Editing Windows XP (section)

{{Short description|Microsoft PC operating system released in 2001}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = Windows XP
| version of = [[Windows NT]]
| logo = Windows XP logo and wordmark.svg
| logo size = 200px
| screenshot = Windows XP Luna.png<!-- Do not change unless you have read "Wikipedia:Software screenshots"! -->
| caption = Screenshot of Windows XP running the [[Windows XP visual styles|Luna visual style]], showing the start menu, taskbar, and [[My Computer]] window
| developer = [[Microsoft]]
| discontinued = yes
| first_release_date = {{Start date and age|2001|8|24}}<ref name="MS-ready-for-RTM">{{cite web |title=An Inside Look at the Months-long Process of Getting Windows XP Ready for Release to Manufacturing {{!}} Stories |url=https://news.microsoft.com/2001/08/24/an-Inside-look-at-the-months-long-process-of-getting-windows-xp-ready-for-release-to-manufacturing/ |website=Microsoft Stories |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=June 24, 2018 |date=August 24, 2001 |archive-date=August 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805122634/https://news.microsoft.com/2001/08/24/an-Inside-look-at-the-months-long-process-of-getting-windows-xp-ready-for-release-to-manufacturing/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| first_release_url = 
| GA_date = {{Start date and age|2001|10|25}}<ref name="MS-ready-for-RTM"/>
| GA_url = 
| release_version = Service Pack 3 with May 2019 security update (5.1.2600.7701)
| release_date = {{Start date and age|2019|5|14}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/help/4500331|title=Description of the security update for the remote code execution vulnerability in Windows XP SP3|date=May 14, 2019|publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref>
| source_model = {{ubl
| [[Closed-source]]
| [[Source-available]] (through [[Shared Source Initiative]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.microsoft.com/resources/sharedsource/windowslp.mspx|title=Windows Licensing Programs|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|access-date=September 21, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216125724/http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sharedsource/windowslp.mspx|archive-date=December 16, 2008|date=<!--N/A-->|author=<!--N/A-->}}</ref>
}}
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[commercial software]]
| supported_platforms = [[IA-32]], [[x86-64]], and [[Itanium]]
| kernel_type = [[Hybrid kernel|Hybrid]] ([[Architecture of Windows NT|NT]])
| userland = {{Plainlist|
* [[Windows API]]
* [[NTVDM]] (IA-32 only)
* [[Windows Services for UNIX|SFU]]
}}
| marketing target = Consumer and Business
| updatemodel = {{plainlist|
* [[Windows Update]]
* [[Windows Server Update Services]] (WSUS)
* [[System Center Configuration Manager]] (SCCM)}}
| support_status = ''Excludes [[Windows XP editions#Windows XP 64-Bit Edition|Itanium]] and some [[Windows XP editions#Editions for embedded systems|embedded]] editions:''<br/>Mainstream support ended on April 14, 2009<ref name="lifecycle-db"/><br/>Extended support ended on April 8, 2014<ref name="lifecycle-db"/><br/><br/>Exceptions existed until May 14, 2019<br/>(See [[#Support lifecycle|§ Support lifecycle]] for details)
| preceded_by = {{plainlist|
* [[Windows 2000]] (1999)
* [[Windows Me]] (2000)}}
| succeeded_by = [[Windows Vista]] (2007)
| website = {{URL|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20011101215038/http://microsoft.com/windowsxp/default.asp|2=Windows XP}} (archived at [[Wayback Machine]])
}}
{{Windows XP}}

'''Windows XP''' is<!--Do ''not'' change to "was". This violates [[MOS:TENSE]], which specifies that all articles on operating systems are written in present tense, even if discontinued.--> 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 "[[Windows Neptune|Neptune]]", built on the [[Architecture of Windows NT#Kernel|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. [[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.<ref name="updates20192">{{cite web |last=Seltzer |first=Larry |date=May 26, 2014 |title=Registry hack enables continued updates for Windows XP |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/registry-hack-enables-continued-updates-for-windows-xp/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126140239/https://www.zdnet.com/article/registry-hack-enables-continued-updates-for-windows-xp/ |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |access-date=January 30, 2021 |website=ZDNet |quote=[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.}}</ref>
<!--
Windows XP is the last client version of Windows:
* That supports computers without [[Advanced Configuration and Power Interface|ACPI]]
* To have the ability to use boot disks to boot into setup (Service Pack 2 and earlier only; it was removed as of Service Pack 3)
* That can be installed on partitions formatted under the [[File Allocation Table|FAT]] filesystem
* To lack the [[Windows Sidebar]], only available for Windows XP [[#Service Pack 2|SP2]] and later
* To have [[Active Desktop]] functionality first introduced in [[Internet Explorer 4]]
* To have [[Internet Explorer]] integration into [[File Explorer|Windows Explorer]], removed in [[Internet Explorer 7]] and later versions of Internet Explorer
* That included [[Windows Media Player]] 6.4 (mplayer2.exe) introduced in [[Internet Explorer 5]].01 and later [[Windows 2000]], but removed in [[Windows XP Media Center Edition]] 2005 and client versions of Windows beginning with [[Windows Vista]] and [[Windows 7]]
* To ship with the [[Windows Help|WinHelp]] platform discontinued as of Windows Vista (Support for WinHelp files would later be completely removed in [[Windows 10]].)
* That used [[NTLDR]] as its boot loader-->

{{As of|2025|df=US}}, globally, 0.3% of Windows PCs<ref name="market">{{Cite web |title=Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide/#daily-20231224-20240122 |access-date=January 24, 2024 |website=StatCounter Global Stats |language=en |archive-date=April 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420180627/http://gs.statcounter.com/windows-version-market-share/desktop/worldwide#daily-20231224-20240122 |url-status=live }}</ref> <!--Windows desktop--> and 0.1% of all devices across all platforms continue to run Windows&nbsp;XP.
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