out button takes you to the Customer Information screen (below) where you will be asked to provide your name and Moraine Valley student email address.

Completing an order sends an auto-generated e-mail to your Moraine Valley student email address. Beware of spam blocking which could block this type of email message. (You can read more about Auto-generated Email on the Using ELMS page under About Software Center). The check box about subscribing to MSDN Student Flash may be checked by default. It is a free and unobtrusive newsletter that also is available at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/flash/default.aspx. Clear the check box if you do not want to receive the newsletter through email.

Click the Next button to see order details (below).

You are asked to Print a copy of this page for your records, and you can always display this page again by going to My Software, clicking Download link, and then clicking View Details.

Click on the Download link to proceed to the My Software page, where you can finally begin the first step of the download process.

For Download options, the Delivery Status will originally indicate Ready For Download. After you have downloaded that item then it will indicate Downloaded instead. A unique Serial Number will be issued for those products requiring a Personal License Key during software setup and is provided only here in the Software Center. If that is the case then be sure to print this page also...you will need that number when installing your software, and you will not always have access to this page if you ever need to reinstall that software later. For some products, such as Visual Studio 2008 Professional, the key is the same and is burned into the setup program, so the Serial Number reads Not Required. The View Order Details button will take you back to the Order Details page, shown in the previous figure. The Download button will begin the first part of the download process, which is a small installer program that may take just a few seconds.

There also is a link below View Order Details with additional information for Dial-up users. If you do not have a high-speed Internet connection then be sure to read that information. Although it would be impractical to download using a Dial-up connection, it can be done.

For further instructions about how to download, either at the end of the order process or perhaps later if you decided to order now and download later, then be sure to look over the How-To instructions for Download. Just remember that you will not always have access to this site and therefore should download sooner rather than later - you can always download and install later, but you will not be able to download again once your account goes inactive.

How to Order for Purchase (Buy)

If you decide to buy a software product then you simply need to use the search box or click that icon in the storefront to place a mail order, same as you would for selecting an item to download. However not all software is available for purchase. The example below demonstrates ordering Visual Studio 2008 Professional for purchase (buy) and have it shipped to your residence or workplace. The process is basically the same for other titles.

If a software title can be ordered through Mail Order / Shipping, then the Product Details page will include that option and allows you to add that type of order to your shopping cart; It also includes other important information for you to consider before deciding to buy.

Prices may vary depending on what software product you order, and they are subject to change. The cost is minimal and includes charges to prepare the media as well as shipping/handling charges. Also, payment must be made using a credit card (Visa/MasterCard only). If you want to buy a product then select the Mail Order / Shipping option and click Add To Cart.

When you click Add To Cart, you then must agree to the MSDN Academic Alliance -- Student Installation and Usage Guidelines, otherwise you cannot proceed with the order. After agreeing to the terms, you will see another page about courier shipping information.

This page contains important information about delivering the software product. Be sure to review this information carefully so you know what to expect.

When you click Continue, this item will be added to your shopping cart.

The Edit button allows you to change deliverable types for a product, if available. The Remove button will remove that product from your shopping cart. The Continue Shopping button allows you to add more items to your cart or log off - you can come back to your shopping cart and check out later. Check Out will ask for customer information and also payment (MC/Visa only) and shipping information. The order is not complete until you click Check Out.

Completing an order sends an auto-generated e-mail to your Moraine Valley student email address. Beware of spam blocking which could block this type of email message. (You can read more about Auto-generated Email on the Using ELMS page under About Software Center). The check box about subscribing to MSDN Student Flash may be checked by default. It is a free and unobtrusive newsletter that also is available at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/flash/default.aspx. Clear the check box if you do not want to receive the newsletter through email.

After you have ordered a software product, you can find related information about that order by clicking on My Software.