   #copyright

Windows XP

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   Windows XP
   (Part of the Microsoft Windows family)
   Screenshot
   Screenshot of Windows XP SP2
   Developer
   Microsoft
   Web site: www.microsoft.com/windowsxp
   Release information
   Release date:    October 25, 2001 info
   Current version: Service Pack 2 (SP2) ( August 6, 2004) info
   Source model:    Shared source
   License:         Microsoft EULA
   Kernel type:     Hybrid kernel
   Support status
   Currently active.
   Further reading
     * Features new to Windows XP

     * Development of Windows XP

   Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft
   Corporation for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home
   and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. The
   letters "XP" stand for experience. Codenamed Whistler after Whistler,
   British Columbia as many Microsoft employees ski at the resort, during
   its development, Windows XP is the successor to both Windows 2000 and
   Windows Me, and is the first consumer-oriented operating system
   produced by Microsoft to be built on the Windows NT kernel and
   architecture. With the release of Windows XP, the development of
   operating systems based on the Windows 9x architecture was
   discontinued. Windows XP was first released on October 25, 2001, and as
   of 2006 is the most recent consumer version of Microsoft Windows
   available, with over 400 million copies in use, according to an
   estimate by an IDC analyst.

   The most common editions of the operating system are Windows XP Home
   Edition, which is targeted at home users, and Windows XP Professional,
   which has additional features such as support for Windows Server
   domains and dual processors, and is targeted at power users and
   business clients. Windows XP Media Centre Edition consists of Windows
   XP Professional with new features enhancing the ability to record and
   watch TV shows, watch DVDs, listen to music and more. Windows XP Tablet
   PC Edition is designed to run the ink-aware Tablet PC platform. Two
   separate 64-bit versions of Windows XP were also released, Windows XP
   64-bit Edition for IA-64 ( Itanium) processors and Windows XP
   Professional x64 Edition for x86-64 processors.

   Windows XP is known for its improved stability and efficiency over
   previous versions of Windows. It presents a significantly redesigned
   graphical user interface, a change Microsoft promoted as more
   user-friendly than previous versions of Windows. New software
   management capabilities were introduced to avoid the " DLL hell" that
   plagued older consumer versions of Windows. It is also the first
   version of Windows to use product activation to combat software piracy,
   a restriction that did not sit well with some users and privacy
   advocates. Windows XP has also been criticized by some users for
   security vulnerabilities, tight integration of applications such as
   Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, and for aspects of its user
   interface.

   Windows Vista is scheduled to be the next major revision of Microsoft
   Windows, with a planned release date of November 30, 2006 for volume
   license customers, with a worldwide general release following on
   January 30, 2007.

Editions

   Diagram representing the main editions of Windows XP. It is based on
   the category of the edition (grey) and codebase (black arrow).
   Enlarge
   Diagram representing the main editions of Windows XP. It is based on
   the category of the edition (grey) and codebase (black arrow).

   The two major editions are Windows XP Home Edition, designed for home
   users, and Windows XP Professional, designed for business and
   power-users. Other builds of Windows XP include those built for
   specialized hardware and crippled versions sold in Europe and select
   developing economies.

   Windows XP Professional offers a number of features unavailable in the
   Home Edition, including:
     * Able to become part of a Windows Server domain — a group of
       computers that are remotely managed by one or more central servers
       (many businesses that use Windows have a Windows Server and a
       domain)
     * Sophisticated access control scheme that allows specific
       permissions on files to be granted to specific users under normal
       circumstances. However, users can use tools other than Windows
       Explorer (like cacls or File Manager), or restart to Safe Mode to
       modify access control lists.
     * Remote Desktop server, which allows a PC be operated by another
       Windows XP user over a local area network or the Internet
     * Offline Files and Folders, which allow the PC to automatically
       store a copy of files from another networked computer and work with
       them while disconnected from the network
     * Encrypting File System, which encrypts files stored on the
       computer's hard drive so they cannot be read by another user, even
       with physical access to the storage medium
     * Centralized administration features, including Group Policies,
       Automatic Software Installation and Maintenance, Roaming User
       Profiles, and Remote Installation Service (RIS)
     * Support for two physical central processing units (CPU). The number
       of CPU cores and Hyper-threading capabilities on modern CPUs are
       considered to be part of a single physical processor.

Windows XP for specialized hardware

   Microsoft has also customized Windows XP to suit different markets and
   there are now several different versions available. Five different
   versions of XP for specific hardware were designed, two of them
   specifically for 64-bit processors.

   Windows XP 64-bit Edition
          This edition was designed specifically for Itanium-based
          workstations. This edition was discontinued in early 2005, after
          HP, the last distributor of Itanium-based workstations, stopped
          selling Itanium systems marketed as 'workstations'. However,
          Itanium support continues in the server editions of Windows.

   Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
          Not to be confused with the previous 64-bit Itanium edition of
          Windows XP, this edition is based on Windows Server 2003 and
          supports AMD's AMD64 64-bit extension of the Intel IA-32
          architecture. This is found in AMD's Opteron and Athlon 64
          chips, as well as Intel's chips implementing their broadly
          compatible EM64T extension.

          Microsoft had previously supported other microprocessors with
          earlier versions of the Windows NT operating system line
          (including two 64-bit lines, the DEC Alpha and the MIPS R4000,
          although Windows NT used them as 32-bit processors). The files
          necessary for all of the architectures were included on the same
          installation CD and did not require the purchase of separate
          versions.

   Windows XP Media Centre Edition
          This edition is designed for Media centre PCs. Originally, it
          was only available bundled with one of these computers, and
          could not be purchased separately. In 2003 the Media Center
          Edition was updated as "Windows XP Media Centre Edition 2003",
          which added additional features such as FM radio tuning. Another
          update was released in 2004, and again in 2005, which was the
          first edition available for System Builders.

   Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
          Intended for specially-designed notebook/laptop computers called
          tablet PCs, the Tablet PC Edition is compatible with a
          pen-sensitive screen, supporting handwritten notes and
          portrait-oriented screens. It cannot be purchased separately
          from a Tablet PC.

   Windows XP Embedded
          An edition for specific consumer electronics, set-top boxes,
          kiosks/ ATMs, medical devices, arcade video games, point-of-sale
          terminals, and Voice Over Internet Protocol ( VoIP) components.

   Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
          In July 2006, Microsoft introduced a "thin-client" version of
          Windows XP called Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs, which
          targets older machines (as early as the original Pentium). It
          will only be available to Software Assurance customers, who
          would like to upgrade to Windows XP to take advantage of its
          security and management capabilities, but can't afford to
          purchase new hardware. Applications will typically be run on a
          remote server using Remote Desktop.

Windows XP Starter Edition

   Windows XP Starter Edition is a lower-cost version of Windows XP
   available in Thailand, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, India,
   Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Uruguay and
   Venezuela. It is similar to Windows XP Home, but is limited to low-end
   hardware, can only run 3 programs at a time, and has some other
   features either removed or disabled by default.

   According to a Microsoft press release, Windows XP Starter Edition is
   "a low-cost introduction to the Microsoft Windows XP operating system
   designed for first-time desktop PC users in developing countries." It
   is seen as an effort to fight unauthorized copying of Windows XP and
   possibly the spread of GNU/Linux-based systems in Asia and South
   America.

Specializations

   The Starter Edition includes some special features for non-US markets
   where consumers may not be computer literate. Not found in the Home
   Edition, these include localized help features for those who may not
   speak English, a country-specific computer wallpaper and screensavers,
   and other default settings designed for easier use than typical Windows
   XP installations.

   In addition, the Starter Edition also has some unique limitations to
   prevent it from displacing more expensive versions of Windows XP. Only
   three applications can be run at once on the Starter Edition, and each
   application may only open three windows. The maximum screen resolution
   is limited to 1024×768, and there is no support for workgroup
   networking or domains. In addition, the Starter Edition is licensed
   only for low-end processors like Intel's Celeron or AMD's Duron. There
   is also a 256MB limit on main memory, and an 80GB disk size limit
   (Microsoft has not made it clear, however, if this is for total disk
   space, per partition, or per disk). There are also fewer options for
   customizing the themes, desktop, and taskbar.

Market adoption

   On October 9, 2006, Microsoft announced that they reached a milestone
   of 1,000,000 units of Windows XP Starter Edition sold. In the mass
   market, however, the Starter Edition has not had much success. Many
   markets where it is available have seen the uptake of illegally cracked
   or pirated versions of the software instead.

Windows XP Edition N

   In March 2004, the European Commission fined Microsoft €497 million
   ($603 million USD) and ordered the company to provide a version of
   Windows without Windows Media Player. The Commission concluded that
   Microsoft "broke European Union competition law by leveraging its near
   monopoly in the market for PC operating systems onto the markets for
   work group server operating systems and for media players". Microsoft
   is currently appealing the ruling. In the meantime, a court-compliant
   version has been released. This version does not include the company's
   Windows Media Player but instead encourages users to pick and download
   their own media player. Microsoft wanted to call this version Reduced
   Media Edition, but EU regulators objected and suggested the Edition N
   name, with the N signifying "not with Media Player" for both Home and
   Professional editions of Windows XP. Due to the fact that it is sold at
   the same price as the version with Windows Media Player included, Dell,
   Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Fujitsu Siemens have chosen not to stock
   the product. However, Dell did offer the operating system for a short
   time. Consumer interest has been low, with roughly 1,500 units shipped
   to OEMs, and no reported sales to consumers.

New and updated features

   Windows XP introduced several new features to the Windows line,
   including:
     * Faster start-up and hibernation sequences;
     * The ability to discard a newer device driver in favour of the
       previous one (known as driver rollback), should a driver upgrade
       not produce desirable results;
     * A new, arguably more user-friendly interface, including the
       framework for developing themes for the desktop environment;
     * Fast user switching, which allows a user to save the current state
       and open applications of their desktop and allow another user to
       log on without losing that information;
     * The ClearType font rendering mechanism, which is designed to
       improve text readability on Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and
       similar monitors;
     * The Remote Desktop functionality, which allows users to connect to
       a computer running Windows XP from across a network or the Internet
       and access their applications, files, printers, and devices; and
     * Support for most DSL modems and wireless network connections, as
       well as networking over FireWire.

User interface

                                  CAPTION: Default theme vs. Classic theme

                                                            Default

                                                                   Classic

   Windows XP features a new task-based graphical user interface. The
   Start menu and search capability were redesigned and many visual
   effects were added, including:
     * A translucent blue selection rectangle in Explorer
     * A watermark-like graphic on folder icons, indicating the type of
       information stored in the folder.
     * Drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop
     * Task-based sidebars in Explorer windows ("common tasks")
     * The ability to group the taskbar buttons of the windows of one
       application into one button
     * The ability to lock the taskbar and other toolbars to prevent
       accidental changes
     * The highlighting of recently added programs on the Start menu
     * Shadows under menus (Windows 2000 had shadows under mouse pointers,
       but not menus)

   Windows XP analyzes the performance impact of visual effects and uses
   this to determine whether to enable them, so as to prevent the new
   functionality from consuming excessive additional processing overhead.
   Users can further customize these settings. Some effects, such as alpha
   blending (transparency and fading), are handled entirely by many newer
   video cards. However, if the video card is not capable of hardware
   alpha blending, performance can be substantially hurt and Microsoft
   recommends the feature should be turned off manually. Windows XP adds
   the ability for Windows to use "Visual Styles" to change the user
   interface. However, visual styles must be cryptographically signed by
   Microsoft to run. Luna is the name of the new visual style that ships
   with Windows XP, and is enabled by default for machines with more than
   64 MB of RAM. Luna refers only to one particular visual style, not to
   all of the new user interface features of Windows XP as a whole. In
   order to use unsigned visual styles, many users turn to software such
   as TGTSoft's StyleXP or Stardock's WindowBlinds. Some users "patch" the
   uxtheme.dll file that restrict the ability to use visual styles,
   created by the general public or the user, on Windows XP.

   The default wallpaper, Bliss, is a BMP photograph of a landscape in the
   Napa Valley outside Napa, California, with rolling green hills and a
   blue sky with stratocumulus and cirrus clouds.

   The Windows 2000 "classic" interface can be used instead if preferred.
   Several third party utilities exist that provide hundreds of different
   visual styles. In addition, another Microsoft-created theme, called "
   Royale", was included with Windows XP Media Centre Edition, and was
   also released for other versions of Windows XP, but has since been
   removed from the original Microsoft New Zealand package. The Luna theme
   uses 4 more megabytes of RAM than the "Classic" Windows theme, so
   Classic can possibly improve performance on lower-end systems.

   Over 100 of the new icons were created by The Iconfactory, best known
   for their freeware Mac icons.

   Windows XP also has a command line interface (CLI), cmd.exe, for
   executing single commands or for running scripts called Batch files.
   The syntax for the language of the Windows XP CLI is not as
   well-documented by Microsoft in the built-in Help as many GUI features.
   A simple list of the basic commands is available at the command prompt
   by typing "help"; and somewhat more complete command syntax may be
   found by typing "command_name /?" for any command.

Service packs

   Microsoft occasionally releases service packs for its Windows operating
   systems to fix problems and add features.

Service Pack 1

   Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows XP was released on September 9, 2002.
   Its most notable new features were USB 2.0 support and a Set Program
   Access and Defaults utility. For the first time, users could control
   the default application for activities such as web browsing and instant
   messaging, as well as hide access to some of Microsoft's bundled
   programs. This utility was later brought into the older Windows 2000
   operating system with its Service Pack 3. Service Pack 1a was later
   released to remove Microsoft's Java virtual machine as a result of a
   lawsuit with Sun Microsystems.

   LBA-48, which allowed the OS to view and use HDD space above 137 GB,
   was enabled by default. Native support for Serial ATA was added.

   Support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 ended on October 10, 2006.

Service Pack 2

   Service Pack 2 (SP2) (codenamed Springboard) was released on August 6,
   2004 after several delays, with a special emphasis on security. Unlike
   previous service packs, SP2 adds new functionality to Windows XP,
   including an enhanced firewall, improved Wi-Fi support with a wizard
   utility, a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer, and Bluetooth
   support. Security enhancements include a major revision to the included
   firewall which was renamed to Windows Firewall and is enabled by
   default, advanced memory protection that takes advantage of the NX bit
   that is incorporated into newer processors to stop buffer overflow
   attacks, and removal of raw socket support (which supposedly limits the
   damage done by "zombie" machines: infected computers that can be used
   remotely to launch denial of service attacks). Additionally,
   security-related improvements were made to e-mail and web browsing.
   Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes the Windows Security Centre, which
   provides a general overview of security on the system, including the
   state of anti-virus software, Windows Update, and the new Windows
   Firewall. Third-party anti-virus and firewall applications can
   interface with the new Security Centre.

   Windows Movie Maker 2 has a new interface and more transitions, video
   effects and options. A full list of service fixes and modifications in
   SP2 is available on Microsoft's website. When the service pack was
   released some programs did stop working, and Microsoft officially
   listed several of them on its website. The company AssetMetrix reports
   that one out of ten computers that upgraded to SP2 had severe
   compatibility problems with their applications.

   SP2 also includes major updates to Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and
   Windows XP Media Centre Edition, and supports 24 new languages.

   There were also some visual changes made with Service Pack 2. On the
   opening screen (where it says Microsoft Windows XP with the three
   scrolling squares), the "(C)1985-2001" designation at the bottom was
   removed, and the edition name was removed (e.g. "Home Edition" or
   "Professional"). In the Home Edition version the scrolling squares were
   originally green but have now been replaced with blue ones. In
   addition, the Wireless Network Connection Icon, which used to show two
   computer symbols (like the LAN Connection Icon) now shows just one,
   with a radio wave symbol on the right side.

   While well received in general, Service Pack 2 was not without its
   critics. Thomas Greene from The Register claimed that SP2 was merely a
   placebo of sorts in terms of features, fixes, and security updates:

          "While we found that there are indeed a few minor improvements
          worthy of acknowledgment, in particular, some rather low-level
          improvements that don't show to the admin or user, overall, SP2
          did little to improve our system's practical security, leaving
          too many services and networking components enabled, bungling
          permissions, leaving IE and OE vulnerable to malicious scripts,
          and installing a packet filter that lacks a capacity for egress
          filtering."

Service Pack 3

   Windows XP Service Pack 3 is currently in development. It will be
   released after Windows Vista has been finished. As of October 2006,
   Microsoft's web site indicates a "preliminary" release date of "1H
   2008".

   Service Pack 3 is speculated to include Windows Media Player 11,
   Internet Explorer 7 and back-ported technologies initially created for
   Windows Vista, but Microsoft has not made any official statement on
   feature sets. A document on Microsoft's web site suggests that Service
   Pack 3 will include additional support for doing true "per-user"
   application installing. Another page suggests improvements to managing
   the list of "hidden" wireless networks.

   A site titled The Hotfix has been reported as keeping an up-to-date
   list of downloadable hotfixes that will be included in Service Pack 3.
   Many of the hotfixes on the site have not yet been officially released
   by Microsoft and users have been warned to not install them all, but
   many of the fixes have been known to solve specific problems that SP3
   will eventually address.

Common criticisms

Security issues

   Windows XP has been criticized for its susceptibility to malware,
   viruses, trojan horses and worms. Security issues are compounded by the
   fact that users of the Home edition, by default, receive an
   administrator account that provides unrestricted access to the
   underpinnings of the system. If the administrator's account is broken
   into, there is no limit to the control that can be asserted over the
   compromised PC.

   Windows, with its large market share, has historically been a tempting
   target for virus creators. Security holes are often invisible until
   they are exploited, making preemptive action difficult. Microsoft has
   stated that the release of patches to fix security holes is often what
   causes the spread of exploits against those very same holes, as
   crackers figured out what problems the patches fixed, and then launch
   attacks against unpatched systems.

   In an effort to slow down the rate at which malicious programs can
   spread to uninfected computers, Service Pack 2 lowered the limit on
   outgoing TCP/IP connection attempts from 65,535 to 10. There can be no
   more than this many incomplete outgoing connections being attempted at
   any one time; additional connection attempts will be queued. This limit
   can adversely affect legitimate software such as peer-to-peer
   applications. The "tcpip.sys" system file can be patched to raise the
   limit to its former value.

User interface and performance

   Critics have claimed that the default Windows XP user interface (Luna)
   adds visual clutter and wastes screen space while offering no new
   functionality and running more slowly - with some even calling it 'the
   Fisher-Price interface'. Users who do not like the new interface can
   easily switch back to the Windows Classic theme. However, this theme
   does not entirly copy the windows 9.x GUI.

Integration of operating system features

   In light of the United States v. Microsoft case which resulted in
   Microsoft being convicted for abusing its operating system monopoly to
   overwhelm competition in other markets, Windows XP has drawn fire for
   integrating user applications such as Windows Media Player and Windows
   Messenger into the operating system, as well as for its close ties to
   the Windows Live ID service.

Backward Compatiblity

   Some users switching from Windows 9x to XP dislike it's lack of DOS
   support. Although XP comes with the ability to run programs in a
   backward compatibility mode, as well as a command program which is more
   like a 9x "Dos Box" than CMD, XP still has trouble running many old DOS
   programs. This is largly due to the fact that it is NT based and does
   not use DOS as a base OS. There are work arounds such as the open
   source DOSBox and FreeDOS.

Product activation

   While product activation and licensing servers are common for business
   and industrial software (especially software sold on a per-user basis
   for large sums of money), Windows XP gave many casual computer users
   their first introduction to it. The system was introduced by Microsoft
   to curb unauthorized distribution of Windows XP. Activation requires
   the computer or the user to activate with Microsoft within a certain
   amount of time in order to continue using the operating system. If the
   user's computer system ever changes — for example, if two or more
   relevant components of the computer itself are upgraded — Windows may
   refuse to run until the user reactivates with Microsoft.

Copying restrictions

   Microsoft Windows XP service packs are designed so that they will not
   install on computers running installations of Windows XP that use
   product keys known to be widely used in unauthorized installations.
   These product keys are unique to each boxed (or bundled) copy of
   Windows XP and are included with the product documentation, but a small
   number of product keys have been posted on the Internet and are used
   for a large number of unauthorized installations. The service packs
   contain a list of these keys and will not update copies of Windows XP
   that use them.

   Microsoft developed a new key verification engine for Windows XP
   Service Pack 2 that could detect illicit keys, even those that had
   never been used before. After an outcry from security consultants who
   feared that denying security updates to illegal installations of
   Windows XP would have wide-ranging consequences even for legal owners,
   Microsoft elected to disable the new key verification engine. Service
   Pack 2 only checks for the same small list of commonly used keys as
   Service Pack 1. This means that while Service Pack 2 will not install
   on copies of Windows XP which use the older set of copied keys, those
   who use keys which have been posted more recently may be able to update
   their systems.

Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications

   Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications is a utility that checks the
   legitimacy of a Windows XP license. If the license key is judged not
   genuine, it displays a nag screen at regular intervals asking the user
   to buy a license from Microsoft. In addition, the user's access to
   Microsoft Update is restricted to critical security updates, and as
   such, new versions of DirectX, Windows Defender, Internet Explorer and
   other Microsoft products will refuse to install.

   The download is itself marked as a "Critical Security Update", causing
   Automatic Updates to download it without user intervention. However,
   unlike most critical updates, the Notifications component does not
   install automatically; you must accept the supplemental EULA provided
   before it can install.

   Once installed, WGA Notifications "phones home" to Microsoft every time
   the computer is connected to the Internet. This behaviour has been
   criticized by users claiming the program to be spyware for these
   reasons, and by others claiming that they have a licensed copy of
   Windows that WGA Notifications mistakenly identified as a pirate copy
   and damaged.

   While in the testing phase, Microsoft did not include an uninstallation
   utility, but rather gave the user manual removal instructions that do
   not work with the final build.

   Strictly speaking, neither the download nor the install of the
   Notifications is mandatory; the user can change their Automatic Update
   settings to allow them to choose what updates may be downloaded for
   installation. If the update is already downloaded, the user can choose
   not to accept the supplemental EULA provided for the Notifications. In
   both cases, the user can also request that the update is not presented
   again.

   As of 2006, Microsoft is currently involved in a class action lawsuit
   brought forth in California, on grounds that it violated the spyware
   laws in the state with its Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications
   program .

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
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