Thank you for registering for a Project Lead the Way Summer Training Institute.  Our curriculum is project-based, and utilizes the latest technologies to expose students to engineering and engineering technology and high-tech high-wage career fields.

The Missouri University of Science and Technology looks forward to you attending training at our university this summer.  Due to the nature and the speed of the campus network you must take some steps to protect your computer before you arrive. In order to provide you with trouble-free computing throughout your experience at Missouri S&T, follow the suggestions outlined in this document.

There are many updates and software you must install before the Missouri S&T network will allow you to connect. Be aware that having network access is a requirement of all PLTW course curricula. If you do not attend to these needs you will not be able to use the computing resources that are necessary to complete your course.

The following are items that you should complete before arriving on our campus:

• Have a laptop that meets the minimum requirements listed below
• Have Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional installed on system
• Install ALL critical Windows updates (Be aware you must visit the Windows update site multiple times to fully complete this task.) Visit http://update.microsoft.com/windows update to let Microsoft perform the task automatically.
• Update the Microsoft Office Products on your computer. Visit http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate to automatically perform the update. At the top, lefthand side of the page under the word Download is a link to Office Updates. After checking to be sure you have genuine Microsoft Office, the program will check for updates. You may be asked for your original installation CDs during this proceess or you can select the option to skip your disks but it will take a little longer.  
• Know an -Å“Administrator-? login and password (this is necessary to install the software you will use at the STI)
• Have a network interface card
• Install and update Virus detection/prevention software
• Know the contact information for your school's technical support department

* If you are registered in Gateway to Technology or Principles of Engineering and you do not have a Serial port on your laptop, you will NEED a serial to USB interface adapter to work with the college's Fischertechnik interface.

It is also recommended that you bring:

• An external mouse ( USB or PS/2 )
• A 10-15 foot network cable (Cat5 or Cat5e)
• An external USB storage device (thumb drive or memory stick 256 Megs)

If you do not know or are unsure of what any of these terms/devices are, please contact your home school's technical support professional.

Special VISTA Note:
Project Lead The Way recommends that participating schools NOT upgrade to Microsoft VISTA for the 2007-2008 school year. While Autodesk Inventor 2008 will install and run on Windows VISTA, it will not officially be supported by Autodesk until sufficient information can be collected to assure that the system meets the Autodesk high standards for full support. It is not expected that such information will be fully attained and analyzed for the 2007-08 school year.