When Did Windows Xp Come Out

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Software

Windows XP
(Part of the Microsoft Windows family)
Screenshot
Screenshot of Windows XP SP2
Programmer
Microsoft
Web site: www.microsoft.com/windowsxp
Release data
Release date:	Oct 25, 2001 info
Current version:	Service Pack ii (SP2) ( August 6, 2004) info
Source model:	Shared source
License:	Microsoft EULA
Kernel type:	Hybrid kernel
Back up status
Currently agile.
Farther reading
Features new to Windows XP Development of Windows XP

Windows XP is a line of operating systems developed past Microsoft Corporation for use on general-purpose computer systems, including dwelling house and concern desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. The letters "XP" stand for eastwardxperience. Codenamed Whistler after Whistler, British Columbia every bit many Microsoft employees ski at the resort, during its evolution, Windows XP is the successor to both Windows 2000 and Windows Me, and is the first consumer-oriented operating arrangement 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 compages was discontinued. Windows XP was first released on Oct 25, 2001, and every bit of 2006 is the most contempo consumer version of Microsoft Windows available, with over 400 million copies in apply, 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 domicile users, and Windows XP Professional, which has additional features such equally support for Windows Server domains and dual processors, and is targeted at power users and business clients. Windows XP Media Center Edition consists of Windows XP Professional with new features enhancing the ability to record and watch Television receiver shows, watch DVDs, mind to music and more. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is designed to run the ink-enlightened Tablet PC platform. Two dissever 64-bit versions of Windows XP were also released, Windows XP 64-fleck 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 direction capabilities were introduced to avert the " DLL hell" that plagued older consumer versions of Windows. It is also the first version of Windows to apply product activation to gainsay software piracy, a restriction that did not sit well with some users and privacy advocates. Windows XP has also been criticized past some users for security vulnerabilities, tight integration of applications such as Internet Explorer and Windows Media Role player, and for aspects of its user interface.

Windows Vista is scheduled to be the side by side major revision of Microsoft Windows, with a planned release date of November xxx, 2006 for book license customers, with a worldwide general release post-obit on January 30, 2007.

Editions

Diagram representing the main editions of Windows XP. Information technology is based on the category of the edition (grayness) and codebase (black arrow).

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

Windows XP Professional person offers a number of features unavailable in the Domicile Edition, including:

• Able to become office of a Windows Server domain — a group of computers that are remotely managed by one or more fundamental servers (many businesses that employ Windows have a Windows Server and a domain)
• Sophisticated admission control scheme that allows specific permissions on files to exist granted to specific users under normal circumstances. However, users tin use tools other than Windows Explorer (similar cacls or File Manager), or restart to Safety Mode to modify access control lists.
• Remote Desktop server, which allows a PC be operated past another Windows XP user over a local area network or the Cyberspace
• Offline Files and Folders, which let the PC to automatically store a copy of files from another networked computer and work with them while asunder from the network
• Encrypting File Organization, which encrypts files stored on the estimator's difficult drive and then they cannot be read past another user, even with physical access to the storage medium
• Centralized administration features, including Grouping Policies, Automatic Software Installation and Maintenance, Roaming User Profiles, and Remote Installation Service (RIS)
• Support for 2 concrete key processing units (CPU). The number of CPU cores and Hyper-threading capabilities on mod CPUs are considered to be office of a single concrete processor.

Windows XP for specialized hardware

Microsoft has as well customized Windows XP to conform 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-fleck Edition

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

Windows XP Professional person 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'due south AMD64 64-scrap extension of the Intel IA-32 architecture. This is found in AMD'south Opteron and Athlon 64 chips, too as Intel'south fries implementing their broadly uniform EM64T extension.

Microsoft had previously supported other microprocessors with before versions of the Windows NT operating system line (including ii 64-bit lines, the Dec Alpha and the MIPS R4000, although Windows NT used them equally 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 Center Edition

This edition is designed for Media centre PCs. Originally, it was only available arranged with one of these computers, and could not be purchased separately. In 2003 the Media Center Edition was updated every bit "Windows XP Media Centre Edition 2003", which added boosted features such as FM radio tuning. Some other update was released in 2004, and over 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, prepare-tiptop 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 "sparse-client" version of Windows XP chosen Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs, which targets older machines (as early as the original Pentium). It volition merely exist available to Software Assurance customers, who would similar to upgrade to Windows XP to accept reward of its security and management capabilities, but tin can't afford to buy 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-toll version of Windows XP available in Thailand, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russian federation, India, Republic of colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Republic of chile, Mexico, Republic of ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela. Information technology is like to Windows XP Home, only is express to low-cease hardware, tin only run three programs at a time, and has another features either removed or disabled by default.

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

Specializations

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

In addition, the Starter Edition as well has some unique limitations to prevent it from displacing more expensive versions of Windows XP. Only three applications tin can be run at once on the Starter Edition, and each application may simply open 3 windows. The maximum screen resolution is limited to 1024×768, and at that place is no back up for workgroup networking or domains. In addition, the Starter Edition is licensed only for low-cease processors similar 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 articulate, withal, if this is for total deejay 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 one,000,000 units of Windows XP Starter Edition sold. In the mass market, notwithstanding, the Starter Edition has non had much success. Many markets where information technology is bachelor accept 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 meg ($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 most monopoly in the market place for PC operating systems onto the markets for piece of work group server operating systems and for media players". Microsoft is currently appealing the ruling. In the concurrently, a court-compliant version has been released. This version does not include the visitor's Windows Media Player but instead encourages users to selection and download their own media player. Microsoft wanted to phone call this version Reduced Media Edition, merely 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 Histrion included, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Fujitsu Siemens have chosen not to stock the production. Withal, Dell did offer the operating arrangement 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 power to discard a newer device driver in favour of the previous one (known equally driver rollback), should a commuter upgrade not produce desirable results;
• A new, arguably more convenient 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 Cyberspace and access their applications, files, printers, and devices; and
• Back up for near DSL modems and wireless network connections, as well as networking over FireWire.

User interface

Default theme vs. Classic theme

Default	Classic

Windows XP features a new chore-based graphical user interface. The Commencement menu and search capability were redesigned and many visual furnishings were added, including:

• A translucent blue option rectangle in Explorer
• A watermark-like graphic on binder icons, indicating the type of data stored in the folder.
• Drib shadows for icon labels on the desktop
• Chore-based sidebars in Explorer windows ("mutual tasks")
• The ability to group the taskbar buttons of the windows of one awarding into ane button
• The ability to lock the taskbar and other toolbars to forestall adventitious changes
• The highlighting of recently added programs on the Start menu
• Shadows nether 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 every bit to prevent the new functionality from consuming excessive additional processing overhead. Users tin can farther customize these settings. Some effects, such every bit alpha blending (transparency and fading), are handled entirely by many newer video cards. However, if the video menu is non capable of hardware alpha blending, performance tin be substantially hurt and Microsoft recommends the feature should be turned off manually. Windows XP adds the ability for Windows to utilise "Visual Styles" to alter the user interface. Still, visual styles must be cryptographically signed past Microsoft to run. Luna is the proper 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 just to one particular visual style, not to all of the new user interface features of Windows XP as a whole. In social club 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 photo of a mural in the Napa Valley outside Napa, California, with rolling greenish hills and a bluish sky with stratocumulus and cirrus clouds.

The Windows 2000 "classic" interface can be used instead if preferred. Several tertiary party utilities exist that provide hundreds of different visual styles. In addition, some other 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 parcel. The Luna theme uses 4 more than megabytes of RAM than the "Classic" Windows theme, and then Classic can peradventure amend performance on lower-cease systems.

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

Windows XP too 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 non likewise-documented by Microsoft in the born Help as many GUI features. A simple list of the bones commands is available at the control prompt by typing "assistance"; 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 set problems and add features.

Service Pack 1

Service Pack i (SP1) for Windows XP was released on September ix, 2002. Its almost notable new features were USB 2.0 support and a Set Plan Access and Defaults utility. For the offset fourth dimension, users could control the default application for activities such equally web browsing and instant messaging, equally well equally hide admission to some of Microsoft's bundled programs. This utility was later brought into the older Windows 2000 operating system with its Service Pack three. Service Pack 1a was afterward released to remove Microsoft's Java virtual machine every bit a upshot of a lawsuit with Sun Microsystems.

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

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

Service Pack 2

Service Pack ii (SP2) (codenamed Springboard) was released on August 6, 2004 afterwards several delays, with a special emphasis on security. Dissimilar previous service packs, SP2 adds new functionality to Windows XP, including an enhanced firewall, improved Wi-Fi back up with a wizard utility, a pop-upwardly ad blocker for Cyberspace Explorer, and Bluetooth support. Security enhancements include a major revision to the included firewall which was renamed to Windows Firewall and is enabled past default, avant-garde memory protection that takes reward of the NX bit that is incorporated into newer processors to finish buffer overflow attacks, and removal of raw socket support (which supposedly limits the damage done by "zombie" machines: infected computers that tin can exist used remotely to launch denial of service attacks). Additionally, security-related improvements were made to electronic 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 country of anti-virus software, Windows Update, and the new Windows Firewall. 3rd-party anti-virus and firewall applications tin can interface with the new Security Center.

Windows Movie Maker two has a new interface and more than 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 visitor AssetMetrix reports that one out of ten computers that upgraded to SP2 had severe compatibility issues with their applications.

SP2 as well 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 fabricated with Service Pack 2. On the opening screen (where information technology says Microsoft Windows XP with the iii scrolling squares), the "(C)1985-2001" designation at the bottom was removed, and the edition name was removed (due east.g. "Abode Edition" or "Professional"). In the Home Edition version the scrolling squares were originally green but accept now been replaced with blue ones. In add-on, the Wireless Network Connection Icon, which used to show two computer symbols (like the LAN Connection Icon) at present 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 but a placebo of sorts in terms of features, fixes, and security updates:

"While we found that at that place are indeed a few minor improvements worthy of acknowledgment, in item, some rather low-level improvements that don't evidence to the admin or user, overall, SP2 did lilliputian to improve our system'due south practical security, leaving as well many services and networking components enabled, bungling permissions, leaving IE and OE vulnerable to malicious scripts, and installing a packet filter that lacks a chapters for egress filtering."

Service Pack 3

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

Service Pack three is speculated to include Windows Media Player 11, Net Explorer 7 and back-ported technologies initially created for Windows Vista, but Microsoft has not made whatsoever official statement on feature sets. A document on Microsoft'south web site suggests that Service Pack 3 will include additional support for doing truthful "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 volition exist included in Service Pack 3. Many of the hotfixes on the site have not however been officially released by Microsoft and users have been warned to not install them all, simply 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 bug are compounded by the fact that users of the Domicile edition, by default, receive an administrator account that provides unrestricted access to the underpinnings of the system. If the administrator'due south account is cleaved into, in that location is no limit to the command 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 ofttimes invisible until they are exploited, making preemptive action difficult. Microsoft has stated that the release of patches to ready security holes is often what causes the spread of exploits confronting those very same holes, every bit crackers figured out what issues the patches stock-still, and and then launch attacks against unpatched systems.

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

User interface and functioning

Critics have claimed that the default Windows XP user interface (Luna) adds visual clutter and wastes screen infinite while offering no new functionality and running more slowly - with some fifty-fifty calling it 'the Fisher-Price interface'. Users who do not like the new interface tin can easily switch dorsum 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 5. Microsoft case which resulted in Microsoft being bedevilled for abusing its operating arrangement monopoly to overwhelm contest 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 shut ties to the Windows Alive ID service.

Backward Compatiblity

Some users switching from Windows 9x to XP dislike it'south lack of DOS support. Although XP comes with the power to run programs in a backward compatibility manner, also as a control program which is more like a 9x "Dos Box" than CMD, XP still has problem running many old DOS programs. This is largly due to the fact that it is NT based and does not use DOS every bit a base OS. There are work arounds such every bit 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 starting time introduction to it. The system was introduced by Microsoft to adjourn unauthorized distribution of Windows XP. Activation requires the computer or the user to activate with Microsoft inside a certain corporeality of fourth dimension in order to keep using the operating system. If the user'due south reckoner system always changes — for example, if two or more than relevant components of the calculator 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 volition not install on computers running installations of Windows XP that use product keys known to exist widely used in unauthorized installations. These product keys are unique to each boxed (or arranged) re-create of Windows XP and are included with the product documentation, but a minor number of production keys take been posted on the Internet and are used for a large number of unauthorized installations. The service packs comprise 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, fifty-fifty 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 take broad-ranging consequences fifty-fifty for legal owners, Microsoft elected to disable the new cardinal verification engine. Service Pack 2 merely checks for the same small list of commonly used keys every bit Service Pack one. This means that while Service Pack ii will non install on copies of Windows XP which use the older set of copied keys, those who use keys which have been posted more than 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 cardinal is judged not genuine, it displays a nag screen at regular intervals request 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, Net Explorer and other Microsoft products volition decline to install.

The download is itself marked equally a "Critical Security Update", causing Automatic Updates to download it without user intervention. However, dissimilar virtually disquisitional updates, the Notifications component does not install automatically; you must have the supplemental EULA provided before it can install.

In one case installed, WGA Notifications "phones abode" to Microsoft every time the computer is connected to the Internet. This behaviour has been criticized by users challenge the programme to exist 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 last build.

Strictly speaking, neither the download nor the install of the Notifications is mandatory; the user can change their Automated 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 take the supplemental EULA provided for the Notifications. In both cases, the user tin also request that the update is non 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 country with its Windows Genuine Reward Notifications plan .

When Did Windows Xp Come Out,

Source: https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/w/Windows_XP.htm

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