Microsoft developed windows xp to provide an operating system that is easy for users to operate. It is a true “plug and play” system that recognizes hardware devices and installs drivers automatically.
It allows multiple people to use a single computer by giving each user his or her own computer account. This keeps personal settings, documents and applications separate for each person.
Requirements
Upon its release, windows xp received critical acclaim for increased performance and stability, a more intuitive user interface and expanded hardware support. It also introduced features such as System Restore, a system to back up the contents of folders and drives, and compatibility mode for running older software applications.
The minimum requirements for a computer to run XP are 233 megahertz processor and 64 megabytes of random access memory (RAM). However, Microsoft recommends a faster processor and more RAM.
Windows XP comes with two versions, Home and Professional. Those that work in business environments can use the Professional version, which adds capabilities that aren’t available in the Home edition. For example, the professional version supports remote desktop so you can connect to your work computer from home or while traveling. Depending on the motherboard and chipset used, some hardware may not work with XP. For example, a user reported that HighPoint Technologies HPT-366 chipsets did not work with the XP operating system until the company provided new drivers.
Installation
During the installation process, it may ask to delete the existing partition on your hard drive. This is important, as if you don’t, the program will install itself to the same partition and the operating system can’t recognize or install your hardware drivers (software that allows your computer to communicate with the hardware device).
When you get to the screen where it asks for the product key, enter it and proceed through the setup program. You will then see the Windows XP Licensing Agreement, which you must press F8 to agree to.
Depending on your BIOS settings, you will then have to choose which drive to boot from. You should have the option to boot from a CD or DVD. If you do, your computer will need to be configured to start from the optical drive instead of the hard drive, which is a setting that is typically found in the BOOT menu.
Basics
Windows XP provides a graphical interface called a desktop that is the primary way to access the system components and applications. It also uses a taskbar that allows you to work with open programs. Unlike previous editions of windows, XP features a scroll bar that you can use to move up or down the desktop list of files and applications.
Another XP feature is the ability to work with off-line files and folders, allowing you to take a laptop computer out of your home network and still access the files stored on the machine. It also supports multiple user accounts, so different members of a family or work team can log in and work on the same computer without disrupting each other’s work.
Microsoft also developed editions of XP specifically for use in embedded systems such as kiosks/ATMs, medical devices, time clocks, arcade video games, point-of-sale terminals, and navigation devices. These are part of the Windows Embedded subfamily and can be run on hardware that does not have enough processing power to run an entire XP desktop.
Advanced
Many features in windows xp are not well-known to computer users. For example, fast user switching allows multiple users to be logged into their own sessions at the same time on a single machine. Other features include ClearType, Microsoft’s font display technology for LCD screens, and GDI+, the successor to GDI. A new categorization scheme for control panel applets makes it easier to find what you need.
Another advanced feature is a memory management change that increases the number of pages in the paged pool for more cache space, increasing address translation performance. Windows XP also enables the use of hardware descriptors to distinguish between different types of mass storage devices so that default write caching policies can be set for each type to avoid surprise removal of devices that may cause data loss.
Legacy applications can be enabled to use the new common control library and have their own look and feel by creating a manifest file and placing it in the same directory as the application. However, doing so can introduce bugs into the application, so perform this experiment at your own risk.