Quality Center support for the Windows 7 environment will not be until sometime in the 3rd quarter July-Sept 2010.

Until Windows 7 is officially supported, the following workaround was recommended by an HP Support engineer.

Using Quality Center Client in a Windows 7 Environment

Windows 7.0 implements security features some of which prevent the Qualtiy Center client from installing properly. It is important to understand that in Windows 7, a standard user with administrator privileges is not equal to the built in administrator user.

Refer to the instructions below:

1. Ensure that User Account Control setting is disabled.
a. Click the Windows Start icon
b. Search for program and files; type UAC
c. Click on the link Change User Account Control Settings.
d. Move the slider down to never notify.
e. Restart the computer.

2. Disable Data Execution prevention (DEP)
a. Click the Windows Start icon
b. Search for program and files; type CMD
c. Right click on the link for CMD and select run as administrator.
d. In the command prompt type: bcdedit /set {current} nx AlwaysOff
e. Restart the computer.
3. Download and install the Quality Center Client Side Setup. (http://QCSERVERNAME:PORT/qcbin/ClientSide_index.html)

4. Launch IE and connect to Quality Center and should be able to work within QC.

5. Change the user control accounts setting back to the original setting and restart.

Note: DEP will continue to be disabled as it prevents data execution which is required for quality center.

Be careful altering the DEP setting on machines that utilize the Windows 7 Bitlocker feature. Doing so may cause you to have to enter the bitlocker encryption password the next time you reboot (before Windows loads). I personally saw this happen on a machine using bitlocker under Vista. Poor consultant was on the phone with her IT department trying to prove to them she was who she was, so they would give her the password.