<s>
Windows	O
XP	O
is	O
a	O
major	O
release	O
of	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Windows	B-Device
NT	I-Device
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
direct	O
upgrade	O
to	O
its	O
predecessors	O
,	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
for	O
high-end	O
and	O
business	O
users	O
and	O
Windows	B-Device
Me	I-Device
for	O
home	O
users	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
available	O
for	O
any	O
devices	O
running	O
Windows	B-Device
NT	I-Device
4.0	I-Device
,	O
Windows	B-Device
98	I-Device
,	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
,	O
or	O
Windows	B-Device
Me	I-Device
that	O
meet	O
the	O
new	O
Windows	O
XP	O
system	O
requirements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Windows	O
XP	O
began	O
in	O
the	O
late	O
1990s	O
under	O
the	O
codename	O
"	O
Neptune	O
"	O
,	O
built	O
on	O
the	O
Windows	B-Device
NT	I-Device
kernel	O
and	O
explicitly	O
intended	O
for	O
mainstream	O
consumer	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
updated	O
version	O
of	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
was	O
also	O
initially	O
planned	O
for	O
the	O
business	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
Windows	O
XP	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
consumer	O
edition	O
of	O
Windows	O
not	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
95	I-Application
kernel	O
or	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	O
XP	O
removed	O
support	O
for	O
PC-98	B-Operating_System
,	O
i486	B-General_Concept
and	O
SGI	B-Device
Visual	I-Device
Workstation	I-Device
320	O
and	O
540	O
and	O
will	O
only	O
run	O
on	O
32-bit	B-Device
x86	I-Device
CPUs	B-Device
and	O
devices	O
that	O
use	O
BIOS	B-Operating_System
firmware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
Windows	O
XP	O
received	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
,	O
noting	O
increased	O
performance	O
and	O
stability	O
(	O
especially	O
compared	O
to	O
Windows	B-Device
Me	I-Device
)	O
,	O
a	O
more	O
intuitive	O
user	O
interface	O
,	O
improved	O
hardware	B-Architecture
support	O
,	O
and	O
expanded	O
multimedia	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	O
XP	O
and	O
Windows	B-Application
Server	I-Application
2003	I-Application
were	O
succeeded	O
by	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Device
Server	I-Device
2008	I-Device
,	O
released	O
in	O
2007	O
and	O
2008	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
late	O
1990s	O
,	O
initial	O
development	O
of	O
what	O
would	O
become	O
Windows	O
XP	O
was	O
focused	O
on	O
two	O
individual	O
products	O
:	O
"	O
Odyssey	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
reportedly	O
intended	O
to	O
succeed	O
the	O
future	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
and	O
"	O
Neptune	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
reportedly	O
a	O
consumer-oriented	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
using	O
the	O
Windows	B-Device
NT	I-Device
architecture	O
,	O
succeeding	O
the	O
MS-DOS-based	O
Windows	B-Device
98	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2000	O
,	O
shortly	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
official	O
release	O
of	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
,	O
technology	O
writer	O
Paul	O
Thurrott	O
reported	O
that	O
Microsoft	O
had	O
shelved	O
both	O
Neptune	O
and	O
Odyssey	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
product	O
codenamed	O
"	O
Whistler	O
"	O
,	O
named	O
after	O
Whistler	O
,	O
British	O
Columbia	O
,	O
as	O
many	O
Microsoft	O
employees	O
skied	O
at	O
the	O
Whistler-Blackcomb	O
ski	O
resort	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
goal	O
of	O
Whistler	O
was	O
to	O
unify	O
both	O
the	O
consumer	O
and	O
business-oriented	O
Windows	O
lines	O
under	O
a	O
single	O
,	O
Windows	B-Device
NT	I-Device
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thurrott	O
stated	O
that	O
Neptune	O
had	O
become	O
"	O
a	O
black	O
hole	O
when	O
all	O
the	O
features	O
that	O
were	O
cut	O
from	O
Windows	B-Device
Me	I-Device
were	O
simply	O
re-tagged	O
as	O
Neptune	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
PDC	O
on	O
July	O
13	O
,	O
2000	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
that	O
Whistler	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
during	O
the	O
second	O
half	O
of	O
2001	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
unveiled	O
the	O
first	O
preview	O
build	O
,	O
2250	O
,	O
which	O
featured	O
an	O
early	O
implementation	O
of	O
Windows	O
XP	O
's	O
visual	B-Device
styles	I-Device
system	O
and	O
interface	O
changes	O
to	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Explorer	I-Protocol
and	O
the	O
Control	O
Panel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequent	O
builds	O
gradually	O
introduced	O
features	O
that	O
users	O
of	O
the	O
release	O
version	O
of	O
Windows	O
XP	O
would	O
recognize	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Internet	B-Application
Explorer	I-Application
6.0	I-Application
,	O
the	O
Microsoft	O
Product	O
Activation	O
system	O
and	O
the	O
Bliss	O
desktop	O
background	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
a	O
ceremonial	O
media	O
event	O
at	O
Microsoft	O
Redmond	O
Campus	O
,	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
RTM	O
build	O
were	O
given	O
to	O
representatives	O
of	O
several	O
major	O
PC	O
manufacturers	O
in	O
briefcases	B-Application
,	O
who	O
then	O
flew	O
off	O
on	O
decorated	O
helicopters	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
also	O
announced	O
the	O
final	O
retail	O
pricing	O
of	O
XP	O
's	O
two	O
main	O
editions	O
,	O
"	O
Home	O
"	O
(	O
as	O
a	O
replacement	O
for	O
Windows	B-Device
Me	I-Device
for	O
home	O
computing	O
)	O
and	O
"	O
Professional	O
"	O
(	O
as	O
a	O
replacement	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
for	O
high-end	O
users	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
retaining	O
some	O
similarities	O
to	O
previous	O
versions	O
,	O
Windows	O
XP	O
's	O
interface	O
was	O
overhauled	O
with	O
a	O
new	O
visual	O
appearance	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
increased	O
use	O
of	O
alpha	B-Algorithm
compositing	I-Algorithm
effects	O
,	O
drop	O
shadows	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
visual	B-Device
styles	I-Device
"	O
,	O
which	O
completely	O
changed	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
the	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
number	O
of	O
effects	O
enabled	O
are	O
determined	O
by	O
the	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
based	O
on	O
the	O
computer	O
's	O
processing	O
power	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
enabled	O
or	O
disabled	O
on	O
a	O
case-by-case	O
basis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
XP	O
also	O
added	O
ClearType	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
subpixel	O
rendering	O
system	O
designed	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
fonts	O
on	O
liquid-crystal	B-Device
displays	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
"	O
common	O
tasks	O
"	O
list	O
was	O
added	O
,	O
and	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Explorer	I-Protocol
's	O
sidebar	O
was	O
updated	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
new	O
task-based	O
design	O
with	O
lists	O
of	O
common	O
actions	O
;	O
the	O
tasks	O
displayed	O
are	O
contextually	O
relevant	O
to	O
the	O
type	O
of	O
content	O
in	O
a	O
folder	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
monitor	O
,	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
and	O
mouse	B-Device
)	O
,	O
previous	O
users	O
can	O
resume	O
their	O
session	O
once	O
they	O
regain	O
control	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
became	O
possible	O
to	O
revert	O
the	O
installation	O
of	O
an	O
updated	O
device	B-Application
driver	I-Application
,	O
should	O
the	O
updated	O
driver	O
produce	O
undesirable	O
results	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
copy	B-Application
protection	I-Application
system	O
known	O
as	O
Windows	O
Product	O
Activation	O
was	O
introduced	O
with	O
Windows	O
XP	O
and	O
its	O
server	O
counterpart	O
,	O
Windows	B-Application
Server	I-Application
2003	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
Windows	O
licenses	O
must	O
be	O
tied	O
to	O
a	O
unique	O
ID	O
generated	O
using	O
information	O
from	O
the	O
computer	B-Architecture
hardware	I-Architecture
,	O
transmitted	O
either	O
via	O
the	O
internet	O
or	O
a	O
telephone	O
hotline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	O
also	O
periodically	O
verifies	O
the	O
hardware	B-Architecture
to	O
check	O
for	O
changes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
significant	O
hardware	B-Architecture
changes	O
are	O
detected	O
,	O
the	O
activation	O
is	O
voided	O
,	O
and	O
Windows	O
must	O
be	O
re-activated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	O
XP	O
was	O
originally	O
bundled	O
with	O
Internet	B-Application
Explorer	I-Application
6	I-Application
,	O
Outlook	B-Application
Express	I-Application
6	O
,	O
Windows	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
,	O
and	O
MSN	B-Protocol
Explorer	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
networking	B-Architecture
features	O
were	O
also	O
added	O
,	O
including	O
Internet	O
Connection	O
Firewall	O
,	O
Internet	B-Protocol
Connection	I-Protocol
Sharing	I-Protocol
integration	O
with	O
UPnP	O
,	O
NAT	O
traversal	O
APIs	O
,	O
Quality	O
of	O
Service	O
features	O
,	O
IPv6	O
and	O
Teredo	O
tunneling	O
,	O
Background	B-Protocol
Intelligent	I-Protocol
Transfer	I-Protocol
Service	I-Protocol
,	O
extended	O
fax	O
features	O
,	O
network	O
bridging	O
,	O
peer	O
to	O
peer	O
networking	B-Architecture
,	O
support	O
for	O
most	O
DSL	O
modems	B-Application
,	O
IEEE	O
802.11	O
(	O
Wi-Fi	O
)	O
connections	O
with	O
auto	B-General_Concept
configuration	I-General_Concept
and	O
roaming	O
,	O
TAPI	B-Library
3.1	I-Library
,	O
and	O
networking	B-Architecture
over	O
FireWire	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Remote	B-Protocol
Assistance	I-Protocol
and	O
Remote	B-Protocol
Desktop	I-Protocol
were	O
also	O
added	O
,	O
which	O
allow	O
users	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
a	O
computer	O
running	O
Windows	O
XP	O
from	O
across	O
a	O
network	O
or	O
the	O
Internet	O
and	O
access	O
their	O
applications	O
,	O
files	O
,	O
printers	O
,	O
and	O
devices	O
or	O
request	O
help	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Improvements	O
were	O
also	O
made	O
to	O
IntelliMirror	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
Offline	O
Files	O
,	O
Roaming	B-General_Concept
user	I-General_Concept
profiles	I-General_Concept
and	O
Folder	B-Device
redirection	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
feature	O
allows	O
pretending	O
a	O
selected	O
earlier	O
version	O
of	O
Windows	O
to	O
software	O
,	O
starting	O
at	O
Windows	B-Application
95	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
this	O
ability	O
was	O
first	O
introduced	O
in	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
Service	O
Pack	O
2	O
,	O
it	O
had	O
to	O
be	O
activated	O
through	O
the	O
"	O
register	O
server	O
"	O
and	O
was	O
only	O
available	O
to	O
administrator	O
users	O
,	O
whereas	O
Windows	O
XP	O
has	O
it	O
activated	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
box	O
and	O
also	O
grants	O
it	O
to	O
regular	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Improved	O
application	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
and	O
shims	B-General_Concept
compared	O
to	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
DirectX	B-Application
8.1	I-Application
,	O
upgradeable	O
to	O
DirectX	B-Application
9.0c	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
new	O
features	O
in	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Explorer	I-Protocol
including	O
task	O
panes	O
,	O
thumbnails	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
view	O
photos	O
as	O
a	O
slideshow	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Numerous	O
improvements	O
to	O
increase	O
the	O
system	O
reliability	O
such	O
as	O
improved	O
System	O
Restore	O
,	O
Automated	B-General_Concept
System	I-General_Concept
Recovery	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
driver	O
reliability	O
improvements	O
through	O
Device	B-Application
Driver	I-Application
Rollback	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hardware	B-Architecture
support	O
improvements	O
such	O
as	O
FireWire	B-Protocol
800	O
,	O
and	O
improvements	O
to	O
multi-monitor	B-General_Concept
support	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
"	O
DualView	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ClearType	O
font	O
rendering	O
mechanism	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
designed	O
to	O
improve	O
text	O
readability	O
on	O
liquid-crystal	B-Device
display	I-Device
(	O
LCD	B-Device
)	O
and	O
similar	O
monitors	O
,	O
especially	O
laptops	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
General	O
improvements	O
to	O
international	O
support	O
such	O
as	O
more	O
locales	O
,	O
languages	O
and	O
scripts	O
,	O
MUI	O
support	O
in	O
Terminal	B-Protocol
Services	I-Protocol
,	O
improved	O
Input	B-General_Concept
Method	I-General_Concept
Editors	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
National	B-General_Concept
Language	I-General_Concept
Support	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Various	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
commands	O
available	O
in	O
its	O
Windows	O
9x	O
predecessor	O
were	O
removed	O
,	O
as	O
were	O
the	O
POSIX	O
and	O
OS/2	B-Application
subsystems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
networking	B-Architecture
,	O
NetBEUI	B-Protocol
,	O
NWLink	B-Protocol
and	O
NetDDE	O
were	O
deprecated	B-General_Concept
and	O
not	O
installed	O
by	O
default	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Plug-and-play	B-Device
–	I-Device
incompatible	I-Device
communication	O
devices	O
(	O
like	O
modems	B-Application
and	O
network	B-Protocol
interface	I-Protocol
cards	I-Protocol
)	O
were	O
no	O
longer	O
supported	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Service	O
Pack	O
2	O
and	O
Service	O
Pack	O
3	O
also	O
removed	O
features	O
from	O
Windows	O
XP	O
,	O
including	O
support	O
for	O
TCP	B-Protocol
half-open	I-Protocol
connections	O
and	O
the	O
address	O
bar	O
on	O
the	O
taskbar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Full	O
"	O
version	O
can	O
be	O
installed	O
on	O
systems	O
without	O
an	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
or	O
existing	O
version	O
of	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
two	O
editions	O
of	O
XP	O
were	O
aimed	O
at	O
different	O
markets	O
:	O
Home	O
Edition	O
is	O
explicitly	O
intended	O
for	O
consumer	O
use	O
and	O
disables	O
or	O
removes	O
certain	O
advanced	O
and	O
enterprise-oriented	O
features	O
present	O
on	O
Professional	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
join	O
a	O
Windows	B-General_Concept
domain	I-General_Concept
,	O
Internet	B-Application
Information	I-Application
Services	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Multilingual	O
User	O
Interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Device
98	I-Device
or	O
Me	O
can	O
be	O
upgraded	O
to	O
either	O
edition	O
,	O
but	O
Windows	B-Device
NT	I-Device
4.0	I-Device
and	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
can	O
only	O
be	O
upgraded	O
to	O
Professional	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
specialized	O
variants	O
of	O
XP	O
were	O
introduced	O
in	O
2002	O
for	O
certain	O
types	O
of	O
hardware	B-Architecture
,	O
exclusively	O
through	O
OEM	O
channels	O
as	O
pre-loaded	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
Media	I-Application
Center	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
was	O
initially	O
designed	O
for	O
high-end	O
home	O
theater	O
PCs	O
with	O
TV	B-Device
tuners	I-Device
(	O
marketed	O
under	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
Media	O
Center	O
PC	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
offering	O
expanded	O
multimedia	O
functionality	O
,	O
an	O
electronic	B-Device
program	I-Device
guide	I-Device
,	O
and	O
digital	B-Application
video	I-Application
recorder	I-Application
(	O
DVR	O
)	O
support	O
through	O
the	O
Windows	B-Device
Media	I-Device
Center	I-Device
application	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
also	O
unveiled	O
Windows	O
XP	O
Tablet	B-Device
PC	I-Device
Edition	O
,	O
which	O
contains	O
additional	O
pen	B-Device
input	I-Device
features	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
optimized	O
for	O
mobile	O
devices	O
meeting	O
its	O
Tablet	B-Device
PC	I-Device
specifications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
different	O
64-bit	B-Device
editions	O
of	O
XP	O
were	O
made	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
,	O
Windows	O
XP	O
64-Bit	B-Device
Edition	O
,	O
was	O
intended	O
for	O
IA-64	B-General_Concept
(	O
Itanium	B-General_Concept
)	O
systems	O
;	O
as	O
IA-64	B-General_Concept
usage	O
declined	O
on	O
workstations	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
AMD	O
's	O
x86-64	B-Device
architecture	O
,	O
the	O
Itanium	B-General_Concept
edition	O
was	O
discontinued	O
in	O
January	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
64-bit	B-Device
edition	O
supporting	O
the	O
x86-64	B-Device
architecture	O
,	O
called	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
XP	I-Operating_System
Professional	I-Operating_System
x64	I-Operating_System
Edition	I-Operating_System
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
April	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
OS	O
is	O
primarily	O
aimed	O
at	O
first-time	O
computer	O
owners	O
,	O
containing	O
heavy	O
localization	B-General_Concept
(	O
including	O
wallpapers	O
and	O
screen	O
savers	O
incorporating	O
images	O
of	O
local	O
landmarks	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
"	O
My	O
Support	O
"	O
area	O
which	O
contains	O
video	O
tutorials	O
on	O
basic	O
computing	O
tasks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
also	O
unveiled	O
the	O
FlexGo	B-Device
initiative	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
also	O
target	O
emerging	O
markets	O
with	O
subsidized	O
PCs	O
on	O
a	O
pre-paid	O
,	O
subscription	O
basis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2004	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
European	O
Commission	O
fined	O
Microsoft	O
€497million	O
(	O
US$603million	O
)	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
was	O
ordered	O
to	O
release	O
"	O
N	O
"	O
editions	O
of	O
XP	O
that	O
excluded	O
Windows	B-Device
Media	I-Device
Player	I-Device
,	O
encouraging	O
users	O
to	O
pick	O
and	O
download	O
their	O
own	O
media	B-Device
player	I-Device
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
it	O
was	O
sold	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
price	O
as	O
the	O
edition	O
with	O
Windows	B-Device
Media	I-Device
Player	I-Device
included	O
,	O
certain	O
OEMs	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
Dell	O
,	O
who	O
offered	O
it	O
for	O
a	O
short	O
period	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Hewlett-Packard	O
,	O
Lenovo	O
and	O
Fujitsu	O
Siemens	O
)	O
chose	O
not	O
to	O
offer	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2005	O
,	O
the	O
Korean	O
Fair	O
Trade	O
Commission	O
ordered	O
Microsoft	O
to	O
make	O
available	O
editions	O
of	O
Windows	O
XP	O
and	O
Windows	B-Application
Server	I-Application
2003	I-Application
that	O
do	O
not	O
contain	O
Windows	B-Device
Media	I-Device
Player	I-Device
or	O
Windows	B-Application
Messenger	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
K	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
KN	O
"	O
editions	O
of	O
Windows	O
XP	O
were	O
released	O
in	O
August	O
2006	O
,	O
and	O
are	O
only	O
available	O
in	O
English	O
and	O
Korean	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
contain	O
links	O
to	O
third-party	O
instant	B-Application
messenger	I-Application
and	O
media	B-Device
player	I-Device
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
unique	O
boot	O
screens	O
from	O
the	O
RTM	O
to	O
Service	O
Pack	O
1	O
versions	O
of	O
Windows	O
XP	O
that	O
identified	O
the	O
edition	O
of	O
Windows	O
XP	O
currently	O
running	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
green	O
progress	O
bar	O
for	O
Home	O
Edition	O
and	O
a	O
blue	O
progress	O
bar	O
for	O
Professional	O
,	O
Embedded	O
,	O
Tablet	B-Device
PC	I-Device
Edition	O
,	O
and	O
Media	B-Application
Center	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
were	O
removed	O
in	O
Service	O
Pack	O
2	O
of	O
Windows	O
XP	O
and	O
was	O
replaced	O
with	O
a	O
generic	O
"	O
Windows	O
XP	O
"	O
boot	O
screen	O
with	O
a	O
blue	O
progress	O
bar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SP1	O
also	O
added	O
USB	O
2.0	O
support	O
,	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Language
Java	I-Language
Virtual	I-Language
Machine	I-Language
,	O
.NET	B-Application
Framework	I-Application
support	O
,	O
and	O
support	O
for	O
technologies	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
then-upcoming	O
Media	O
Center	O
and	O
Tablet	B-Device
PC	I-Device
editions	O
of	O
XP	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
significant	O
change	O
on	O
SP1	O
was	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
Set	O
Program	O
Access	O
and	O
Defaults	O
,	O
a	O
settings	O
page	O
which	O
allows	O
programs	O
to	O
be	O
set	O
as	O
default	O
for	O
certain	O
types	O
of	O
activities	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
media	B-Device
players	I-Device
or	O
web	O
browsers	O
)	O
and	O
for	O
access	O
to	O
bundled	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
programs	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
Internet	B-Application
Explorer	I-Application
or	O
Windows	B-Device
Media	I-Device
Player	I-Device
)	O
to	O
be	O
disabled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
feature	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
comply	O
with	O
the	O
settlement	O
of	O
United	O
States	O
v	O
.	O
Microsoft	O
Corp.	O
,	O
which	O
required	O
Microsoft	O
to	O
offer	O
the	O
ability	O
for	O
OEMs	O
to	O
bundle	O
third-party	O
competitors	O
to	O
software	O
it	O
bundles	O
with	O
Windows	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
Internet	B-Application
Explorer	I-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Device
Media	I-Device
Player	I-Device
)	O
,	O
and	O
give	O
them	O
the	O
same	O
level	O
of	O
prominence	O
as	O
those	O
normally	O
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
OS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
same	O
as	O
SP1	O
,	O
except	O
,	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Language
Java	I-Language
Virtual	I-Language
Machine	I-Language
was	O
excluded	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Headline	O
features	O
included	O
WPA	O
encryption	O
compatibility	O
for	O
Wi-Fi	O
and	O
usability	O
improvements	O
to	O
the	O
Wi-Fi	O
networking	B-Architecture
user	O
interface	O
,	O
partial	O
Bluetooth	O
support	O
,	O
and	O
various	O
improvements	O
to	O
security	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Headed	O
by	O
former	O
computer	O
hacker	O
Window	O
Snyder	O
,	O
the	O
service	O
pack	O
's	O
security	O
improvements	O
(	O
codenamed	O
"	O
Springboard	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
these	O
features	O
were	O
intended	O
to	O
underpin	O
additional	O
changes	O
in	O
Longhorn	O
)	O
included	O
a	O
major	O
revision	O
to	O
the	O
included	O
firewall	O
(	O
renamed	O
Windows	O
Firewall	O
,	O
and	O
now	O
enabled	O
by	O
default	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
update	O
to	O
Data	O
Execution	O
Prevention	O
,	O
which	O
gained	O
hardware	B-Architecture
support	O
in	O
the	O
NX	B-General_Concept
bit	I-General_Concept
that	O
can	O
stop	O
some	O
forms	O
of	O
buffer	B-General_Concept
overflow	I-General_Concept
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Raw	B-Protocol
socket	I-Protocol
support	O
is	O
removed	O
(	O
which	O
supposedly	O
limits	O
the	O
damage	O
done	O
by	O
zombie	O
machines	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
Windows	B-Protocol
Messenger	I-Protocol
service	I-Protocol
(	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
abused	O
to	O
cause	O
pop-up	O
advertisements	O
to	O
be	O
displayed	O
as	O
system	O
messages	O
without	O
a	O
web	O
browser	O
or	O
any	O
additional	O
software	O
)	O
became	O
disabled	O
by	O
default	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Third-party	O
firewall	O
and	O
antivirus	B-Application
software	I-Application
can	O
also	O
be	O
monitored	O
from	O
Security	O
Center	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2006	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
released	O
updated	O
installation	O
media	O
for	O
Windows	O
XP	O
and	O
Windows	B-Application
Server	I-Application
2003	I-Application
SP2	O
(	O
SP2b	O
)	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
incorporate	O
a	O
patch	O
requiring	O
ActiveX	B-Application
controls	I-Application
in	O
Internet	B-Application
Explorer	I-Application
to	O
be	O
manually	O
activated	O
before	O
a	O
user	O
may	O
interact	O
with	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2007	O
,	O
another	O
minor	O
revision	O
known	O
as	O
SP2c	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
XP	O
Professional	O
,	O
extending	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
available	O
product	B-Application
keys	I-Application
for	O
the	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
to	O
"	O
support	O
the	O
continued	O
availability	O
of	O
Windows	O
XP	O
Professional	O
through	O
the	O
scheduled	O
system	O
builder	O
channel	O
end-of-life	O
(	O
EOL	O
)	O
date	O
of	O
January	O
31	O
,	O
2009.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	O
XP	O
Service	O
Pack	O
2	O
was	O
later	O
included	O
in	O
Windows	O
Embedded	O
for	O
Point	O
of	O
Service	O
and	O
Windows	B-Device
Fundamentals	I-Device
for	I-Device
Legacy	I-Device
PCs	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
third	O
and	O
final	O
Service	O
Pack	O
,	O
SP3	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
through	O
different	O
channels	O
between	O
April	O
and	O
June	O
2008	O
,	O
about	O
a	O
year	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
,	O
and	O
about	O
a	O
year	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Windows	B-Device
7	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Service	O
Pack	O
3	O
was	O
not	O
available	O
for	O
Windows	B-Operating_System
XP	I-Operating_System
x64	I-Operating_System
Edition	I-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
Server	I-Application
2003	I-Application
kernel	O
and	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
used	O
its	O
service	O
packs	O
rather	O
than	O
the	O
ones	O
for	O
the	O
other	O
editions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
feature	O
set	O
overview	O
which	O
detailed	O
new	O
features	O
available	O
separately	O
as	O
stand-alone	O
updates	O
to	O
Windows	O
XP	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
backported	O
features	O
from	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
,	O
was	O
posted	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Service	O
Pack	O
3	O
could	O
be	O
installed	O
on	O
systems	O
with	O
Internet	B-Application
Explorer	I-Application
up	O
to	O
and	O
including	O
version	O
8	O
;	O
Internet	B-Application
Explorer	I-Application
7	I-Application
was	O
not	O
included	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
SP3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
did	O
not	O
include	O
Internet	B-Application
Explorer	I-Application
8	I-Application
,	O
but	O
instead	O
was	O
included	O
in	O
Windows	B-Device
7	I-Device
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
one	O
year	O
after	O
XP	O
SP3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Service	O
Pack	O
3	O
included	O
security	O
enhancements	O
over	O
and	O
above	O
those	O
of	O
SP2	O
,	O
including	O
APIs	O
allowing	O
developers	O
to	O
enable	O
Data	O
Execution	O
Prevention	O
for	O
their	O
code	O
,	O
independent	O
of	O
system-wide	O
compatibility	O
enforcement	O
settings	O
,	O
the	O
Security	B-Protocol
Support	I-Protocol
Provider	I-Protocol
Interface	I-Protocol
,	O
improvements	O
to	O
WPA2	O
security	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
updated	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Microsoft	O
Enhanced	O
Cryptographic	O
Provider	O
Module	O
that	O
is	O
FIPS	O
140-2	O
certified	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	O
Imaging	O
Component	O
allowed	O
camera	O
vendors	O
to	O
integrate	O
their	O
own	O
proprietary	B-Application
image	O
codecs	O
with	O
the	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
's	O
features	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
thumbnails	O
and	O
slideshows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
enterprise	O
features	O
,	O
Remote	B-Protocol
Desktop	I-Protocol
Protocol	I-Protocol
6.1	O
included	O
support	O
for	O
ClearType	O
and	O
32-bit	O
color	O
depth	O
over	O
RDP	O
,	O
while	O
improvements	O
made	O
to	O
Windows	B-Library
Management	I-Library
Instrumentation	I-Library
in	O
Windows	B-Application
Vista	I-Application
to	O
reduce	O
the	O
possibility	O
of	O
corruption	O
of	O
the	O
WMI	O
repository	O
were	O
backported	O
to	O
XP	O
SP3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
SP3	O
contains	O
updates	O
to	O
the	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
components	O
of	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
Media	I-Application
Center	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
(	O
MCE	O
)	O
and	O
Windows	O
XP	O
Tablet	B-Device
PC	I-Device
Edition	O
,	O
and	O
security	O
updates	O
for	O
.NET	B-Application
Framework	I-Application
version	O
1.0	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
included	O
in	O
these	O
editions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
it	O
does	O
not	O
include	O
update	O
rollups	O
for	O
the	O
Windows	B-Device
Media	I-Device
Center	I-Device
application	O
in	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
MCE	I-Application
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SP3	O
also	O
omits	O
security	O
updates	O
for	O
Windows	B-Device
Media	I-Device
Player	I-Device
10	I-Device
,	O
although	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
included	O
in	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
MCE	I-Application
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Allen	O
also	O
released	O
a	O
Vista	B-Application
SP1	O
package	O
in	O
2007	O
,	O
for	O
which	O
Allen	O
received	O
a	O
cease-and-desist	O
email	O
from	O
Microsoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
Service	I-Application
Pack	I-Application
3	I-Application
was	O
later	O
included	O
in	O
Windows	O
Embedded	O
Standard	O
2009	O
and	O
Windows	O
Embedded	O
POSReady	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
