Despite being 10 years old, windows xp still has a charm to it. Its longevity is largely due to the fact that people don’t want to upgrade to other versions.
Using a computer to install windows xp is easy enough, but it’s important to make sure you set up your system correctly. This includes setting the BOOT menu to boot from your CD or DVD.
Features
Windows XP marks a number of milestones for Microsoft as a company and for the Win32 operating system. It is the first NT kernel-based OS designed for home and business type consumers and includes improvements to the base operating system as well as new accessories that improve the user experience.
One example of a new accessory is the ability for the user interface to be “skinned,” enabling it to be changed with distributable theme files. Other improvements include a revised Start menu and a more responsive task bar. Additionally, a new version of WMApplet provides support for burning DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. In addition, the Windows XP Feature Pack for Storage upgrades IMAPI to support both master and rewritable media.
Fast user switching allows multiple users to occupy a single machine at the same time and switch quickly back and forth between them. Other features are a redesigned security permissions user interface and ClearType enhancements.
Installation
When you first boot up your PC it will take a few minutes to load. After that you will get the setup screen – it may take a while to format your partition/hard drive (I recommend full formatting with NTFS).
Once that is done, Setup will start loading files, and copying Windows XP on to your hard disk.
Next Setup will ask you to select a workgroup name. I recommend changing this to something other than WORKGROUP.
Then you will have to enter a product key – you can buy one from Microsoft for a couple of dollars.
If you don’t have a key, skip this step and install windows xp without a product key. Afterwards, you can use a key finder to find your product key and activate it. If you do this, make sure that your product key is genuine and has not been used before on another computer. It is also a good idea to keep the original CDs in case you need to reinstall.
Compatibility
Microsoft ended support for windows xp on April 8, 2014. Users of this operating system will no longer receive security updates or hardware manufacturer support. As a result, it is recommended that users upgrade to a newer operating system as soon as possible.
Despite the fact that Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft, some devices and software applications remain compatible with this operating system. For example, some government agencies are still using XP because they have mission-critical software applications that can’t run on later versions of Windows.
To ensure compatibility, it is necessary to install the correct drivers for the system and hardware devices. The best place to get these drivers is from the motherboard or laptop manufacturers’ support pages. It is also important to back up the old drivers before installing a newer operating system. This will prevent problems with driver conflicts or incompatibilities. This is especially important if the system is connected to the internet.
Security
Although Windows XP is a very stable and reliable operating system, it is still possible for attackers to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the operating system or applications. Even so, exploits targeting XP are decreasing in frequency as users upgrade their PCs to newer versions of Windows.
To mitigate these risks, Microsoft recommends that users install security software and use standard, non-administrator accounts on computers running XP. Privilege management software can also help reduce the likelihood of a successful attack by ensuring that only privileged users have access to sensitive data and services.
Once support for XP ends, Microsoft will no longer provide new security updates, nonsecurity hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates. CTU researchers expect continued discovery and disclosure of new software vulnerabilities linked to XP well beyond its end-of-support date.