Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

For the 64-bit Windows XP for Itanium systems, see Windows XP 64-bit Edition.
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Screenshot of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition running the Luna visual style, showing the start menu and the "About Windows" window
DeveloperMicrosoft
OS familyWindows NT
Working stateNo longer supported
Source model
Initial releaseApril 25, 2005; 19 years ago (2005-04-25)[1]
Final releaseService Pack 2 with May 14, 2019 security update (5.2.3790.6787) / April 19, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-04-19)[2]
Kernel typeHybrid kernel
Default
user interface		Graphical user interface
LicenseProprietary commercial software
Official websiteWindows XP Professional x64 Edition overview (archived at Wayback Machine)
Support status
Mainstream support ended on April 14, 2009.[3]
Extended support ended on April 8, 2014.[3]
Part of a series of articles on
Windows XP
Siblings

Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is an edition of Windows XP for x86-64 personal computers. It was released by Microsoft on April 25, 2005, around the same time as with the x86-64 versions of Windows Server 2003. It is designed to use the expanded 64-bit memory address space provided by the x86-64 architecture.[1]

The primary benefit of moving to 64-bit is the increase in the maximum allocatable random-access memory (RAM). 32-bit editions of Windows XP are limited to a total of 4 gigabytes. Although the theoretical memory limit of a 64-bit computer is about 16 exabytes (17.1 billion gigabytes), Windows XP x64 is limited to 128 GB of physical memory and 16 terabytes of virtual memory.[4]

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition uses the same kernel and code tree as Windows Server 2003[5] and is serviced by the same service packs.[6] However, it includes client features of Windows XP such as System Restore, Windows Messenger, Fast User Switching, Welcome Screen, Security Center and games, which Windows Server 2003 does not have.

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is not to be confused with Windows XP 64-Bit Edition as the latter was designed for Itanium architecture.[7][8] During the initial development phases, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition was named Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for 64-Bit Extended Systems[9] and later as Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for Extended Systems.

  1. ^ a b "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. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  2. ^ "Description of the security update for the remote code execution vulnerability in Windows XP Professional x64 Edition SP2". Microsoft. May 14, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Microsoft Product Lifecycle: Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition". Support. Microsoft. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  4. ^ Broersma, Matthew. "The importance of being 64-bit". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  5. ^ "A description of the x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003 and of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition (Revision 3.8)". Support. Microsoft. October 11, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2011. The x64-based versions are based on the Windows Server 2003 code tree. Service and support activities for these versions use the Windows Server 2003 tree and do not use the Windows XP client tree.
  6. ^ Oiaga, Marius (December 14, 2007). "64-Bit Windows XP Service Pack 3? Don't think so... at least for now". Softpedia. SoftNews. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  7. ^ "Microsoft Releases Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 to Manufacturing". News Center. Microsoft. March 28, 2003. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  8. ^ Evers, Joris (January 4, 2005). "Microsoft nixes Windows XP for Itanium". InfoWorld. IDG. Archived from the original on January 5, 2005. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  9. ^ "Microsoft Announces Beta Version of Windows XP 64-Bit Edition For 64-Bit Extended Systems". News Center. Microsoft. September 23, 2002. Retrieved June 7, 2013.