| Version of the Windows NT operating system | |
 | |
 Screenshot of Windows XP running the Luna visual style, showing the start menu, taskbar, and My Computer window | |
| Developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Source model | |
| Released to manufacturing | August 24, 2001[2] |
| General availability | October 25, 2001[2] |
| Final release | Service Pack 3 with May 14, 2019 security update (5.1.2600.7701) / April 19, 2019[3] |
| Marketing target | Consumer and Business |
| Update method | |
| Platforms | IA-32, x86-64, and Itanium |
| Kernel type | Hybrid (NT) |
| Userland |
|
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
| Preceded by |
|
| Succeeded by | Windows Vista (2007) |
| Official website | Windows XP (archived at Wayback Machine) |
| Support status | |
| Excludes Itanium and some embedded editions: Mainstream support ended on April 14, 2009.[4] Extended support ended on April 8, 2014.[4] Exceptions existed until May 14, 2019, see § Support lifecycle for details. | |
| Part of a series of articles on |
| Windows XP |
|---|
| Siblings |
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 successor to Windows 2000 for high-end and business users and Windows Me for home users.
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. The final security update for Service Pack 3 was released on May 14, 2019. Unofficial methods were made available to apply the updates to other editions of Windows XP. Microsoft has discouraged this practice, citing compatibility issues.[5]
As of 2024[update], globally, under 0.6% of Windows PCs[6] and 0.1% of all devices across all platforms continued to run Windows XP.
- ^ "Windows Licensing Programs". Microsoft. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Description of the security update for the remote code execution vulnerability in Windows XP SP3". Microsoft. May 14, 2019.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
lifecycle-dbwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ 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.
- ^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide". StatCounter Global Stats. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2024.