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Latest comment: 10 months ago by NotJamestack in topic Semi-protected edit request on 10 November 2025
Former featured articleWindows XP is a former featured article. Please see the links under Article milestones below for its original nomination page (for older articles, check the nomination archive) and why it was removed.
Good articleWindows XP has been listed as one of the Engineering and technology good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do so. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it.
Main Page trophyThis article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on June 5, 2005.
Article milestones
DateProcessResult
October 6, 2004Featured article candidateNot promoted
December 10, 2004Featured article candidateNot promoted
January 29, 2005Peer reviewReviewed
February 9, 2005Featured article candidatePromoted
December 21, 2005Featured article reviewKept
January 23, 2008Featured article reviewDemoted
May 13, 2008Peer reviewReviewed
July 21, 2008Peer reviewReviewed
January 10, 2015Good article nomineeNot listed
June 24, 2018Good article nomineeListed
April 17, 2022Good article reassessmentKept
On this day...Facts from this article were featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "On this day..." column on October 25, 2004, October 25, 2014, October 25, 2016, October 25, 2018, October 25, 2021, October 25, 2022, and October 25, 2024.
Current status: Former featured article, current good article


Semi-protected edit request on 4 April 2025

[edit]
Latest comment: 1 year ago2 comments2 people in discussion

Change "One Asian country, Armenia still has very high Windows XP use at 75% use (while elsewhere, including in Africa, have by now under 1% use).[7]"

to

"One Asian country, Armenia, still has very high Windows XP use at 75% use (while elsewhere, including in Africa, have by now under 1% use).[7]

Perhaps linking the Armenia page to the word "Armenia". Override8188 (talk) 02:03, 4 April 2025 (UTC)Reply

 Not done: Country pages are typically not linked per MOS:OL. – AllCatsAreGrey (talk) 23:03, 5 April 2025 (UTC)Reply

Semi-protected edit request on 10 November 2025

[edit]
Latest comment: 10 months ago2 comments2 people in discussion

Change in the System Requirements table, in Home/Professional Edition, Free Space, Recommended, 2.15 GB to +661 MB, 3.95 GB to +1.8 GB, and 4.83 GB to +900 MB. ~2025-31238-85 (talk) 19:41, 10 November 2025 (UTC)Reply

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. NotJamestack (talk) 19:52, 10 November 2025 (UTC)Reply

Semi-protected edit request on 13 August 2026

[edit]

Template:Good article is only for Wikipedia:Good articles.

Windows XP
Version of the Windows NT operating system
DeveloperMicrosoft
Working stateNo longer supported
Source model
Released to
manufacturing		August 24, 2001; 25 years ago (2001-08-24)[2]
General
availability		October 25, 2001; 24 years ago (2001-10-25)[2]
Final releaseService Pack 3 with April 2025 security update (5.1.2600.7701) / April 22, 2025; 16 months ago (2025-04-22)[3]
Marketing targetConsumer and Business
Update method
Supported platformsIA-32, x86-64, Itanium
Kernel typeHybrid (NT)
Userland
LicenseProprietary commercial software
Preceded by
Succeeded byWindows Vista (2007)
Official websiteWindows XP (archived at Wayback Machine)
Support status
Excludes Itanium and some embedded editions:
Mainstream support ended on April 14, 2009 (2009-04-14).[4]
Extended support ended on April 8, 2014 (2014-04-08).[4]

Exceptions existed until May 14, 2019 (2019-05-14).
(see § Support lifecycle for details)

Windows XP (stylized as Windowsxp) 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 that year. 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.

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. Embedded versions of Windows XP received support up until 2019, with Windows Embedded POSReady 2009, based on Windows XP Professional, being the last version to receive updates until April 2019. Unofficial methods were available to apply the updates from the embedded versions to other editions of Windows XP, however Microsoft has discouraged this practice, citing compatibility issues.[5] All other security updates for Windows XP past the end-of-support date were released up until May 14, 2019.

Development

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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.[6]

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.[7] 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".[8]

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.[9]

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.[10]

Whistler was officially unveiled during a media event on February 5, 2001, under the name Windows XP, where XP stands for "experience".[11]

Release

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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.[12] 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.[13]

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).[14]

New and updated features

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User interface

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File:RoyaleXP2.PNG

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.[15] A new set of system icons was also introduced.[16] 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.[17]

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).[18] 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.[19] Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 3 also introduced new features to Windows XP post-release, including the Windows Security Center, Bluetooth support, Data Execution Prevention, Windows Firewall, and support for SDHC cards that are larger than 4 GB and up to 32 GB.[20][21][22]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/kb/934428|title=Hotfix for Windows XP that adds support for SDHC cards that have a capacity of more than 4 GB|date=May 22, 2013|website=Support|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140205135308/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934428|archive-da

  1. ↑ "Windows Licensing Programs". Microsoft. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "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. ↑ "Description of the security update for the remote code execution vulnerability in Windows XP SP3". Microsoft. April 22, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Cite error: The named reference lifecycle-db was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ↑ Cite error: The named reference updates2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "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.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ "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.
  12. ↑ Wilcox, Joe (January 2, 2002). "Windows XP marketing tab to hit $1 billion". CNET. CNET Networks. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Microsoft changes XP slogan in wake of US attacks". Computerworld NZ. IDG. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ "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.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ "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.
  20. ↑ "Bluetooth Wireless Technology FAQ". Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  21. ↑ "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.
  22. ↑ "Description of the Windows Firewall feature in Windows XP SP2". Archived from the original on September 17, 2009. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
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