While windows xp is still used in some environments, it’s been over a decade since the last security update and many modern applications don’t work with it. Despite this, some users remain committed to the operating system.
Insert the XP CD and set your BIOS to boot from it. At this point, a window will appear asking you to choose your region and language settings.
Features
Windows XP focuses on making your PC truly a digital hub. You can connect and control your music, movies, photos, documents, and other information with the same tools you use to manage the rest of your life.
XP is a truly “plug and play” operating system that automatically recognizes most hardware devices and installs the necessary drivers. It memorizes the condition of its own system files before you perform any installations, giving you a way to quickly roll back your computer to an earlier healthy state if something goes wrong.
In addition, XP offers new features like support for CD burning and the ability to set a password to prevent unauthorised changes to your system configuration. It also makes Windows Explorer more intuitive by offering “simple folder view” that hides the dotted lines between folders and by allowing you to drag folders to the task pane to expand or collapse them. It also sorts file names containing numbers more intuitively than in previous versions of Windows.
Getting Started
After the Windows XP Setup program checks that your computer meets minimum system requirements, the installation process begins. During the setup, you can choose a partition on your hard drive where Windows XP will install itself. If you have previous versions of Windows or other operating systems installed on the system, we recommend choosing an empty partition to avoid losing important data.
Next, you must read and accept the Microsoft Windows XP Licensing Agreement. At this point, almost all users installing on a home or personal computer can leave “Typical Settings” selected for Network Setup; in a corporate environment, ask your system administrator which option you should select.
At the next step, you will be prompted to enter your Product Key. This is required to complete the Windows XP installation process; without it, you will not be able to boot into Windows. You can find the Product Key on a sticker on your software package or on your computer’s system hardware.
Networking
The Windows XP operating system features improved networking capabilities that provide better compatibility with existing network infrastructures and increased security. For example, a new kernel-mode component called the logical prefetcher helps make startup faster by tracing frequently accessed files and placing them in memory at an early stage of boot to speed up reads from disk. Previously these reads were delayed until the kernel was ready to process them.
Other improvements to the networking capabilities include support for wireless networks and better management of wireless network devices. Improved connection wizards, support for PPPoE and a unified logon screen that is less confusing to users who use multiple physical computers are other important enhancements.
Windows XP also allows multiple users to share documents using Simple File Sharing on home and office networks, while maintaining separate computer accounts. The graphical system information window shows details relating to all adapters connected to the machine, including connection status and link speed. The Task Manager has been improved to display process names longer than 15 characters that were truncated in Windows 2000.
Security
Despite the fact that Microsoft is no longer supporting XP and that newer operating systems have been released, malware attacks will not stop after April 8. However, there are steps solution providers can take to keep those systems that can’t be upgraded to a minimum of risk.
This check verifies that password protection takes effect within a limited time frame when the screen saver starts up, eliminating the chance for an unauthorized person to attempt a hacked login before the lock is activated.
Passwords should be changed on a regular basis. This is the number one way a computer can be compromised.
Remove Web browsing and email software from XP systems as they can be used to spread malware. Also, consider removing third-party USB devices as they are often used to transmit malware from one system to another in cybercafes and colleges. If you cannot remove them, limit access to them through a secure corporate network.