Windows XP

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 upgrade to its predecessors, Windows 2000 for high-end and business users and Windows Me for home users, and is available for any devices running Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows Me that meet the minimum system requirements.

Windows XP introduced many new and updated features that made it more user-friendly, secure, and reliable than previous versions of Windows. Some of these features include:

• A new visual style called Luna that gave Windows XP a fresh and modern look.

• A new start menu that made it easier to access frequently used programs and documents.

• A new taskbar that showed thumbnails of open windows and grouped them by application.

• A new feature called Fast User Switching that allowed multiple users to log on and off without closing their applications.

• A new feature called System Restore that allowed users to revert their system to a previous state in case of problems.

• A new feature called Windows Firewall that provided basic protection against network attacks.

• A new feature called Remote Desktop that allowed users to access their desktop from another computer over the internet.

• A new feature called Windows Media Player 9 that supported various media formats and online streaming services.

• A new feature called Windows Movie Maker 2 that allowed users to create and edit videos with ease.

Windows XP was also compatible with a wide range of hardware and software, thanks to its improved device drivers and application compatibility modes. It also supported various networking and internet functionalities, such as wireless connections, peer-to-peer file sharing, web browsing, email, instant messaging, and more.

Windows XP was a huge success for Microsoft and became one of the most popular and enduring versions of Windows ever. It received three service packs that added more features and security updates over the years. It also spawned several editions for different markets and purposes, such as Windows XP Professional x64 Edition for 64-bit processors, Windows XP Media Center Edition for home entertainment systems, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition for touch-screen devices, and Windows XP Embedded for industrial and embedded systems.

However, all good things must come to an end. Microsoft ended its official support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014, meaning that it no longer received any security patches or technical assistance from Microsoft. This made Windows XP vulnerable to malware and hackers, and incompatible with newer hardware and software. As a result, many users migrated to newer versions of Windows or other operating systems over time.

But despite the lack of support, Windows XP is still running on millions of computers worldwide. So why are people still using Windows XP? Mostly due to work, research, or entertainment. Some people use Windows XP because they have legacy applications or devices that only work with it. Some people use Windows XP because they are nostalgic for its look and feel. Some people use Windows XP because they want to experiment with it or learn from it.

If you are one of those people who still want to use Windows XP in 2023, you have a few options. You can either find an old computer that runs Windows XP natively or install it on a virtual machine on your current computer. A virtual machine is a software that simulates a computer within your computer. This way, you can run Windows XP without affecting your main operating system or hardware.

To install Windows XP on a virtual machine, you need a few things:

• A virtualization software such as VirtualBox

• A file archive tool such as 7-Zip

• A copy of Windows XP Mode (see below)

Windows XP Mode was a feature that Microsoft provided for free for users of Windows 7 Professional or higher. It was a full version of Windows XP that ran within Windows 7. However, Microsoft has since removed the option to download Windows XP Mode directly. But don't worry, you can still get it from the link below:

Download the Windows XP Mode virtual hard disk

When you download the file, don't install it yet! Instead, follow these steps:

• Right-click on the file and select 7-Zip > Open archive > cab from the context menu. This will open the file in 7-Zip.

• Open the Sources folder and double-click on the xpm file. This is the XP Mode virtual hard drive folder.

• Select all the files inside and extract them to a new folder on your C: drive. You can name the folder anything you like, such as "Windows XP Mode".

• Go to the folder you created and rename the file named VirtualXPVHD to VirtualXP.VHD. This will make it recognizable by VirtualBox.

• Launch VirtualBox and click on New. Give your virtual machine a name, such as "Windows XP Mode", and select Windows XP (32-bit) as the type and version. Click Next.

• Assign some memory to your virtual machine. The recommended amount is 512 MB, but you can increase it if you have enough RAM on your host computer. Click Next.

• Choose Use an existing virtual hard disk file and click on the folder icon next to the drop-down menu. Browse to the folder where you extracted the Windows XP Mode files and select the VirtualXP.VHD file. Click Open and then Create.

• Your virtual machine is now ready. To start it, select it and click on Start. You will see a Windows XP logo and then a login screen. The default username is XPMUser and the default password is blank. You can change them later if you want.

• Congratulations! You are now running Windows XP on a virtual machine. You can use it as you would use a normal computer, with some limitations. For example, you cannot access your host computer's files or devices directly, unless you set up shared folders or USB passthrough. You also cannot use some features that require hardware acceleration, such as Aero or DirectX 10 games.

That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane with Windows XP.