If you want to speed up Windows XP’s startup process, use MSConfig to remove programs that load with it. This also helps protect XP from malware that takes control of an administrator account.
During the installation process, a window will appear asking you to choose your Region and Language settings. It’s normal for the screen to flicker and turn on and off while this happens.
What is Windows XP?
The release of Windows XP marked a new era for Microsoft. It was the first version of its OS to prioritize users’ needs by prioritizing hardware and software compatibility. It also introduced the system of driver signing, a mark of trust for hardware that ensures it will work well with Windows XP.
XP was released in October of 2001 and enjoyed considerable success in the marketplace. It was praised for its ease of use and stability, as well as its improved support for hardware devices.
There were a number of different editions of Windows XP available, including the Home Edition, Business Edition, and Media Center Edition. The latter was designed to work with entertainment systems such as home theaters. To run XP, your computer must meet minimum requirements for CPU and RAM, though Microsoft recommends a processor faster than 233 MHz and 128 MB of RAM to get the best experience. XP also supports multiple users by providing separate computer accounts for each person who uses the system.
What are the System Requirements for Windows XP?
Microsoft issued a minimum set of specifications for the hardware needed to run Windows XP. These specs include a 233 MHz CPU, 64 MB of RAM, 1.5 GB of free hard drive space and a CD-ROM drive. But most modern systems can easily meet and exceed these requirements.
For example, a PC with a fast processor (one that measures performance in gigahertz, or GHz), generous amounts of RAM and a large hard drive will operate faster than one that meets the minimum system requirements but does not have these features.
XP also supports GPT-partitioned disks for data volumes,[14] and it can use software optimized for 64-bit hardware,[15] which allows for higher performance encoding of audio or video and better 3D rendering. It uses the NT kernel and conventions of protected memory,[16] which helps keep an unstable program from crashing other applications or Windows itself. It also adds a taskbar that allows users to pin frequently used applications and organize them into logical groups for easy access.
How to Install Windows XP
The procedure for installing Windows XP is fairly simple. Begin by inserting the XP Professional Setup CD into your computer’s drive. When prompted to press a key to boot from CD, do so.
When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, select “Install Windows XP” from the list of options. At this point, the program will begin copying files from the CD to your hard drive. This may take a few minutes.
Once the installation process has begun, you will be prompted to create or delete a partition on your hard drive. If you plan to use the hard drive for multiple purposes, a partition is essential. Otherwise, a single partition should suffice.
During the setup process, you will be asked to enter your Product Key. This will ensure that you are using a legal copy of Windows XP. You will also be required to read and accept the Microsoft Licensing Agreement. Once this step is complete, the program will restart your computer and begin the actual Windows XP installation.
What are the Advantages of Windows XP?
Before Windows XP, the maximum size of memory-mapped files in Windows was limited by the number of Prototype Page Table entries (PPTEs) available in the system’s paged pool. The limit was lifted in XP, with the PPTEs allocated dynamically and unmapped views reclaimed by the memory manager as necessary.
Several other improvements were introduced in XP. Windows Explorer can now display images in a Filmstrip view that includes “Back” and “Previous” buttons as well as 90-degree clockwise and counter-clockwise rotate options. The Picture and Fax Viewer is now based on GDI+ and supports BMP, JPEG, PNG, GIF, ICO, WMF and EMF image formats.
Internet Connection Sharing in XP can handle up to five network devices and is location-aware. It also provides a local DNS resolver for home networks to support non-Windows-based networking devices. Moreover, XP’s 64-bit edition supports the computing capabilities of newer, more expensive Intel x64 processors. These are faster and have more computing power than the 32-bit version.