Windows XP 

is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It was released to

manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and later to retail on October 25, 2001. It is a direct upgrade
to its predecessors, Windows 2000 for high-end and business users and Windows Me for home
users, and is available for any devices running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or
Windows Me that meet the new Windows XP system requirements.
Development of Windows XP began in the late 1990s under the codename "Neptune", built on
the Windows NT kernel and explicitly intended for mainstream consumer use. An updated
version of Windows 2000 was also initially planned for the business market. However, in January
2000, both projects were scrapped in favor of a single OS codenamed "Whistler", which would
serve as a single platform for both consumer and business markets. As a result, Windows XP is
the first consumer edition of Windows not based on the Windows 95 kernel or MS-DOS.
Windows XP removed support for PC-98, i486 and SGI Visual Workstation 320 and 540 and will
only run on 32-bit x86 CPUs and devices that use BIOS firmware.
Upon its release, Windows XP received critical acclaim, noting increased performance and
stability (especially compared to Windows Me), a more intuitive user interface, improved
hardware support, and expanded multimedia capabilities. Windows XP and Windows Server
2003 were succeeded by Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, released in 2007 and 2008,
respectively.
Mainstream support for Windows XP ended on April 14, 2009, and extended support ended on
April 8, 2014. Windows Embedded POSReady 2009, based on Windows XP Professional,
received security updates until April 2019. After that, unofficial methods were made available to
apply the updates to other editions of Windows XP. Microsoft discouraged this practice, citing
compatibility issues.[5] However, over eight years from the end of life date (September 2022), the
majority of PCs in some countries (such as Armenia) still appeared to be running on Windows
XP.[6] As of September 2022, globally, just 0.39% of Windows PCs[7] and 0.1% of all devices
across all platforms continued to run Windows XP.

Development
Main article: Development of Windows XP
In the late 1990s, initial development of what would become Windows XP was focused on two
individual products: "Odyssey", which was reportedly intended to succeed the future Windows
2000 and "Neptune", which was reportedly a consumer-oriented operating system using
the Windows NT architecture, succeeding the MS-DOS-based Windows 98.[8]
However, the projects proved to be too ambitious. In January 2000, shortly prior to the official
release of Windows 2000, technology writer Paul Thurrott reported that Microsoft had shelved
both Neptune and Odyssey in favor of a new product codenamed "Whistler", named
after Whistler, British Columbia, as many Microsoft employees skied at the Whistler-
Blackcomb ski resort.[9] The goal of Whistler was to unify both the consumer and business-
oriented Windows lines under a single, Windows NT platform. Thurrott stated that Neptune had
become "a black hole when all the features that were cut from Windows Me were simply re-
tagged as Neptune features. And since Neptune and Odyssey would be based on the same
code-base anyway, it made sense to combine them into a single project".[10]
At PDC on July 13, 2000, Microsoft announced that Whistler would be released during the
second half of 2001, and also unveiled the first preview build, 2250, which featured an early
implementation of Windows XP's visual styles system and interface changes to Windows
Explorer and the Control Panel.[11]
Microsoft released the first public beta build of Whistler, build 2296, on October 31, 2000.
Subsequent builds gradually introduced features that users of the release version of Windows XP
would recognize, such as Internet Explorer 6.0, the Microsoft Product Activation system and
the Bliss desktop background.[12]
Whistler was officially unveiled during a media event on February 5, 2001, under the name
Windows XP, where XP stands for "eXPerience".[13]
Release
In June 2001, Microsoft indicated that it was planning to spend at least US$1 billion on marketing
and promoting Windows XP, in conjunction with Intel and other PC makers.[14] The theme of the
campaign, "Yes You Can", was designed to emphasize the platform's overall capabilities.
Microsoft had originally planned to use the slogan "Prepare to Fly", but it was replaced because
of sensitivity issues in the wake of the September 11 attacks.[15]
On August 24, 2001, Windows XP build 2600 was released to manufacturing (RTM). During a
ceremonial media event at Microsoft Redmond Campus, copies of the RTM build were given to
representatives of several major PC manufacturers in briefcases, who then flew off on
decorated helicopters. While PC manufacturers would be able to release devices running XP
beginning on September 24, 2001, XP was expected to reach general, retail availability on
October 25, 2001. On the same day, Microsoft also announced the final retail pricing of XP's two
main editions, "Home" (as a replacement for Windows Me for home computing) and
"Professional" (as a replacement for Windows 2000 for high-end users).[16]

New and updated features

Main article: Features new to Windows XP

User interface

Updated start menu in the Media Center Edition-exclusive

Royale theme, now featuring two columns
While retaining some similarities to previous versions, Windows XP's interface was overhauled
with a new visual appearance, with an increased use of alpha compositing effects, drop
shadows, and "visual styles", which completely changed the appearance of the operating
system. The number of effects enabled are determined by the operating system based on the
computer's processing power, and can be enabled or disabled on a case-by-case basis. XP also
added ClearType, a new subpixel rendering system designed to improve the appearance of fonts
on liquid-crystal displays.[17] A new set of system icons was also introduced.[18] The default
wallpaper, Bliss, is a photo of a landscape in the Napa Valley outside Napa, California, with
rolling green hills and a blue sky with stratocumulus and cirrus clouds.[19]
The Start menu received its first major overhaul in XP, switching to a two-column layout with the
ability to list, pin, and display frequently used applications, recently opened documents, and the
traditional cascading "All Programs" menu. The taskbar can now group windows opened by a
single application into one taskbar button, with a popup menu listing the individual windows. The
notification area also hides "inactive" icons by default. A "common tasks" list was added,
and Windows Explorer's sidebar was updated to use a new task-based design with lists of
common actions; the tasks displayed are contextually relevant to the type of content in a folder
(e.g. a folder with music displays offers to play all the files in the folder, or burn them to a CD).[20]

The "task grouping" feature introduced in Windows XP showing both grouped and individual items
Fast user switching allows additional users to log into a Windows XP machine without existing
users having to close their programs and log out. Although only one user at the time can use the
console (i.e., monitor, keyboard, and mouse), previous users can resume their session once they
regain control of the console.[21] Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 3 also introduced new features
to Windows XP post-release, including the Windows Security Center, Bluetooth support, the
executable space protection, Windows Firewall, and support for SDHC cards that are larger than
4 GB and smaller than 32 GB.[22][23][24][25]

Infrastructure
Windows XP uses prefetching to improve startup and application launch times.[26] It also became
possible to revert the installation of an updated device driver, should the updated driver produce
undesirable results.[27]
A copy protection system known as Windows Product Activation was introduced with Windows
XP and its server counterpart, Windows Server 2003. All Windows licenses must be tied to a
unique ID generated using information from the computer hardware, transmitted either via the
internet or a telephone hotline. If Windows is not activated within 30 days of installation, the OS
will cease to function until it is activated. Windows also periodically verifies the hardware to check
for changes. If significant hardware changes are detected, the activation is voided, and Windows
must be re-activated.[28]

Networking and internet functionality

Windows XP was originally bundled with Internet Explorer 6, Outlook Express 6, Windows
Messenger, and MSN Explorer. New networking features were also added, including Internet
Connection Firewall, Internet Connection Sharing integration with UPnP, NAT traversal APIs,
Quality of Service features, IPv6 and Teredo tunneling, Background Intelligent Transfer Service,
extended fax features, network bridging, peer to peer networking, support for
most DSL modems, IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) connections with auto configuration and roaming, TAPI
3.1, and networking over FireWire.[29] Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop were also added,
which allow users to connect to a computer running Windows XP from across a network or
the Internet and access their applications, files, printers, and devices or request help.
[30]
 Improvements were also made to IntelliMirror features such as Offline Files, Roaming user
profiles and Folder redirection.[31]

Backwards compatibility
To enable running software that targets or locks out specific versions of Windows, "Compatibility
mode" was added. The feature allows pretending a selected earlier version of Windows to
software, starting at Windows 95.[32]
While this ability was first introduced in Windows 2000 Service Pack 2, it had to be activated
through the "register server" and was only available to administrator users, whereas Windows XP
has it activated out of the box and also grants it to regular users.[33]

Other features
 Improved application compatibility and shims compared to Windows 2000.[34]
 DirectX 8.1, upgradeable to DirectX 9.0c.[35]
 A number of new features in Windows Explorer including task panes, thumbnails,
and the option to view photos as a slideshow.[36]
 Improved imaging features such as Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.[37]
  Faster start-up, (because of improved Prefetch functions) logon, logoff, hibernation,
and application launch sequences.[26]
 Numerous improvements to increase the system reliability such as improved System
Restore,[38] Automated System Recovery,[39] and driver reliability improvements
through Device Driver Rollback.[40]
 Hardware support improvements such as FireWire 800,[41] and improvements to multi-
monitor support under the name "DualView".[42]
 Fast user switching.[43]
 The ClearType font rendering mechanism, which is designed to improve text
readability on liquid-crystal display (LCD) and similar monitors, especially laptops.[17]
 Side-by-side assemblies[44] and registration-free COM.[45]
 General improvements to international support such as more locales, languages and
scripts, MUI support in Terminal Services, improved Input Method Editors, and
National Language Support.[46]

Removed features
Main article: List of features removed in Windows XP
Some of the programs and features that were part of the previous versions of Windows did not
make it to Windows XP. Various MS-DOS commands available in its Windows 9x predecessor
were removed,[47] as were the POSIX and OS/2 subsystems.[48]
In networking, NetBEUI, NWLink and NetDDE were deprecated and not installed by default.
[49]
 Plug-and-play–incompatible communication devices (like modems and network interface
cards) were no longer supported.[50]
Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 3 also removed features from Windows XP, including support
for TCP half-open connections[51] and the address bar on the taskbar.[52]

Editions
Main article: Windows XP editions

Diagram representing the main editions of

Windows XP. It is based on the category of the edition (grey) and codebase (black arrow).
Windows XP was released in two major editions on launch: Home Edition and Professional
Edition. Both editions were made available at retail as pre-loaded software on new computers
and as boxed copies. Boxed copies were sold as "Upgrade" or "Full" licenses; the "Upgrade"
versions were slightly cheaper, but require an existing version of Windows to install. The "Full"
version can be installed on systems without an operating system or existing version of Windows.
[14]
 The two editions of XP were aimed at different markets: Home Edition is explicitly intended for
consumer use and disables or removes certain advanced and enterprise-oriented features
present on Professional, such as the ability to join a Windows domain, Internet Information
Services, and Multilingual User Interface. Windows 98 or Me can be upgraded to either edition,
but Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 can only be upgraded to Professional.
[53]
 Windows' software license agreement for pre-loaded licenses allows the software to be
"returned" to the OEM for a refund if the user does not wish to use it.[54] Despite the refusal of
some manufacturers to honor the entitlement, it has been enforced by courts in some countries.
[55]

Two specialized variants of XP were introduced in 2002 for certain types of hardware, exclusively
through OEM channels as pre-loaded software. Windows XP Media Center Edition was initially
designed for high-end home theater PCs with TV tuners (marketed under the term "Media Center
PC"), offering expanded multimedia functionality, an electronic program guide, and digital video
recorder (DVR) support through the Windows Media Center application.[56] Microsoft also
unveiled Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, which contains additional pen input features, and is
optimized for mobile devices meeting its Tablet PC specifications.[57] Two different 64-bit editions
of XP were made available. The first, Windows XP 64-Bit Edition, was intended for IA-
64 (Itanium) systems; as IA-64 usage declined on workstations in favor of AMD's x86-
64 architecture, the Itanium edition was discontinued in January 2005.[58] A new 64-bit edition
supporting the x86-64 architecture, called Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, was released in
April of the same year.[59]
Microsoft also targeted emerging markets with the 2004 introduction of Windows XP Starter
Edition, a special variant of Home Edition intended for low-cost PCs. The OS is primarily aimed
at first-time computer owners, containing heavy localization (including wallpapers and screen
savers incorporating images of local landmarks), and a "My Support" area which contains video
tutorials on basic computing tasks. It also removes certain "complex" features, and does not
allow users to run more than three applications at a time. After a pilot program
in India and Thailand, Starter was released in other emerging markets throughout 2005.[60] In
2006, Microsoft also unveiled the FlexGo initiative, which would also target emerging markets
with subsidized PCs on a pre-paid, subscription basis.[61]
As a result of unfair competition lawsuits in Europe and South Korea, which both alleged that
Microsoft had improperly leveraged its status in the PC market to favor its own bundled software,
Microsoft was ordered to release special editions of XP in these markets that excluded certain
applications. In March 2004, after the European Commission fined Microsoft €497 million
(US$603 million), Microsoft was ordered to release "N" editions of XP that excluded Windows
Media Player, encouraging users to pick and download their own media player software.[62] As it
was sold at the same price as the edition with Windows Media Player included, certain OEMs
(such as Dell, who offered it for a short period, along with Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Fujitsu
Siemens) chose not to offer it. Consumer interest was minuscule, with roughly 1,500 units
shipped to OEMs, and no reported sales to consumers.[63] In December 2005, the Korean Fair
Trade Commission ordered Microsoft to make available editions of Windows XP and Windows
Server 2003 that do not contain Windows Media Player or Windows Messenger.[64] The "K" and
"KN" editions of Windows XP were released in August 2006, and are only available in English
and Korean, and also contain links to third-party instant messenger and media player software.[65]

Service packs
A service pack is a cumulative update package that is a superset of all updates, and even
service packs, that have been released before it.[66] Three service packs have been released for
Windows XP. Service Pack 3 is slightly different, in that it needs at least Service Pack 1 to have
been installed, in order to update a live OS.[67] However, Service Pack 3 can still be embedded
into a Windows installation disc; SP1 is not reported as a prerequisite for doing so.[68]
The unique boot screens from the RTM to Service Pack 1 versions of Windows XP that identified
the edition of Windows XP currently running, including a green progress bar for Home Edition
and a blue progress bar for Professional, Embedded, Tablet PC Edition, and Media Center
Edition were removed in Service Pack 2 of Windows XP and was replaced with a generic
"Windows XP" boot screen with a blue progress bar.

Service Pack 1
Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows XP was released on September 9, 2002. It contained over
300 minor, post-RTM bug fixes, along with all security patches released since the original release
of XP. SP1 also added USB 2.0 support, the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine, .NET
Framework support, and support for technologies used by the then-upcoming Media
Center and Tablet PC editions of XP.[69] The most significant change on SP1 was the addition
of Set Program Access and Defaults, a settings page which allows programs to be set as default
for certain types of activities (such as media players or web browsers) and for access to bundled,
Microsoft programs (such as Internet Explorer or Windows Media Player) to be disabled. This
feature was added to comply with the settlement of United States v. Microsoft Corp., which
required Microsoft to offer the ability for OEMs to bundle third-party competitors to software it
bundles with Windows (such as Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player), and give them the
same level of prominence as those normally bundled with the OS.[70]
On February 3, 2003, Microsoft released Service Pack 1a (SP1a). It was the same as SP1,
except, the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine was excluded.[71]

Service Pack 2

Windows Security Center window running Windows XP

Service Pack 2, showing no virus protection installed
Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP Home edition and Professional edition was released on
August 25, 2004.[72] Headline features included WPA encryption compatibility for Wi-Fi and
usability improvements to the Wi-Fi networking user interface,[73] partial Bluetooth support,[74] and
various improvements to security systems.
Headed by former computer hacker Window Snyder,[75][76] the service pack's security
improvements (codenamed "Springboard",[77] as these features were intended to underpin
additional changes in Longhorn) included a major revision to the included firewall (renamed
Windows Firewall, and now enabled by default), and an update to Data Execution Prevention,
which gained hardware support in the NX bit that can stop some forms of buffer
overflow attacks. Raw socket support is removed (which supposedly limits the damage done
by zombie machines) and the Windows Messenger service (which had been abused to cause
pop-up advertisements to be displayed as system messages without a web browser or any
additional software) became disabled by default. Additionally, security-related improvements
were made to e-mail and web browsing. Service Pack 2 also added Security Center, an interface
that provides a general overview of the system's security status, including the state of the firewall
and automatic updates. Third-party firewall and antivirus software can also be monitored from
Security Center.[78]
In August 2006, Microsoft released updated installation media for Windows XP and Windows
Server 2003 SP2 (SP2b), in order to incorporate a patch requiring ActiveX controls in Internet
Explorer to be manually activated before a user may interact with them. This was done so that
the browser would not violate a patent owned by Eolas.[79] Microsoft has since licensed the
patent, and released a patch reverting the change in April 2008.[80] In September 2007, another
minor revision known as SP2c was released for XP Professional, extending the number of
available product keys for the operating system to "support the continued availability of Windows
XP Professional through the scheduled system builder channel end-of-life (EOL) date of January
31, 2009."[81]
Windows XP Service Pack 2 was later included in Windows Embedded for Point of
Service and Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs.

Service Pack 3
The third and final Service Pack, SP3, was released through different channels between
April[3] and June 2008,[82] about a year after the release of Windows Vista, and about a year before
the release of Windows 7. Service Pack 3 was not available for Windows XP x64 Edition, which
was based on the Windows Server 2003 kernel and, as a result, used its service packs[83] rather
than the ones for the other editions.[84]
It began being automatically pushed out to Automatic Updates users on July 10, 2008.[85] A
feature set overview which detailed new features available separately as stand-alone updates to
Windows XP, as well as backported features from Windows Vista, was posted by Microsoft.[86] A
total of 1,174 fixes are included in SP3.[87] Service Pack 3 could be installed on systems with
Internet Explorer up to and including version 8; Internet Explorer 7 was not included as part of
SP3.[88] It also did not include Internet Explorer 8, but instead was included in Windows 7, which
was released one year after XP SP3.
Service Pack 3 included security enhancements over and above those of SP2, including APIs
allowing developers to enable Data Execution Prevention for their code, independent of system-
wide compatibility enforcement settings,[89] the Security Support Provider Interface,
[90]
 improvements to WPA2 security,[91] and an updated version of the Microsoft Enhanced
Cryptographic Provider Module that is FIPS 140-2 certified.[92]
In incorporating all previously released updates not included in SP2, Service Pack 3 included
many other key features. Windows Imaging Component allowed camera vendors to integrate
their own proprietary image codecs with the operating system's features, such as thumbnails and
slideshows.[93] In enterprise features, Remote Desktop Protocol 6.1 included support for
ClearType and 32-bit color depth over RDP,[94] while improvements made to Windows
Management Instrumentation in Windows Vista to reduce the possibility of corruption of the WMI
repository were backported to XP SP3.[95]
In addition, SP3 contains updates to the operating system components of Windows XP Media
Center Edition (MCE) and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, and security updates for .NET
Framework version 1.0, which is included in these editions. However, it does not include update
rollups for the Windows Media Center application in Windows XP MCE 2005.[96] SP3 also omits
security updates for Windows Media Player 10, although the player is included in Windows XP
MCE 2005.[96] The Address Bar DeskBand on the Taskbar is no longer included because of
antitrust violation concerns.[97]
Unofficial SP3 ZIP download packages were released on a now-defunct website called The
Hotfix from 2005 to 2007.[98][99] The owner of the website, Ethan C. Allen, was a former Microsoft
employee in Software Quality Assurance and would comb through the Microsoft Knowledge
Base articles daily and download new hotfixes Microsoft would put online within the articles. The
articles would have a "kbwinxppresp3fix" and/or "kbwinxpsp3fix" tag, thus allowing Allen to easily
find and determine which fixes were planned for the official SP3 release to come. Microsoft
publicly stated at the time that the SP3 pack was unofficial and advised users to not install it.[100]
[101]
 Allen also released a Vista SP1 package in 2007, for which Allen received a cease-and-desist
email from Microsoft.[102]
Windows XP Service Pack 3 was later included in Windows Embedded Standard
2009 and Windows Embedded POSReady 2009.

System requirements
System requirements for Windows XP are as follows:

System requirements hide

Minimum Recom

Home/Professional Edition[A]
  Pentium or compatible, 233 MHz[B][C]  Pentium or compat
CPU
 BIOS or compatible firmware[D]  BIOS or compatible
Memory 64 MB[E][F] 128 MB
 +661 MB for Servic
 1.5 GB
Free space  +1.8 GB for Service
 Master boot record used[D]
 +900 MB for Servic
Media CD-ROM drive or compatible
Display Super VGA (800 × 600)
Sound hardware N/A Sound card plus speakers/
Input device(s) Keyboard, mouse
Professional x64 Edition[J]
 x86-64 or compatible
CPU
 BIOS or compatible firmware[D]
Memory 256 MB
 1.5 GB
Free space
 Master boot record used[D]
Media CD-ROM drive or compatible
Display Super VGA (800 × 600)
Sound hardware N/A Sound card plus speakers/
Input device(s) Keyboard, mouse
64-Bit Edition[K]
CPU Itanium 733 MHz Itanium 800 MHz
Memory 1 GB
Free space 6 GB
Media CD-ROM drive or compatible
Display Super VGA (800 × 600)
Input device(s) Keyboard, mouse

Notes
1. ^ "System requirements for Windows XP operating systems". April 28,
2005.  Archived  from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved  March 12,  2007.
2. ^ Even though this is Microsoft's stated minimum processor speed for Windows XP, it is
possible to install and run the operating system on early IA-32 processors such as
a P5 Pentium without MMX instructions. Windows XP is not compatible with processors
older than Pentium (such as 486) or the Cyrix 6x86 because it requires
the  CMPXCHG8B  instruction.
3. ^ "Windows XP Minimal Requirement Test". Winhistory.de. September 9,
2011.  Archived  from the original on December 21, 2011. Retrieved  January 1,  2012.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e "Windows XP: Required firmware and partition mapping scheme of
hard disk drive". Support.microsoft.com. June 26, 2013. Archived from the original on
April 27, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
5. ^ A Microsoft TechNet paper from Summer 2001 (before Windows XP's actual release),
states that: "A computer with 64 MB of RAM will have sufficient resources to run Windows
XP and a few applications with moderate memory requirements." (Emphasis added.)
These were said to be office productivity applications, e-mail programs, and web
browsers (of the time). With such a configuration, user interface enhancements and fast
user switching are turned off by default. For comparable workloads, 64 MB of RAM was
 then regarded as providing an equal or better user experience on Windows XP with
similar settings than it would with Windows Me on the same hardware. In a later section
of the paper, superior performance over Windows Me was noted with 128 MB of RAM or
more, and with computers that exceed the minimum hardware requirements.
6. ^ Sechrest, Stuart; Fortin, Michael (June 1, 2001). "Windows XP Performance".  Microsoft
TechNet. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2008.
7. ^ "Hard disk space requirements for Windows XP Service Pack 1". Microsoft. October 29,
2007.  Archived  from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved  April 6,  2012.
8. ^ "The hard disk space requirements for Windows XP Service Pack 2". Microsoft. April
18, 2005. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved December
1, 2010.
9. ^ "Windows XP – End of Support, Migration Guide, Download –
TechNet". technet.microsoft.com. 2007.  Archived  from the original on May 13, 2008.
10. ^ "Windows XP Professional x64 Edition SP2 VL EN (MSDN-TechNet)". Programmer
Stuffs. March 23, 2011. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved May
2, 2012.
11. ^ "Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition". Microsoft TechNet. Microsoft. August 15,
2001.  Archived  from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved  May 2, 2012.

Physical memory limits

The maximum amount of RAM that Windows XP can support varies depending on the product
edition and the processor architecture. All 32-bit editions of XP support up to 4 GB, except the
Windows XP Starter edition, which supports up to 512 MB of RAM.[103] 64-bit editions support up
to 128 GB.[104]

Processor limits
Windows XP Professional supports up to two physical processors;[105] Windows XP Home Edition
supports only one.[106]
However, XP supports a greater number of logical processors: 32-bit editions support up to 32
logical processors,[107] and 64-bit editions support up to 64 logical processors.[108]

Upgradeability
Several Windows XP components are upgradable to the latest versions, which include new
versions introduced in later versions of Windows, and other major Microsoft applications are
available. These latest versions for Windows XP include:

 ActiveSync 4.5
 DirectX 9.0c (June 7, 2010, Redistributable)
 Internet Explorer 8 on Windows XP Service Packs 2 and 3 (Internet Explorer 6 SP1
and Outlook Express 6 SP1 on Windows XP before SP2.)
 Windows Media Format Runtime and Windows Media Player 11 on Windows XP
Service Packs 2 and 3 (and Windows Media Player 10 on Windows XP original
release.)
 Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 and 2007
 .NET Framework up to and including version 4.0 (4.5 and higher versions are not
supported.)
 Visual Studio 2005 on Windows XP versions below SP2, Visual Studio 2008 on
Windows XP SP2 and Visual Studio 2010 on Windows XP SP3
 Windows Script Host 5.7
 Windows Installer 4.5
 Microsoft NetMeeting 3.02
 Office 2010 was the last version of Microsoft Office to be compatible with Windows
XP.
  The Windows Services for UNIX subsystem can be installed to allow certain Unix-
based applications to run on the operating system.

Support lifecycle
Support status summary

Expiration date

Mainstream support April 14, 2009[4]

Extended support April 8, 2014[4]

The official exceptions

ended in April 2019.

Applicable XP editions:

Home Edition, Professional Edition, Professional x64 Edition,

Professional for Embedded Systems, Media Center

Editions (all), Starter Edition, Tablet PC Edition and Tablet PC

Edition 2005,[4] as well as Windows Fundamentals for Legacy

PCs.[109]

Exceptions

Windows XP 64-Bit Unsupported as of June

Edition (Itanium edition, including 30, 2005[110]

Version 2003)

Windows XP Embedded Mainstream support

ended on January 11,

2011[4]

Extended support ended

on January 12, 2016[4]

Windows Embedded for Point of Mainstream support

Service ended on April 12,

2011[111]

Extended support ended

on April 12, 2016[111]

 Windows Embedded Standard 2009 Mainstream support

ended on January 14,

2014

Extended support ended

on January 8, 2019[112]

Windows Embedded POSReady Mainstream support

2009 ended on April 8, 2014

Extended support ended

on April 9, 2019[113]

Support for the original release of Windows XP (without a service pack) ended on August 30,
2005.[4] Both Windows XP Service Pack 1 and 1a were retired on October 10, 2006,[4] and
both Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 reached their end of support on July 13, 2010, about
24 months after the launch of Windows XP Service Pack 3.[4] The company stopped general
licensing of Windows XP to OEMs and terminated retail sales of the operating system on June
30, 2008, 17 months after the release of Windows Vista.[114] However, an exception was
announced on April 3, 2008, for OEMs producing what it defined as "ultra low-cost personal
computers", particularly netbooks, until one year after the availability of Windows 7 on October
22, 2009. Analysts felt that the move was primarily intended to compete against Linux-based
netbooks, although Microsoft's Kevin Hutz stated that the decision was due to apparent market
demand for low-end computers with Windows.[115]
Variants of Windows XP for embedded systems have different support policies: Windows XP
Embedded SP3 and Windows Embedded for Point of Service SP3 were supported until January
and April 2016, respectively. Windows Embedded Standard 2009, which was succeeded
by Windows Embedded Standard 7, and Windows Embedded POSReady 2009, which was
succeeded by Windows Embedded POSReady 7, were supported until January and April 2019,
respectively.[116] These updates, while intended for the embedded editions, could also be
downloaded on standard Windows XP with a registry hack, which enabled unofficial patches until
April 2019. However, Microsoft advised Windows XP users against installing these fixes, citing
incompatibility issues.[5][117]

End of support
On April 14, 2009, Windows XP exited mainstream support and entered the extended support
phase; Microsoft continued to provide security updates every month for Windows XP, however,
free technical support, warranty claims, and design changes were no longer being offered.
Extended support ended on April 8, 2014, over 12 years after the release of Windows XP;
normally Microsoft products have a support life cycle of only 10 years.[118] Beyond the final
security updates released on April 8, no more security patches or support information are
provided for XP free-of-charge; "critical patches" will still be created, and made available only to
customers subscribing to a paid "Custom Support" plan.[119] As it is a Windows component, all
versions of Internet Explorer for Windows XP also became unsupported.[120]
In January 2014, it was estimated that more than 95% of the 3 million automated teller
machines in the world were still running Windows XP (which largely replaced IBM's OS/2 as the
predominant operating system on ATMs); ATMs have an average lifecycle of between seven and
ten years, but some have had lifecycles as long as 15. Plans were being made by several ATM
vendors and their customers to migrate to Windows 7-based systems over the course of 2014,
while vendors have also considered the possibility of using Linux-based platforms in the future to
give them more flexibility for support lifecycles, and the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) has
since endorsed Windows 10 as a further replacement.[121] However, ATMs typically run the
embedded variant of Windows XP, which was supported through January 2016.[122] As of May
2017, around 60% of the 220,000 ATMs in India still run Windows XP.[123]
Furthermore, at least 49% of all computers in China still ran XP at the beginning of 2014. These
holdouts were influenced by several factors; prices of genuine copies of later versions of
Windows in the country are high, while Ni Guangnan of the Chinese Academy of
Sciences warned that Windows 8 could allegedly expose users to surveillance by the United
States government,[124] and the Chinese government banned the purchase of Windows 8 products
for government use in May 2014 in protest of Microsoft's inability to provide "guaranteed"
support.[125] The government also had concerns that the impending end of support could affect
their anti-piracy initiatives with Microsoft, as users would simply pirate newer versions rather than
purchasing them legally. As such, government officials formally requested that Microsoft extend
the support period for XP for these reasons. While Microsoft did not comply with their requests, a
number of major Chinese software developers, such as Lenovo, Kingsoft and Tencent, will
provide free support and resources for Chinese users migrating from XP.[126] Several
governments, in particular those of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, elected to negotiate
"Custom Support" plans with Microsoft for their continued, internal use of Windows XP; the
British government's deal lasted for a year, and also covered support for Office 2003 (which
reached end-of-life the same day) and cost £5.5 million.[127]
On March 8, 2014, Microsoft deployed an update for XP that, on the 8th of each month, displays
a pop-up notification to remind users about the end of support; however, these notifications may
be disabled by the user.[128] Microsoft also partnered with Laplink to provide a special "express"
version of its PCmover software to help users migrate files and settings from XP to a computer
with a newer version of Windows.[129]

An electroencephalograph running on Windows XP. The

medical industry's continued use of Windows XP is partly due to medical applications being
incompatible with later versions of Windows.
Despite the approaching end of support, there were still notable holdouts that had not migrated
past XP; many users elected to remain on XP because of the poor reception of Windows Vista,
sales of newer PCs with newer versions of Windows declined because of the Great
Recession and the effects of Vista, and deployments of new versions of Windows in enterprise
environments require a large amount of planning, which includes testing applications for
compatibility (especially those that are dependent on Internet Explorer 6, which is not compatible
with newer versions of Windows).[130] Major security software vendors (including Microsoft itself)
planned to continue offering support and definitions for Windows XP past the end of support to
varying extents, along with the developers of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera web
browsers;[120] despite these measures, critics similarly argued that users should eventually migrate
from XP to a supported platform.[131] The United States' Computer Emergency Readiness
Team released an alert in March 2014 advising users of the impending end of support, and
informing them that using XP after April 8 may prevent them from meeting US government
information security requirements.[132] Microsoft continued to provide Security Essentials virus
definitions and updates for its Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) for XP until July 14,
2015.[133] As the end of extended support approached, Microsoft began to increasingly urge XP
customers to migrate to newer versions such as Windows 7 or 8 in the interest of security,
suggesting that attackers could reverse engineer security patches for newer versions of Windows
and use them to target equivalent vulnerabilities in XP.[134] Windows XP is remotely exploitable by
numerous security holes that were discovered after Microsoft stopped supporting it.[135][136]
Similarly, specialized devices that run XP, particularly medical devices, must have any revisions
to their software—even security updates for the underlying operating system—approved by
relevant regulators before they can be released. For this reason, manufacturers often did not
allow any updates to devices' operating systems, leaving them open to security exploits and
malware.[137]
Despite the end of support for Windows XP, Microsoft has released three emergency security
updates for the operating system to patch major security vulnerabilities:

 A patch released in May 2014 to address recently discovered vulnerabilities in

Internet Explorer 6 through 11 on all versions of Windows.[138]
 A patch released in May 2017 to address a vulnerability that was being leveraged by
the WannaCry ransomware attack.[139]
 A patch released in May 2019 to address a critical code execution
vulnerability in Remote Desktop Services which can be exploited in a similar way as
the WannaCry vulnerability.[140][141]
Researchers reported in August 2019 that Windows 10 users may be at risk for "critical" system
compromise because of design flaws of hardware device drivers from multiple providers.[142] In the
same month, computer experts reported that the BlueKeep security vulnerability, CVE-2019-
0708, that potentially affects older unpatched Microsoft Windows versions via the
program's Remote Desktop Protocol, allowing for the possibility of remote code execution, may
now include related flaws, collectively named DejaBlue, affecting newer Windows versions
(i.e., Windows 7 and all recent versions) as well.[143] In addition, experts reported
a Microsoft security vulnerability, CVE-2019-1162, based on legacy code involving Microsoft CTF
and ctfmon (ctfmon.exe), that affects all Windows versions from the older Windows XP version to
the most recent Windows 10 versions; a patch to correct the flaw is currently available.[144]
Microsoft announced in July 2019 that the Microsoft Internet Games services on Windows XP
and Windows Me would end on July 31, 2019 (and for Windows 7 on January 22, 2020).
[145]
 Others, such as Steam, had done the same, ending support for Windows XP and Windows
Vista in January 2019.[146]
In 2020, Microsoft announced that it would disable the Windows Update service for SHA-1
endpoints; since Windows XP did not get an update for SHA-2, Windows Update Services are no
longer available on the OS as of late July 2020.[147] However, as of October 2021, the old updates
for Windows XP are still available on the Microsoft Update Catalog,[148] or through Legacy Update,
a community-driven third party replacement for the Windows XP update servers.
Reception
On release, Windows XP received critical acclaim. CNET described the operating system as
being "worth the hype", considering the new interface to be "spiffier" and more intuitive than
previous versions, but feeling that it may "annoy" experienced users with its "hand-holding". XP's
expanded multimedia support and CD burning functionality were also noted, along with its
streamlined networking tools. The performance improvements of XP in comparison to 2000 and
Me were also praised, along with its increased number of built-in device drivers in comparison to
2000. The software compatibility tools were also praised, although it was noted that some
programs, particularly older MS-DOS software, may not work correctly on XP because of its
differing architecture. They panned Windows XP's new licensing model and product activation
system, considering it to be a "slightly annoying roadblock", but acknowledged Microsoft's intent
for the changes.[149] PC Magazine provided similar praise, although noting that a number of its
online features were designed to promote Microsoft-owned services, and that aside from quicker
boot times, XP's overall performance showed little difference over Windows 2000.[150] Windows
XP's default theme, Luna, was criticized by some users for its childish look.[151][152]
Despite extended support for Windows XP ending in 2014, many users – including some
enterprises – were reluctant to move away from an operating system they viewed as a stable
known quantity despite the many security and functionality improvements in subsequent releases
of Windows. Windows XP's longevity was viewed as testament to its stability and Microsoft's
successful attempts to keep it up to date, but also as an indictment of its direct
successor's perceived failings.[153]

Market share
See also: Usage share of operating systems
According to web analytics data generated by Net Applications, Windows XP was the most
widely used operating system until August 2012, when Windows 7 overtook it (later overtaken
by Windows 10),[154] while StatCounter indicates it happening almost a year earlier.[155] In January
2014, Net Applications reported a market share of 29.23%[156] of "desktop operating systems" for
XP (when XP was introduced there was not a separate mobile category to track),
while W3Schools reported a share of 11.0%.[157]
As of September 2022, in most regions or continents, Windows XP market share on PCs, as a
fraction of the total Windows share, has gone below 1% (0.5% in Africa[158]). XP still has a double-
digit market share in a few countries, such as Armenia at over 50%,[159][160][161][162] at 57%, where
Windows 7 was highest ranked, and with it being replaced by Windows 10, Windows XP got
highest ranked for the longest time, and had over 60% share on some weekends in the summer
of 2019.[163][164]

Source code leak

On September 23, 2020, source code for Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and Windows Server
2003 was leaked onto the imageboard 4chan by an unknown user. Anonymous users managed
to compile the code, as well as a Twitter user who posted videos of the process
on YouTube proving that the code was genuine.[165] The videos were later removed on copyright
grounds by Microsoft. The leak was incomplete as it was missing Winlogon and some other
components.[166][167] The original leak itself was spread using magnet links and torrent files whose
payload originally included Server 2003 and XP source code and which was later updated with
additional files, among which were previous leaks of Microsoft products, its patents, media
about conspiracy theories on Bill Gates by anti-vaccination movements and an assortment of
PDF files on different topics.[168]
Microsoft issued a statement stating that it was investigating the leaks.[167][169][170]

See also
 BlueKeep (security vulnerability)
 Comparison of operating systems
 History of operating systems
 List of operating systems

References
1. ^ "Windows Licensing Programs". Microsoft.  Archived  from the original on December 16,
2008. Retrieved  September 21,  2008.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b "An Inside Look at the Months-long Process of Getting Windows XP
Ready for Release to Manufacturing | Stories". Microsoft Stories. Microsoft. August 24,
2001.  Archived  from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved  June 24,  2018.
3. ^ Jump up to:a b Kelly, Gordon (April 16, 2008).  "Windows XP SP3 Release Date(s)
Confirmed". Trusted Reviews. Trusted Reviews. Archived from the original  on June 23,
2018. Retrieved  June 23,  2018.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j "Microsoft Product Lifecycle Search: Windows XP".  Microsoft
Support.  Microsoft. Archived from  the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved May 14,  2022.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b Seltzer, Larry (May 26, 2014).  "Registry hack enables continued updates
for Windows XP".  ZDNet. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021.
Retrieved January 30, 2021.  [UPDATE:] Late Monday we received a statement from a
Microsoft spokesperson: We recently became aware of a hack that purportedly aims to
provide security updates to Windows XP customers. The security updates that could be
installed are intended for Windows Embedded and Windows Server 2003 customers and
do not fully protect Windows XP customers. Windows XP customers also run a significant
risk of functionality issues with their machines if they install these updates, as they are
not tested against Windows XP. The best way for Windows XP customers to protect their
 systems is to upgrade to a more modern operating system, like Windows 7 or Windows
8.1.
6. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share in Armenia – September 2022". September
30, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
7. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide | StatCounter Global
Stats".  gs.statcounter.com. Statcounter. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019.
Retrieved May 8,  2022.
8. ^ Miles, Stephanie (January 24, 2000).  "Microsoft consolidates Windows development
efforts". CNET. CNET Networks. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014.
Retrieved January 23, 2014.
9. ^ "Windows "Longhorn" FAQ". Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows. Penton Media.
June 22, 2005. Archived from  the original on April 4, 2008. Retrieved  April 4,  2008.
10. ^ Thurrott, Paul (October 6, 2010).  "The Road to Gold: The development of Windows XP
Reviewed". Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows. Penton Media.  Archived  from the
original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved  January 23,  2014.
11. ^ Thurrott, Paul (July 17, 2000).  "Introducing the Whistler Preview, Build 2250". Windows
IT Pro. Penton Media.  Archived  from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved  June
9, 2018.
12. ^ Thurrott, Paul (October 6, 2010).  "The Road to Gold (Part Two)". Paul Thurrott's
SuperSite for Windows. Penton Media.  Archived  from the original on February 2, 2014.
Retrieved January 23, 2014.
13. ^ "Microsoft to christen Windows, Office with new name".  CNET. CNET Networks.
February 5, 2001. Archived from the original  on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January
23,  2014.
14. ^ Jump up to:a b "Windows XP marketing tab to hit $1  billion". CNET. CNET Networks.
January 2, 2002.  Archived  from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January
23,  2014.
15. ^ "Microsoft changes XP slogan in wake of US attacks". Computerworld NZ.
IDG. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
16. ^ Thurrott, Paul (October 15, 2001).  "The Road to Gold (Part Three)".  Paul Thurrott's
Supersite for Windows. Penton Media. Archived from the original  on August 29, 2017.
Retrieved March 11, 2017.
17. ^ Jump up to:a b "HOW TO: Use ClearType to Enhance Screen Fonts in Windows
XP".  Support. Microsoft. October 27, 2002.  Archived  from the original on August 5,
2011. Retrieved  August 8,  2011.
18. ^ Esposito, Dino (November 2001). "New Graphical Interface: Enhance Your Programs
with New Windows XP Shell Features". MSDN.  Microsoft. Archived from the original on
August 9, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
19. ^ Turner, Paul (February 22, 2004). "No view of Palouse from Windows". The
Spokesman-Review. Spokane. Archived from  the original on May 11, 2011.
Retrieved September 19, 2012.
20. ^ Fitzpatrick, Jason (August 6, 2015). "The Start Menu Should Be Sacred (But It's Still a
Disaster in Windows 10)". How-To Geek. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017.
Retrieved July 30, 2016.
21. ^ "How To Use the Fast User Switching Feature in Windows XP (Revision 1.5)". Microsoft
Support.  Microsoft. March 27, 2007. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011.
Retrieved August 8, 2011.
22. ^ "Bluetooth Wireless Technology FAQ".  Archived  from the original on December 23,
2018. Retrieved  August 8,  2011.
23. ^ "Manually Configuring Windows Firewall in Windows XP Service Pack 2". May 5,
2010.  Archived  from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
24. ^ "Description of the Windows Firewall feature in Windows XP SP2".  Archived  from the
original on September 17, 2009. Retrieved  September 18,  2009.
25. ^ "Hotfix for Windows XP that adds support for SDHC cards that have a capacity of more
than 4 GB".  Support (5.0  ed.). May 22, 2013. Archived from  the original on February 5,
2014. Retrieved  June 18,  2019.
26. ^ Jump up to:a b "Kernel Enhancements for Windows XP".  Windows Hardware Developer
Center (WHDC).  Microsoft. January 13, 2003. Archived from the original on March 7,
2008. Retrieved  August 8,  2011.
27. ^ "HOW TO: Use the Driver Roll Back Feature to Restore a Previous Version of a Device
Driver in Windows XP".  Microsoft. October 27, 2002. Archived from the original on
February 18, 2006.
28. ^ Fisher, Ken (February 2, 2001). "Windows Product Activation: an early look".  Ars
Technica.  Archived  from the original on December 5, 2011. Retrieved February
22,  2017.
29. ^ "Windows XP Networking Features and Enhancements". Microsoft TechNet. Microsoft.
August 8, 2001. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
30. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions About Remote Desktop".  Microsoft. Archived from  the
original on July 4, 2007.
31. ^ Otey, Michael (October 2001).  "Discover Windows XP". Microsoft
Developer. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
32. ^ "Windows XP Program Compatibility Wizard". ServerWatch. March 12,
2002.  Archived  from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved  November 13, 2021.
33. ^ "How to Enable Application Compatibility-Mode Technology in Windows 2000 Service
Pack 2". Active Win. 2000. Archived from  the original on August 18, 2001.
Retrieved November 13,  2021.
34. ^ Proffit, Brian (September 2, 2002).  "Old Apps Find A New Home On Windows XP". PC
Magazine. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved July
10,  2018.
35. ^ Karp, David; O'Reilly, Tim; Mott, Troy (2005). Windows XP in a Nutshell  : [a desktop
quick reference]  (2nd ed.). Beijing [u.a.]: O'Reilly. p. 141.  ISBN  978-0-596-00900-7.
36. ^ Richtmyer, Richard (August 23, 2001).  "Opening up Windows XP". CNN Money.
CNN.  Archived  from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved  June 24,  2018.
37. ^ "Windows Picture and Fax Viewer overview".  Windows XP Professional Product
Documentation. Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 December 2010.
Retrieved 23 November 2010.
38. ^ Harder, Bobbie (April 2001).  "Microsoft Windows XP System Restore". Microsoft.
Archived from  the original on February 4, 2005.
39. ^ Petri, Daniel (January 8, 2009).  "What is ASR in Windows XP and Windows Server
2003?". Petri. Blue Whale Web Media Group.  Archived  from the original on March 12,
2017. Retrieved  June 24,  2018.
40. ^ Columbus, Louis (June 29, 2001).  "Exploring Windows XP's Device Driver Rollback and
System Restore".  InformIT. Pearson Education. Archived from the original on January 5,
2014. Retrieved  June 24,  2018.
41. ^ Norton, Peter; Mueller, John Paul (2002). Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Windows
XP. Pearson Education. p.  N/A. ISBN 9780132715386. Archived from the original on
April 15, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
42. ^ McNamee, Kieran (June 27, 2003).  "Setting up dual monitors using Windows XP
Home". PC World.  Archived  from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved June
24,  2018.
43. ^ "Architecture of Fast User Switching". Microsoft Knowledgebase. Microsoft. January 15,
2006. Archived from the original  on August 2, 2009. Retrieved  June 24,  2018.
44. ^ Satran, Michael (May 31, 2018).  "About Side-by-Side Assemblies".  docs.microsoft.com.
Microsoft.  Archived  from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved  June 24,  2018.
45. ^ Wienholt, Nick (August 14, 2006). "Simplify Application Deployment with Registration-
Free COM - Developer.com".  www.developer.com. QuinStreet Enterprise. Archived from
the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved  June 24,  2018.
46. ^ Honeycutt, Jerry (2003). Introducing Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Redmond,
Wash.: Microsoft. pp. 293–298. ISBN 9780735615700.
47. ^ "New ways to do familiar tasks". Windows XP Product
Documentation. Microsoft.  Archived  from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved May
21,  2014.
48. ^ "Kernel Enhancements for Windows XP".  MSDN. Microsoft. January 13, 2003. Archived
from  the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved  April 16,  2014.
49. ^ Pittsley, Steven (June 13, 2002).  "Easy install guide for NetBEUI and IPX in Windows
XP Pro".  TechRepublic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017.
Retrieved June 24, 2018.
50. ^ "Non-Plug and Play Network Device Support in Windows XP".  Support. Microsoft.
October 18, 2001. Archived from  the original on October 30, 2004. Retrieved  November
8, 2012.
51. ^ "TCP/IP Raw Sockets (Windows)".  MSDN. Microsoft.  Archived  from the original on
January 28, 2013. Retrieved November 7,  2012.
52. ^ Pash, Adam (April 29, 2008).  "Field Guide to Windows XP SP3". Lifehacker. Univision
Communications.  Archived  from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved  June
24,  2018.
53. ^ "Differences with Windows XP Home Edition". TechNet. Microsoft. September 11,
2009.  Archived  from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
54. ^ Marti, Don (November 6, 2006).  "Dell customer gets Windows refund".  LinuxWorld.
IDG. Archived from  the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
55. ^ "HP must reimburse Italian PC buyer the amount paid for Microsoft software". Heise
online. October 29, 2007.  Archived  from the original on October 15, 2008.
Retrieved September 13, 2008.
56. ^ Wilcox, Joe (July 16, 2002).  "Microsoft reveals media XP details".  CNET. CNET
Networks. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved  January 26,  2014.
57. ^ Wilcox, Joe; Junnarkar, Sandeep (November 7, 2002).  "Microsoft launches tablet PC
drive".  CNET. CNET Networks.  Archived  from the original on February 7, 2015.
Retrieved January 26, 2014.
58. ^ Evers, Joris (January 5, 2005).  "Microsoft nixes Windows XP for
Itanium".  Computerworld.  IDG.  Archived  from the original on February 2, 2014.
Retrieved January 26, 2014.
59. ^ "Microsoft Raises the Speed Limit with the Availability of 64-Bit Editions of Windows
Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional" (Press release). Microsoft. April 25,
2005.  Archived  from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved  September 10,  2015.
60. ^ Thurrott, Paul (January 3, 2005).  "Windows XP Starter Edition". Paul Thurrott's
SuperSite for Windows. Penton Media. Archived from the original  on August 28, 2013.
Retrieved April 12, 2008.
61. ^ Fried, Ina (May 23, 2006). "Microsoft pitches pay-as-you-go PCs". CNET. CNET
Networks. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved  January 26,  2014.
62. ^ "Microsoft and EU reach agreement". BBC. March 28, 2005. Archived from the original
on September 22, 2015.
63. ^ Bishop, Todd (December 24, 2004). "Europe gets 'reduced' Windows".  Seattle Post-
Intelligencer. Hearst Corporation.  Archived  from the original on October 6, 2021.
Retrieved November 30,  2018.
64. ^ Anderson, Nate (December 7, 2005).  "South Korea fines Microsoft for antitrust
abuses". Ars Technica. Condé Nast Publications.  Archived  from the original on April 22,
2008. Retrieved  April 12,  2008.
65. ^ "Changes to Windows XP Home Edition K and Windows XP Professional K from earlier
versions of Windows XP (MSKB 922474)".  Microsoft Support. Microsoft. September 15,
2006.  Archived  from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved  January 26,  2014.
66. ^ "Service Pack and Update Center". Support.  Microsoft. September 10,
2016.  Archived  from the original on August 31, 2017.
67. ^ "Installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)".  Microsoft. Microsoft. November 18,
2011.  Archived  from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
68. ^ Purdy, Kevin.  "Slipstream Service Pack 3 into Your Windows XP Installation
CD". Lifehacker.  Archived  from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August
22,  2017.
69. ^ "Windows XP SP1 Irons out the Wrinkles". PC Magazine. Archived from the original on
February 26, 2014. Retrieved  January 26,  2014.
70. ^ Mendelson, Edward.  "Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 review". CNET. CNET
Networks. Archived from the original on February 9, 2008. Retrieved  January 26,  2014.
71. ^ "Differences Between Windows XP SP1 and Windows XP SP1a". February 3,
2003.  Archived  from the original on January 27, 2007. Retrieved  September 21,  2007.
72. ^ "How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack". March 26, 2007. Archived from the
original on October 14, 2004. Retrieved  September 21,  2007.
73. ^ Shinder, Deb (August 26, 2004). "Windows XP Service Pack 2: How it affects wireless
networking". TechRepublic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original  on June 13,
2017. Retrieved  June 24,  2018.
74. ^ "Bluetooth Wireless Technology FAQ – 2010". July 24, 2012.  Archived  from the original
on March 3, 2016. Retrieved  November 4, 2012.
75. ^ Menn, Joseph (2019). Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup
Might Just Save the World. New York: Public Affairs. p.  49–50.
76. ^ Grimes, Roger A. (2017). "46 - Profile: Window Snyder". Hacking the hacker  : learn
from the experts who take down hackers. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley.  ISBN  978-1-119-
39626-0.  OCLC 983465946.
77. ^ Thurrott, Paul (October 15, 2003).  "Windows XP SP2 to be 'Springboard' to
Longhorn".  Windows IT Pro. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018.
78. ^ "Windows XP Service Pack 2 information".  Microsoft. August 4, 2004. Archived from
the original on October 16, 2007.
79. ^ Mux, Victor (August 21, 2006). "Why Windows XP SP2b and Windows Server 2003
SP2a?". Microsoft.  Archived  from the original on August 12, 2009.
80. ^ Fletcher, Jefferson (April 8, 2008). "IE Automatic Component Activation Now
Available". IEBlog. Microsoft.  Archived  from the original on April 11, 2008.
Retrieved April 11, 2008.
81. ^ Mux, Victor (August 9, 2007). "Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2c
Release".  MSDN. Microsoft.  Archived  from the original on February 2, 2014.
Retrieved January 26, 2014.
82. ^ Emil Protalinski (April 29, 2008). "Microsoft releases the long-anticipated Windows XP
SP3 (updated)". Ars Technica.  Archived  from the original on January 15, 2022.
Retrieved February 10, 2022.
83. ^ "Release Notes for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2". October 8,
2009.  Archived  from the original on November 11, 2019. Retrieved  November 11, 2019.
84. ^ Oiaga, Marius (December 14, 2007).  "64-Bit Windows XP Service Pack 3?". Softpedia.
SoftNews NET. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved  June 24,  2018.
85. ^ Keizer, Gregg (July 8, 2008). "Microsoft sets XP SP3 automatic download for
Thursday". Computerworld. IDG. Archived from  the original on July 9, 2008.
Retrieved July 8, 2008.
86. ^ "Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview".  Microsoft. May 6, 2008. Archived from the
original on May 6, 2008. Retrieved May 7,  2008.
87. ^ "List of fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 3". Microsoft. May 6, 2008.
Archived from  the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
88. ^ Oiaga, Marius (December 14, 2007).  "No, Internet Explorer 7 Will Not(!) Be a Part of
Windows XP SP3". SoftNews NET.  Archived  from the original on January 18, 2012.
89. ^ Howard, Michael (January 29, 2008).  "New NX APIs added to Windows Vista SP1,
Windows XP SP3 and Windows Server 2008". Michael Howard's Web
Log.  Microsoft. Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved  August
8, 2011.
90. ^ "Description of the Credential Security Support Provider (CredSSP) in Windows XP
Service Pack 3". Microsoft. May 6, 2008. Archived from the original  on October 9, 2009.
Retrieved June 23, 2018.
91. ^ Enterprise IT Planet Staff (May 13, 2005). "Upgraded Wi-Fi Security for Windows XP
SP2".  Wi-Fi Planet. QuinStreet Enterprise. Archived from  the original on June 23, 2018.
Retrieved June 23, 2018.
92. ^ "Overview of Windows XP Service Pack 3"  (PDF).  Archived  (PDF) from the original on
January 17, 2009.
93. ^ "Information about Windows Imaging Component". Microsoft. August 13, 2002.
Archived from  the original on May 10, 2011.
94. ^ Nanjappa, Ashwin (January 27, 2010).  "Windows: ClearType on RDP".
CodeYarns.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved June
16,  2014.
95. ^ "A hotfix is available that improves the stability of the Windows Management
Instrumentation repository in Windows XP".  Support. Microsoft. October 8,
2011.  Archived  from the original on March 5, 2013. Retrieved  January 20,  2013.
96. ^ Jump up to:a b "FAQs regarding SP3 RTM". Microsoft. April 22, 2008. Archived from the
original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
97. ^ Kaelin, Mark (May 8, 2008).  "How do I... Return the Address bar Windows XP SP3
removed?".  TechRepublic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 5,
2015. Retrieved  May 5, 2015.
98. ^ "Windows XP SP3 preview surfaces on Web". PC World. IDG. October 6,
2005.  Archived  from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved  October 29,  2020.
99. ^ "Sneak preview of Windows XP SP3 surfaces".  Ars Technica. Ars Technica. October 6,
2005.  Archived  from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
100. ^ "Microsoft employee blasts 'fake' service pack".  PC World. IDG. October 14,
2005.  Archived  from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved  October 29,  2020.
101. ^ "Windows XP SP3 preview a fake". Ars Technica. Ars Technica. October 15,
2005.  Archived  from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved  October 29,  2020.
102. ^ "Microsoft leans on Vista SP1 site".  PC World. IDG. October 4,
2007.  Archived  from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
103. ^ "What is the maximum amount of RAM the Windows operating system can
handle?". Crucial. Archived from the original  on May 11, 2011. Retrieved  June 25,  2010.
104. ^ "Physical Memory Limits: Windows XP".  Memory Limits for Windows
Releases. Microsoft.  Archived  from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved  January
14,  2014.
105. ^ "Processor and memory capabilities of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
and of the x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003 (Revision 7.0)".  Microsoft
Support.  Microsoft. December 20, 2010.  Archived  from the original on August 12, 2011.
Retrieved August 8, 2011.
106. ^ Kumar, I. Suuresh (October 25, 2010).  "Multi-core processor and
multiprocessor limit for Windows XP". Microsoft Answers. Microsoft.  Archived  from the
original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
107. ^ "Processor Affinity Under WOW64". MSDN.  Microsoft. January 27,
2011.  Archived  from the original on May 6, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
108. ^ "Maximum quantity of logical processors in a PC supported by Microsoft
Windows XP professional, x64 edition". Support.  Microsoft. December 20,
2010.  Archived  from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved  January 20,  2013.
109. ^ "Microsoft Product Lifecycle Search: Windows Fundamentals for Legacy
PCs". Microsoft Support.  Microsoft. Archived from the original on October 5, 2014.
Retrieved October 13, 2012.
110. ^ "Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-036 – Critical". July 12, 2015. Archived from
the original on April 26, 2018. Retrieved  April 26,  2018.
111. ^ Jump up to:a b Mackie, Kurt (February 19, 2014). "Windows XP Embedded
Supported for Two or More Years". Redmond Magazine. 1105 Media.  Archived  from the
original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
112. ^ "Microsoft Product Lifecycle Search: Windows Embedded Standard
2009". Microsoft Support.  Microsoft. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015.
Retrieved October 13, 2012.
113. ^ "Microsoft Product Lifecycle Search: Windows Embedded POSReady
2009". Microsoft Support.  Microsoft. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014.
Retrieved October 13, 2012.
114. ^ Fried, Ina (September 27, 2007). "Microsoft extends Windows XP's
stay". CNET.  CBS Interactive.  Archived  from the original on August 30, 2008.
Retrieved June 5, 2008.
115. ^ Lai, Eric (March 3, 2008).  "Microsoft to keep Windows XP alive—but only for
Eee PCs and wannabes". Computerworld. IDG. Archived from the original  on April 8,
2008. Retrieved  April 8,  2008.
116. ^ Tung, Liam (February 18, 2014).  "Microsoft: 'Remember, some XP-based
embedded systems to get support to 2019'".  ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Archived from the
original on April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
117. ^ Newman, Jared (August 27, 2014). "Enthusiast developer keeps Windows XP
alive with unofficial 'Service Pack 4'". PCWorld. Archived from the original on October
26, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
118. ^ Satherley, Dan (April 9, 2013).  "Businesses urged to ditch XP". 3 News NZ.
Archived from  the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
119. ^ Keizer, Gregg (August 26, 2013). "Microsoft will craft XP patches after April '14,
but not for you".  Computerworld. IDG. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013.
Retrieved December 12,  2013.
120. ^ Jump up to:a b Keizer, Gregg (March 11, 2014). "US-CERT urges XP users to
dump IE".  Computerworld. IDG.  Archived  from the original on June 28, 2019.
Retrieved June 28, 2019.
121. ^ ATM Industry Association (collectively) (June 1, 2015). "ATMIA position paper
recommending migration to Windows 10". www.atmia.com (Press release). ATM Industry
Association.  Archived  from the original on May 25, 2017.
122. ^ Summers, Nick (January 16, 2014). "ATMs Face Deadline to Upgrade From
Windows XP". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P.  Archived from the original  on
January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
123. ^ "Wannacry ransomware cyber attack: Indian ATMs could be at high risk as
most run on Windows XP".  Business Today. May 15, 2017. Archived from the original on
May 17, 2017. Retrieved  May 18, 2017.
124. ^ "Windows 8 a 'threat' to China's security". BBC. June 5, 2014.  Archived  from
the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved  October 8,  2018.
125. ^ Kan, Michael (May 20, 2014).  "China bans government purchases of Windows
8".  PCWorld. IDG. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved  May 20, 2014.
126. ^ "Microsoft Partners Lenovo, Tencent to Offer XP Tech Support in China".
Voanews.com. Reuters. April 9, 2014.  Archived  from the original on April 13, 2014.
Retrieved April 16, 2014.
127. ^ Gallagher, Sean (April 6, 2014).  "Not dead yet: Dutch, British governments pay
to keep Windows XP alive". Ars Technica.  Condé Nast Publications. Archived from the
original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
128. ^ Foley, Mary Jo  (March 3, 2014). "Microsoft to start nagging Windows XP users
about April 8 end-of-support date". ZDNet.  CBS Interactive.  Archived  from the original
on October 14, 2019. Retrieved  October 15,  2019.
129. ^ Yegulalp, Serdar (March 3, 2014). "Microsoft: Use Laplink's Windows XP
migration tools, not ours". Infoworld.  Archived  from the original on October 15, 2019.
130. ^ Ward, Mark (March 5, 2014). "XP – the operating system that will not
die".  BBC News.  Archived  from the original on March 24, 2014. Retrieved  March
25,  2014.
131. ^ Egan, Matt (April 7, 2014).  "What should XP users do when Microsoft ends
support? Upgrade to Windows 8, buy a new PC, keep running XP?".  PC Advisor.
Archived from  the original on February 14, 2014. Retrieved  April 6,  2014.
132. ^ "Alert (TA14-069A): Microsoft Ending Support for Windows XP and Office
2003". March 11, 2014. Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved April
6, 2014.
133. ^ Keizer, Gregg (January 19, 2014). "Microsoft will furnish malware assassin to
XP users until mid-2015".  Computerworld. IDG.  Archived  from the original on January
22, 2014.
134. ^ "Microsoft Warns of Permanent Zero-Day Exploits for Windows
XP".  Infosecurity. Reed Exhibitions. August 20, 2013. Archived from the original on
August 26, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
135. ^ "Microsoft Security Bulletin MS15-011 JASBUG". February 10,
2015.  Archived  from the original on August 11, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
136. ^ Freeman, Robert (November 11, 2014).  "IBM X-Force Researcher Finds
Significant Vulnerability in Microsoft Windows". Securityintelligence.com. Archived from
the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved  September 18,  2015.
137. ^ Talbot, David (October 17, 2012).  "Computer Viruses Are "Rampant" on
Medical Devices in Hospitals". MIT Technology Review. Archived from  the original on
October 19, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
138. ^ Goodin, Dan (May 1, 2014). "Emergency patch for critical IE 0-day throws
lifeline to XP laggards, too".  Ars Technica. Conde Nast.  Archived  from the original on
May 17, 2017. Retrieved  May 26, 2017.
139. ^ Warren, Tom (May 13, 2017). "Microsoft issues 'highly unusual' Windows XP
patch to prevent massive ransomware attack". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the
original on May 14, 2017. Retrieved  May 13, 2017.
140. ^ Warren, Tom (May 14, 2019). "Microsoft warns of major WannaCry-like
Windows security exploit, releases XP patches". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from
the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved  May 16, 2019.
141. ^ "Prevent a worm by updating Remote Desktop Services (CVE-2019-0708) –
MSRC".  blogs.technet.microsoft.com. May 14, 2019. Archived from the original on May
14, 2019. Retrieved May 16,  2019.
142. ^ Winder, Davey (August 11, 2019).  "Critical Windows 10 Warning: Millions Of
Users At Risk". Forbes.  Archived  from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August
11,  2019.
143. ^ Greenberg, Andy (August 13, 2019).  "DejaBlue: New BlueKeep-Style Bugs
Renew The Risk Of A Windows worm".  wired.  Archived  from the original on April 13,
2021. Retrieved  August 15,  2019.
144. ^ Seals, Tara (August 14, 2019).  "20-Year-Old Bug in Legacy Microsoft Code
Plagues All Windows Users". ThreatPost.com.  Archived  from the original on April 17,
2021. Retrieved  August 15,  2019.
145. ^ "Farewell to Microsoft Internet Games on Windows XP, Windows ME, and
Windows 7".  answers.microsoft.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019.
Retrieved August 4, 2019.
146. ^ "Windows XP and Windows Vista Support – Steam – Knowledge Base –
Steam Support".  support.steampowered.com. Archived from the original on August 12,
2019. Retrieved  August 4,  2019.
147. ^ "Windows Update SHA-1 based endpoints discontinued for older Windows
devices". support.microsoft.com.  Archived  from the original on April 17, 2021.
Retrieved April 6, 2021.
148. ^ "Microsoft Update Catalog".  www.catalog.update.microsoft.com.  Archived  from
the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved  April 6,  2021.
149. ^ Lake, Matt (October 10, 2002).  "Microsoft Windows XP – Home Edition
review".  CNET. Archived from  the original on May 31, 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
150. ^ Mendelson, Edward (September 3, 2001).  "Microsoft Ships Its Biggest OS
Upgrade Ever—Early!". PC Magazine. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014.
Retrieved March 25, 2014.
151. ^ Manes, Stephen  (August 26, 2004). "Full Disclosure: Your Take on Windows'
Worst Irritations". PCWorld. IDG. Archived from  the original on October 8, 2009.
152. ^ Bright, Peter (April 10, 2014). "Memory lane: Before everyone loved Windows
XP, they hated it". Ars Technica.  Condé Nast. Archived from the original on April 24,
2014. Retrieved  June 20,  2014.
153. ^ Bright, Peter (October 25, 2011). "Ten years of Windows XP: how longevity
became a curse". Ars Technica. WIRED Media Group.  Archived  from the original on
June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
154. ^ "Operating system market share". September 9, 2012. Archived from  the
original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
155. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide". StatCounter Global
Stats.  Archived  from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved  July 2,  2019.
156. ^ Crothers, Brooke (February 2, 2014).  "Oops, Windows XP gains in January but
so does Windows 8.1". CNET. CBS Interactive.  Archived  from the original on February
21, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
157. ^ "OS Platform Statistics". w3schools. Archived from the original on September
17, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
158. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Africa".  StatCounter Global
Stats.  Archived  from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September
22,  2022.
159. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Armenia". StatCounter Global
Stats.  Archived  from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved  December 11, 2021.
160. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Armenia". StatCounter Global
Stats.  Archived  from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved  December 11, 2021.
161. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Armenia". StatCounter Global
Stats.  Archived  from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved  July 10,  2021.
162. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Armenia". StatCounter Global
Stats.  Archived  from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved  March 2,  2021.
163. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Armenia". StatCounter Global
Stats.  Archived  from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved  July 2,  2020.
164. ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Armenia". StatCounter Global
Stats.  Archived  from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved  July 2,  2020.
165. ^ Cimpanu, Catalin.  "Windows XP leak confirmed after user compiles the leaked
code into a working OS". ZDNet.  Archived  from the original on September 30, 2020.
Retrieved October 1, 2020.
166. ^ Warren, Tom (September 25, 2020). "Windows XP source code leaks
online".  The Verge. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021.
Retrieved October 1, 2020.
167. ^ Jump up to:a b Alcorn, Paul (September 30, 2020). "Windows XP Source Code
Leaked, Posted to 4chan (Update, It Works)".  Tom's Hardware.  Archived  from the
original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
168. ^ "Windows XP Source Code Leaked By Apparent Bill Gates
Conspiracist".  Gizmodo. September 25, 2020.  Archived  from the original on October 1,
2020. Retrieved  October 1,  2020.
169. ^ "The Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 source code leaks
online".  Graham Cluley. September 25, 2020. Archived from the original on September
26, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
170. ^ "Windows XP source code leaked online". www.computing.co.uk. September
28, 2020. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.