WinXP foreign OS disks/downloads for testing - how to get them?

[Guest]

Hi, I've been searching for a while and I can't find the answer to this
question. Apologies if I have overlooked it somewhere. I am a software test
manager and have just joined a new company. This company is developing a
C#/.net application in German which they are also internationalising to be
able to deploy in foreign countries. I really want to be able to test the
application on foreign language operating systems as well BEFORE we simply
start deploying it.

My previous company (in the UK) also deployed their application
internationally and we had a plethora of foreign language OS disks we got
from MSDN when we joined. It was a crucial part of our testing to test that
application on the foreign OS during each release cycle, and we inevitably
had the random bug or two (when deployed on Win XP Chinese/French/German for
example).

Does anyone know where the foreign OS versions are to be found or how they
can be ordered from Microsoft? Any help would be greatly appreciated, as
this matter is starting to get urgent...

 

[xfile]

Hi,

You have at least two alternatives among others that I don't know:

(1) Contact the local subsidiary of MS and purchase a single copy for
upgrade version, which is the easiest and cheapest way, and

(2) To purchase multi-language pack which is reserved for "enterprises"
using volume license

Hope this helps.

 

[Juan Perez]

Hi:

I work also for company that deals with OS in different languajes. Mainly in
Spanish, hasta la vista , Dutch, Italian, some Nordics. MSDN is the best
source for your MS OS. We have some machines with the O.Systems in the local
languaje and we run test there. If you plan the buy the international
versions...

First, MS just sell the local version where you are, Spanish in Spain,
English in UK/Ireland and so on... If you live in Ireland and try to get an
Spanish version you will hit against the MS redtape: Imposible or time
consuming.

Second it will cost you a fortune to get the different versions

Best chance, it is to get a MS MSDN subcription and for the fraction of the
cost, you will be able to download a .iso image of them, among others
sofware, including betas, and run them in your computers, or if it fit you a
Virtual PC or WMware.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx

 

[xfile]

Hi,

I should have made it clear that for (1), contact the local subsidiary of
the version that you're going to buy and use.

Most likely, they will refer you to a local SI or retailer, and then you can
purchase from them. That's how we got our foreign versions.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi, I've been searching for a while and I can't find the answer to this
question. Apologies if I have overlooked it somewhere. I am a software test
manager and have just joined a new company. This company is developing a
C#/.net application in German which they are also internationalising to be
able to deploy in foreign countries. I really want to be able to test the
application on foreign language operating systems as well BEFORE we simply
start deploying it.

My previous company (in the UK) also deployed their application
internationally and we had a plethora of foreign language OS disks we got
from MSDN when we joined. It was a crucial part of our testing to test that
application on the foreign OS during each release cycle, and we inevitably
had the random bug or two (when deployed on Win XP Chinese/French/German for
example).

Does anyone know where the foreign OS versions are to be found or how they
can be ordered from Microsoft? Any help would be greatly appreciated, as
this matter is starting to get urgent...

Just as you did it at your previous company: via MSDN.


--

Bruce Chambers

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