Windows xp operating system wiki

The Windows family currently encompasses the main consumer version named simply Windows, as well as Windows Server for the server market and Windows IoT for the embedded market, although they are all based on the common desktop Windows codebase.

Internally, another variant called Windows Core OS is also currently in development, which is also based on the NT kernel, although it is not based on desktop Windows. Since Windows 95 , most Windows versions have used the same user interface that included the Start menu , a taskbar on the edge of the screen and a desktop, as well as overlapping or full screen windows with controls in their top right.

The final version of the product with the version number of 1. Windows 1. The first versions of Windows used the MS-DOS Executive , which was a simple file manager, as a shell, which is generally the first application ran on startup providing the user experience.

Three minor updates were released in the two following years adding support for more hardware. A major update called Windows 2. In later revisions of the Windows 2. Windows 3. The new features included a revamped user experience consisting of the Program Manager , which allowed easy management of installed applications.

A new File Manager was also included to replace the former shell, which was now deprecated. The previously separate and editions of Windows were unified into one version with the ability to operate in three different modes according to the hardware configuration:.

A major update dubbed Windows 3. The user interface was refreshed in this release, including new, more vivid icons. It was accompanied by Windows for Workgroups 3. An add-on pack named Win32s was also introduced in , which allowed Windows 3. The last minor update to the series, Windows for Workgroups 3. The new operating system intended to be a preemptive multitasking system with multiprocessing support.

The design included a portable kernel with executive services layered on top of a hardware abstraction layer, and multiple environmental subsystems running in user mode offering support for multiple APIs. Initially, NT was developed for the Intel i processor, partially to ensure portability by preventing programmers from introducing xspecific paradigms into code. When the team learned about the disappointing performance of the i, the operating system was ported to the i and MIPS architectures.

Following the success of Windows 3. The change was first announced in January with the new operating system initially being called Advanced Windows.

User interface was added to Windows NT in the first half of , with network support following during summer. The first prototype version was shipped to selected partners in September and the new operating system was publicly demonstrated for the first time at Fall COMDEX in October. Windows NT 3. The next minor version, Windows NT 3. Several plans for a low-end Win32 environment were considered, including a variant of the NT kernel cut down in order to run on an average Windows 3.

On 24 August , Microsoft released Windows 95 , previously known under its codename "Chicago", with a brand new user interface with a Start menu, taskbar, and the desktop, as provided by the new Windows Explorer.

Although previous versions already included certain bit components, it was the first version to be able to run most bit user applications, while it kept a great degree of compatibility with already existing bit ones.

Among other improvements in this version was the support for long filenames through an extension to the FAT16 file system. Most MS-DOS user applications were either extended with Windows code or entirely replaced with a Windows version, keeping only the ones that were required to run without Windows, e.

Alongside the new shell, Windows NT 4. The classic Windows line received a major update on 25 June with the release of Windows 98 , codenamed "Memphis". It was the first version to integrate Internet Explorer deeply into the operating system's user interface as a part of the Windows Desktop Update. A feature called Active Desktop made it even possible to set a webpage as the desktop background.

Under the hood Windows 98 introduced the new Windows Driver Model, which enabled the use of the same drivers on Windows 9x as well as on the radically different Windows NT based operating systems. It carried over the improvements made to the user interface in its NT-based counterpart, Windows Windows Me is based on Windows 98, however, access to the real mode MS-DOS was restricted in order to decrease boot time among other changes to the kernel. It was infamously known for its stability problems partially caused by the rushing of its release following the cancelation of the Neptune project.

It was replaced by Windows XP in , ending the era of classic Windows. In the late s it became more feasible to discontinue the aging Windows 9x line and release a consumer version based on Windows NT. Similar to Memphis, the user interface of Windows NT 5.

Management tools, most of which were left unchanged since the first NT release, were rewritten using the new Microsoft Management Console.

On servers, the new version brought improvements from the canceled Cairo project, such as Active Directory. Beside working on the successor of Windows NT 4. An Enterprise edition of Windows NT 4. Terminal Server Edition followed in , which introduced the Terminal Services feature, allowing remote access to Windows computers. Windows NT Embedded 4. As Windows NT 5. In , Microsoft announced that Windows NT 5.

In the end, it was released on 17 February with Internet Explorer 5. Work on Neptune begun several months before Windows was finished. The Neptune team heavily cooperated with the team working on Millennium, with the two projects sharing certain components. Development concentrated on a new task-oriented user interface called Activity Centers, which was also included in contemporary Millennium builds.

The project also toyed around with the idea of hybrid startup, later implemented in Windows 8. Neptune was canceled in early together with its business counterpart codenamed Odyssey and replaced with a new, more conservative project codenamed Whistler that would eventually become Windows XP.

Windows XP was released on 25 October and was a relatively minor update to Windows , mostly focusing on user experience and better compatibility with Windows 9x. A new theme called Luna was introduced, replacing the classic theme used in previous versions. A new login screen and fast user switching was also added, as well as better support for digital cameras, MS-DOS emulation and wireless networking.

Windows XP was originally released in Home Edition and Professional variants, with an embedded version following a few months after. Two additional editions for consumer use were introduced in , both based on the original Professional edition.

If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.

Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation. You can download Easy Recovery Essentials from here. If the hard drive is not detected properly, consider replacing the data cables, or resetting the BIOS settings to default values. Here are the steps to reset BIOS settings:. The Windows Automatic Repair may recover certain boot process related errors in some cases.

Here are the steps to access the Automatic Repair from an install disc:. The eSupport section of Sony. In BIOS, make use of the arrow keys to navigate through the screens and options, Enter key to select an option and the ESC key to exit the active window. Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.

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