What are Lutheran Service Builder’s system requirements?

Lutheran Service Builder has the following hardware and operating system requirements:

• Microsoft Windows XP or Vista
• A Pentium-4 class or better (Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, etc.) processor
• 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended, 2 GB recommended if using Windows Vista)
• 1 GB free hard disk space
• Either a CD-ROM drive or a broadband Internet connection for installation

An Internet connection is not required to use Lutheran Service Builder, but it is highly recommended for the best possible Builder experience.

In addition to these hardware requirements, Lutheran Service Builder requires the following Microsoft software to be installed on your computer (click on a requirement for more information):

• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 or later
• Microsoft Visual J# 2.0
• Windows Installer 4.5 or later
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express or later

The Installer for Lutheran Service Builder will automatically scan your system for these software requirements and, if they are not present, it will either install them from the installation package or will download the appropriate requirement to your computer.

Can Builder be used on a Mac?

Lutheran Service Builder is a software package designed and engineered to run on the Microsoft Windows platform. There are currently no plans to issue a Macintosh-native version of Lutheran Service Builder.

However, if you have a recent Mac, you can run Builder as long as you have the appropriate software and have configured your Macintosh to run Microsoft Windows. In order to do so, you will need a valid, licensed copy of Microsoft Windows XP or Vista.

The first option is to run Windows using Apple’s Boot Camp, which is included in Mac OS 10.5 or later. For more information on Boot Camp, please check with your computer’s documentation.

The second option is to run Microsoft Windows in what is called virtualization. Using this method, you run a software program within the Mac OS that then runs Microsoft Windows. Your Windows programs appear as windows within your Mac OS Desktop, and you can switch from Windows applications to Macintosh applications and vice versa when needed. You will still need a fully licensed copy of Windows. There are two primary software packages for virtualization:

• Parallels Desktop for Mac, and
• VMWare Fusion.

Please refer to the Web sites of each application for more information on virtualization.

Once you have installed Windows on your Mac using either one of these methods, you can then install Lutheran Service Builder in exactly the same way as a customer using a Windows-based computer.

NOTE: Concordia Publishing House does not officially support running Lutheran Service Builder in virtualization, and may not be able to assist you if you are encountering issues apart from normal operation of Lutheran Service Builder on Microsoft Windows.