Windows XP launched in October of 2001. It was at a time when Microsoft was making the most money ever and dominated the computer industry.
Many people still use XP because it reminds them of a simpler time when adults were not trying to get their kids to answer their phones and wore pants that went all the way up to their ankles. It is also affordable and can run many modern programs without comparability issues.
What is Windows XP?
Windows XP is the operating system released by Microsoft in October of 2001. It superseded the older version of Windows and came at a time when Microsoft was enjoying its greatest revenues ever and dominated the PC market.
The XP operating system is based on the stable Windows 2000 kernel and offered multiple upgrades for its user interface, multimedia and connectivity functions. It also included a new error reporting mechanism that replaced the infamous “blue screen of death” with a pop-up window that collected information about the problem and sent it to Microsoft engineers.
The operating system was available in two major editions: the Home Edition and the Professional Edition. The former was designed for the consumer market while the latter is more business-oriented. The two versions are also distinguished by their feature sets: the Home Edition does not support the Windows domain service, and it excludes features such as a media center and tablet PC functionality.
Installation
Once the XP installation CD is in the drive it will start up and ask you to press a key. Once you do this the process of copying files from the disc to your computer will begin.
First it will format your hard drive/partition (this will take a while depending on your HDD size) and then continue to load the necessary files. Once it has done this it will reboot.
Next it will ask you for your product key – this is normally written on the XP box. It will then ask you to choose your network settings. For most users on a home PC the option Typical settings will be correct, although you should always check with your network administrator before choosing a Custom setup.
Finally it will ask you to enter your name and the computer’s name (which is what Windows will use to represent the machine on a network). Once this is done the text-based phase of Setup has finished and the graphical phase begins.
Configuration
Suffield Academy has standardized on Windows XP Professional Edition for use with all workstations on the campus network. This document describes how to install and configure this version of Windows as well as the standard set of software that we use at the Academy.
The first screen you see will ask you to choose a language and keyboard layout (shown in the picture). After this you are asked to confirm your Product Key, which you should have with you.
The disk will then perform a check of your computer system and will then begin the installation process. This should take about 20 minutes to an hour. During the installation, you can change the default password and the name of the computer. You will also be prompted to agree to the Microsoft software license agreement. The program will then reboot and finish its initialization. Once it is ready to use, you can log in by pressing the “Enter” key on your keyboard.
Security
Windows XP supports local Windows IPSEC filtering, which provides granular control over network traffic. This can be used in lieu of or in addition to built in firewalls.
Windows Product Activation is a form of digital rights management technology that was introduced to enforce software license agreements and prevent piracy of Microsoft products. XP service packs include a key verification engine that checks for illicit keys and will refuse to update systems with these keys.
Many viruses infect computers through worms that execute as attachments in e-mail. Windows XP includes the Attachment Execution Service to record the origin of executables downloaded with Internet Explorer and as attachments in e-mail, and to alert users when programs with known malware have been run.
Other security features included in XP include the ability to back up the Registry using dedicated Backup Utility, password reset disks and an optional feature that helps clean up unused desktop shortcuts. The limitation of a maximum size for memory-mapped files has been lifted, with unmapped views dynamically reusable by the memory manager depending on pool usage.