Windows XP

Bit of an anachronism ▫On one hand, it is technically only an incremental upgrade to Windows 2000, released only a year earlier. ▫On the other hand, it is the first consumer-level operating system based on a powerful and robust platform previously available only to advanced users and network administrators.

Windows XP Windows XP is easily the most technically sophisticated operating system Microsoft has ever released, but it is adorned with an almost cartoonish interface. It has an advanced, scalable networking system built in, but networking is easier to set up in Windows XP than in any other release. It has the heftiest system requirements of any version of Windows to date, but given the same hardware, it ends up outperforming its predecessors in almost every way. It also has more superfluous bells and whistles than any other OS, but will likely be the OS of choice for most power users for several years to come.

The Big Picture The first few releases of Microsoft Windows in the early 1980s were little more than clunky graphical application launchers that ran on top of the Disk Operating System (DOS). Version 3.x, released in the late 1980s, gained popularity due to its improved interface (awful by today's standards) and ability to access all of a computer's memory. Being based on DOS, however, it was not terribly stable, crashed frequently, and had very limited support for networking and no support for multiple user accounts.

The Big Picture Windows NT 3.0 ("NT" for New Technology) was released. Although it shared the same interface as Windows 3.0, it was based on a more robust and secure kernel, the underlying code upon which the interface and all of the applications run. It didn't rely on DOS and was capable of running 32-bit applications.

The Big Picture In 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95. Although based on DOS like Windows 3.x (it was known internally as Windows 4.0), it was a 32- bit operating system with a new interface. It was the first step in migrating the enhanced capability of the Windows NT architecture to the more commercially accepted, albeit less capable, DOS-based Windows line.

The Big Picture Windows NT 4.0 was released, which brought the new Windows 95-style interface to the NT line. Both of these grand gestures were engineered to further blur the line between these two different Microsoft platforms. Although both operating systems sported the same interface, Windows NT still never garnered the industry support and commercial success of Windows 95.

The Big Picture As time progressed, the lineage of Microsoft Windows became even less linear. Despite its name, Windows 2000 was not the successor to Windows 98 and Windows 95; Windows Me, released at the same time, had that distinction. Instead, Windows 2000 was the next installment of the NT line; it was actually known internally as Windows NT 5.0. Windows 2000 was particularly notable for being the first version of Windows NT to support plug- and-play, which was yet another move to combine the two platforms.

The Big Picture Then came Windows XP, known internally as Windows NT 5.1. Although it's technically merely an incremental upgrade to Windows 2000, it has been positioned as the direct replacement to Windows Me, officially marking the end of the DOS-based Windows 9x/Me line. Windows XP is indeed the long-anticipated operating system designed to finally unify both lines of Windows, bringing the bulletproof stability of NT to home and small business users, and the industry support of Windows 9x/Me to corporate and power users.

What's New in Windows XP over 9x/Me and 2000 improved stability system resources are allocated dynamically multiple user management is much more sophisticated networking in Windows XP is much more powerful and secure than in Windows 9x/Me higher system requirements substantially faster than Windows 2000

What's New in Windows XP over 9x/Me and 2000 the de facto standard (software products) has much better support for games new, more colorful and cheerful interface new copy-protection scheme known as Product Activation Windows XP has more bells and whistles (Windows Movie Maker, built-in CD writer support, the Internet Connection Firewall and Remote Desktop Connection.

Windows XP Home and Professional Editions Six editions of Microsoft Windows XP ▫Windows XP Home ▫Windows XP Professional ▫Windows XP.NET Standard Server ▫Windows.NET Enterprise Server ▫Windows.NET Datacenter Server ▫Windows XP 64-bit [3] [3]

Differences between Windows XP Professional and Home editions Windows XP HomeWindows XP Professional Multiple processor support None.Single- and dual-processor systems are supported. NetworkingBuilt-in support for peer- to-peer networking for up to five computers. Built-in support for peer-to-peer networking, plus support for joining a Windows NT domain. Backup software included YesYes, plus Automated System Recovery (ASR). Dynamic Disk support No.Yes.

Windows XP Professional includes the following tools and accessories Administrative Tools (in the Start menu and Control Panel) Boot Configuration Manager DriverQuery Group Policy Refresh Utility Multi-lingual User Interface (MUI) add-on NTFS Encryption Utility Offline Files and Folders OpenFiles Performance Log Manager Remote Desktop Scheduled Tasks Console Security Template Utility Taskkill Tasklist Telnet Administrator

Windows Update Since its initial release, Microsoft has made many updates to the software available on its web site. These range from simple bug fixes and security updates to monolithic Service Packs. If you are using Service Pack 2, your computer has already been configured to download and install new updates automatically. If not, it's highly recommended that you regularly run the Windows Update feature, or enable the Automatic Updates tool so that you'll never be without the latest fixes.

Windows Service Packs Service Packs are infrequent but major updates to Windows XP, and are primarily designed to squash bugs, sew up security holes, and add new features to the operating system. It's important to install these Service Packs. Just keep in mind that doing so is a major update to your system. Always back up your important files before installing any service pack, and make sure you're comfortable with troubleshooting your system in case it needs to be troubleshot or just plain shot. Service Pack 1 was primarily a bug-fixing pack. Service Pack 2, however, provides many new features that cover everything from configuring Windows' network tools to browsing the Web more safely using Internet Explorer.

System Requirements The minimum hardware requirements for Windows XP Professional include: ▫Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) processor or faster (300 MHz is recommended) ▫At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (128 MB is recommended) ▫At least 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available space on the hard disk ▫CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive ▫Keyboard and a Microsoft Mouse or some other compatible pointing device ▫Video adapter and monitor with Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution ▫Sound card ▫Speakers or headphones

System Requirements Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Windows Vista Ultimate ▫1-gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) processor or 1-GHz 64-bit (x64) processor ▫1 GB of system memory ▫Windows Aero-capable graphics card Note This includes a DirectX 9-class graphics card that supports the following:  A WDDM driver  Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware  32 bits per pixel ▫128 MB of graphics memory (minimum) ▫40-GB hard disk that has 15 GB of free hard disk space (the 15GB of free space provides room for temporary file storage during the install or upgrade.) ▫Internal or external DVD drive ▫Internet access capability ▫Audio output capability

System Requirements Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Windows Vista Ultimate ▫1-gigahertz (GHz) 32-bit (x86) processor or 1-GHz 64-bit (x64) processor ▫1 GB of system memory ▫Windows Aero-capable graphics card Note This includes a DirectX 9-class graphics card that supports the following:  A WDDM driver  Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware  32 bits per pixel ▫128 MB of graphics memory (minimum) ▫40-GB hard disk that has 15 GB of free hard disk space (the 15GB of free space provides room for temporary file storage during the install or upgrade.) ▫Internal or external DVD drive ▫Internet access capability ▫Audio output capability

System Requirements Windows 7 system requirements ▫If you want to run Windows 7 on your PC, here's what it takes: ▫1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor64-bit (x64) ▫1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64- bit) ▫16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit) ▫DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

The Windows XP Clean Install Process Windows Setup text screen

The Windows XP Clean Install Process Welcome text screen

The Windows XP Clean Install Process Partitioning text screen

The Windows XP Clean Install Process Choosing NTFS

The Windows XP Clean Install Process Beginning of graphical mode

The Windows XP Clean Install Process Product key

The Windows XP Clean Install Process Computer name and Administrator password

The Windows XP Clean Install Process Selecting typical network settings

The Windows XP Clean Install Process The Big Copy

The Windows XP Clean Install Process Windows XP desktop with Bliss background