• • • Windows XP (codenamed Whistler) is a that was produced by as part of the family of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and broadly released for retail sale on October 25, 2001. Development of Windows XP began in the late 1990s as ', an operating system built on the which was intended specifically for mainstream consumer use. An updated version of was also originally planned for the business market; however, in January 2000, both projects were shelved in favor of a single OS codenamed 'Whistler', which would serve as a single OS platform for both consumer and business markets. Windows XP was a major advance from the versions of in security, stability and efficiency due to its use of Windows NT underpinnings. It introduced a significantly redesigned and was the first version of Windows to use in an effort to reduce its.

Upon its release, Windows XP received generally positive reviews, with critics noting increased performance and overall stability (especially in comparison to ), a more intuitive user interface, improved hardware support, and its expanded multimedia capabilities. Despite some initial concerns over the new licensing model and product activation system, Windows XP eventually proved to be popular and widely used. It is estimated that at least 400 million copies of Windows XP were sold globally within its first five years of availability, and at least one billion copies were sold by April 2014.

Sales of Windows XP licenses to (OEMs) ceased on June 30, 2008, but continued for until October 2010. Extended support for Windows XP ended on April 8, 2014, after which the operating system to most users.

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As of August 2017, Windows XP desktop market share makes it the fourth most popular Windows version after Windows 7, Windows 10 and Windows 8.1. Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Development [ ] 'Neptune' and 'Odyssey' [ ] 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, and ', which was reportedly a consumer-oriented operating system using the architecture, succeeding the -based.

Based on the NT 5.0 kernel in Windows 2000, Neptune primarily focused on offering a simplified, task-based interface based on a concept known internally as 'activity centers', originally planned to be implemented in Windows 98. A number of activity centers were planned, serving as hubs for email communications, playing music, managing or viewing photos, searching the Internet, and viewing recently used content. A single build of Neptune, 5111 (which still carried the branding of Windows 2000 in places), revealed early work on the activity center concept, with an updated user account interface and graphical login screen, common functions (such as recently used programs) being accessible from a customizable 'Starting Places' page (which could be used as either a separate window, or a full-screen desktop replacement). However, the project proved to be. Microsoft discussed a plan to delay Neptune in favor of an interim OS known as 'Asteroid', which would have been an update to Windows 2000 (Windows NT 5.0), and have a consumer-oriented version. At the conference on April 7, 1999, announced an updated version of Windows 98 known as, breaking a promise made by Microsoft CEO in 1998 that Windows 98 would be the final consumer-oriented version of Windows to use the MS-DOS architecture.

Concepts introduced by Neptune would influence future Windows products; in Windows ME, the activity center concept was used for and (which both combined code with an interface rendered using 's ), the hub concept would be expanded on, and would similarly use a simplified user interface running atop the existing. 'Whistler' [ ] In January 2000, shortly prior to the official release of Windows 2000, technology writer reported that Microsoft had shelved both Neptune and Odyssey in favor of a new product codenamed Whistler, after, as many Microsoft employees skied at the ski resort. 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'.

At WinHEC in April 2000, Microsoft officially announced and presented an early build of Whistler, focusing on a new modularized architecture, built-in,, and updated versions of the digital media features introduced by ME. Windows general manager Carl Stork stated that Whistler would be released in both consumer- and business-oriented versions built atop the same architecture, and that there were plans to update the Windows interface to make it 'warmer and more friendly'. In June 2000, Microsoft began the technical beta testing process. Whistler was expected to be made available in 'Personal', 'Professional', 'Server', 'Advanced Server', and 'Datacenter' editions. At on July 13, 2000, Microsoft announced that Whistler would be released during the second half of 2001, and also released the first preview build, 2250.

The build notably introduced an early version of a new visual styles system along with an interim theme known as 'Professional' (later renamed 'Watercolor'), and contained a hidden 'Start page' (a full-screen page similar to Neptune's 'Starting Places'), and a hidden, early version of a two-column design. Build 2257 featured further refinements to the Watercolor theme, along with the official introduction of the two-column Start menu, and the addition of an early version of. Beta versions [ ] Microsoft released Whistler Beta 1, build 2296, on October 31, 2000. In January 2001, build 2410 introduced (previously branded as 5.6) and the system. Bill Gates dedicated a portion of his keynote at to discuss Whistler, explaining that the OS would bring '[the] dependability of our highest end corporate desktop, and total dependability, to the home,' and also 'move it in the direction of making it very consumer-oriented.

Making it very friendly for the home user to use.' Alongside Beta 1, it was also announced that Microsoft would prioritize the release of the consumer-oriented versions of Whistler over the in order to gauge reaction, but that they would be both generally available during the second half of 2001 (Whistler Server would ultimately be delayed into 2003). Builds 2416 and 2419 added the and began to introduce elements of the operating system's final appearance (such as its near-final design, and the addition of new default wallpapers, such as ). On February 5, 2001, Microsoft officially announced that Whistler would be known as Windows XP, where XP stands for 'experience'. As a complement, the next version of was also announced as.

Microsoft stated that the name '[symbolizes] the rich and extended user experiences Windows and Office can offer by embracing Web services that span a broad range of devices.' In a press event at in on February 13, 2001, Microsoft publicly unveiled the new 'Luna' user interface of Windows XP. Windows XP Beta 2, build 2462a (which among other improvements, introduced the Luna style), was launched at WinHEC on March 25, 2001. In April 2001, Microsoft controversially announced that XP would not integrate support for or on launch, requiring the use of third-party drivers. Critics felt that in the case of the latter, Microsoft's decision had delivered a potential blow to the adoption of USB 2.0, as XP was to provide support for the competing, -developed, standard instead. A representative stated that the company had '[recognized] the importance of USB 2.0 as a newly emerging standard and is evaluating the best mechanism for making it available to Windows XP users after the initial release.' The builds prior to and following Release Candidate 1 (build 2505, released on July 5, 2001), and Release Candidate 2 (build 2526, released on July 27, 2001), focused on fixing bugs, acknowledging user feedback, and other final tweaks before the RTM build.

Release [ ] In June 2001, Microsoft indicated that it was planning to, in conjunction with and other PC makers, spend at least 1 billion on marketing and promoting Windows XP. 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 due to sensitivity issues in the wake of the. A prominent aspect of Microsoft's campaign was a U.S. Television commercial featuring 's song '; a Microsoft spokesperson stated that the song was chosen due to its optimistic tone and how it complemented the overall theme of the campaign. On August 24, 2001, Windows XP build 2600 was.

During a ceremonial media event at, copies of the RTM build were given to representatives of several major PC manufacturers in, who then flew off on decorated. 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' and 'Professional'. New and updated features [ ]. Updated start menu, now featuring two columns While retaining some similarities to previous versions, Windows XP's interface was overhauled with a new visual appearance, with an increased use of effects,, and ', which completely change 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, a new system designed to improve the appearance of fonts on. A new set of system icons was also introduced.

The default wallpaper,, is a photo of a landscape in the outside, with rolling green hills and a blue sky with and. The Start menu received its first major overhaul on 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 can now group windows opened by a single application into one taskbar button, with a listing the individual windows. The notification area also hides 'inactive' icons by default. The taskbar can also be 'locked' to prevent accidental moving or other changes.

A 'common tasks' list was added, and '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 (i.e. A folder with music displays offers to play all the files in the folder, or burn them to a CD). The 'task grouping' feature introduced in Windows XP showing both grouped and individual items Fast user switching allows additional users to log into a Windows XP machine without existing users having to close their programs and logging 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 regained control of the console. Infrastructure [ ] Windows XP uses to improve startup and application launch times. It also became possible to revert the installation of an updated, should the updated driver produce undesirable results.

Numerous improvements were also made to system administration tools such as,,,,,,,,,, and. [ ] Windows XP introduced a system known as. All Windows licenses must be tied to a unique ID generated using information from the, transmitted either via the internet or a telephone hotline. If Windows is not activated within 30 days of installation, the OS will cease to function until it is activated.

Windows also periodically verifies the hardware to check for changes. If significant hardware changes are detected, the activation is voided, and Windows must be re-activated. Networking and internet functionality [ ] Windows XP was originally bundled with, 6,, and. New networking features were also added, including Internet Connection Firewall, integration with UPnP, NAT traversal APIs, Quality of Service features, IPv6 and Teredo tunneling,, extended fax features, network bridging, peer to peer networking, support for most modems, () connections with and roaming,, and networking over FireWire. And were also added, which allow users to connect to a computer running Windows XP from across a network or the and access their applications, files, printers, and devices or request help.

Improvements were also made to IntelliMirror features such as, and. Other features [ ] • 8.1 upgradeable to DirectX 9.0c • A number of new features in including task panes, tiles and filmstrip views, improved sorting and grouping, searching by document categories, customizable infotips, built-in CD burning,, Simple File Sharing and WebDAV mini-redirector • Improved imaging features such as Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, improved image handling and thumbnail caching in Explorer • A number of kernel enhancements and power management improvements • Faster start-up, (due to improved functions) logon, logoff, and application launch sequences. • Numerous improvements to increase the system reliability such as improved,, and driver reliability • Hardware support improvements such as 2.0 (with Service Pack 1), 800,,, DualView for multi-monitors and audio improvements • • The font rendering mechanism, which is designed to improve text readability on (LCD) and similar monitors, especially laptops. • and • Improved media features in Windows Media format runtime,,, TV/video capture and playback technologies, and introduction of • General improvements to international support such as more locales, languages and scripts, support in Terminal Services, improved IMEs and National Language Support, • Improved and compared to Windows 2000 • Updated accessories and games • Native support for ZIP files (compressed folders) Removed features [ ]. Main article: Some of the programs and features that were part of the previous versions of Windows did not make it to Windows XP.,, and are replaced with,, and Windows shell. And are and are not installed by default. And network protocols are removed.

Crack Factorytalk View Studio 7 0. Communication devices (like and ) are no longer supported. And also remove features from Windows XP but to a less noticeable extent. For instance, and support for connections are removed in Service Pack 2.

The logo and the address bar on the taskbar are removed in Service Pack 3. Editions [ ]. Diagram representing the main editions of Windows XP. It is based on the category of the edition (grey) and codebase (black arrow). Windows XP was released in two major editions on launch: Home Edition and Professional Edition. Both editions were made available at retail as pre-loaded software on new computers, and in boxed copies.

Boxed copies were sold as 'Upgrade' or 'Full' licenses; the 'Upgrade' versions were slightly cheaper, but require an existing version of Windows to install. The 'Full' version can be installed on systems without an operating system or existing version of Windows. Both versions of XP were aimed towards different markets: Home Edition is explicitly intended for consumer use and disables or removes certain advanced and enterprise-oriented features present on Professional, such as the ability to join a,, and. Windows 98 or ME can be upgraded to either version, but and Windows 2000 can only be upgraded to Professional. Windows' for pre-loaded licenses allows the software to be 'returned' to the OEM for a refund if the user does not wish to use it.

Despite the refusal of some manufacturers to honor the entitlement, it has been enforced by courts in some countries. Two specialized variants of XP were introduced in 2002 for certain types of hardware, exclusively through channels as pre-loaded software. Was initially designed for high-end with (marketed under the term 'Media Center PC'), offering expanded multimedia functionality, an, and (DVR) support through the application. Microsoft also unveiled, which contains additional features, and is optimized for mobile devices meeting its specifications. Two different editions of XP were made available; the first, Windows XP 64-Bit Edition, was intended for () systems; as IA-64 usage declined on workstations in favor of 's architecture (which was supported by the later Windows XP Professional x64 Edition), the Itanium version was discontinued in 2005. Microsoft also targeted with the 2004 introduction of, a special variant of Home Edition intended for low-cost PC's. The OS is primarily aimed at first-time computer owners, containing heavy (including wallpapers and screen savers incorporating images of local landmarks), and a 'My Support' area which contains video tutorials on basic computing tasks.

It also removes certain 'complex' features, and does not allow users to run more than three applications at a time. After a pilot program in and, Starter was released in other emerging markets throughout 2005. In 2006, Microsoft also unveiled the initiative, which would also target emerging markets with PCs on a pre-paid, subscription basis.

As the result of lawsuits in and, which both alleged that Microsoft had improperly leveraged its status in the PC market to favor its own bundled software, Microsoft was ordered to release special versions of XP in these markets that excluded certain applications. In March 2004, after the Microsoft €497 million (US$603 million), Microsoft was ordered to release 'N' versions of XP that excluded Windows Media Player, encouraging users to pick and download their own software.

As it was sold at the same price as the version with Windows Media Player included, certain OEMs (such as, who offered it for a short period, along with, and ) chose not to offer it. Consumer interest was minuscule, with roughly 1,500 units shipped to, and no reported sales to consumers. In December 2005, the ordered Microsoft to make available editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 that do not contain Windows Media Player or Windows Messenger. The 'K' and 'KN' editions of Windows XP were released in August 2006, and are only available in English and Korean, and also contain links to third-party and media player software. Service packs [ ] A is cumulative update package that is a superset of all updates, and even service packs, that have been released before it. Three service packs have been released for Windows XP. Service Pack 3 is slightly different, in that it needs at least Service Pack 1 to have been installed, in order to update a live OS.

However, Service Pack 3 can still be; SP1 is not reported as a prerequisite for doing so. Service Pack 1 [ ] Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows XP was released on September 9, 2002. It contained over 300 minor, post-RTM bug fixes, along with all security patches released since the original release of XP.

SP1 also added USB 2.0 support,, support, and support for technologies used by the then-upcoming Media Center and Tablet PC editions of XP. The most significant change on SP1 was the addition of Set Program Access and Defaults, a settings page which allows programs to be set as default for certain types of activities (such as media players or web browsers) and for access to bundled, Microsoft programs (such as Internet Explorer or Windows Media Player) to be disabled. This feature was added to comply with the settlement of, which required Microsoft to offer the ability for OEMs to bundle third-party competitors to software it bundles with Windows (such as and ), and give them the same level of prominence as those normally bundled with the OS. On February 3, 2003, Microsoft released Service Pack 1a (SP1a). It is the same as SP1, except Microsoft Java Virtual Machine is removed. Service Pack 2 [ ]. Was added in Service Pack 2.

Service Pack 2 (SP2) was released on August 25, 2004, SP2 added new functionality to Windows XP, such as encryption compatibility and improved Wi-Fi support (with a wizard utility), a blocker for Internet Explorer 6, and partial support. Service Pack 2 also added new security enhancements (codenamed 'Springboard'), which included a major revision to the included firewall (renamed Windows Firewall, and now enabled by default), gained hardware support in the that can stop some forms of buffer overflow attacks. Support is removed (which supposedly limits the damage done by ) and the (which had been abused to cause pop-up advertisements to be displayed as system messages without a web browser or any additional software) became disabled by default. Additionally, security-related improvements were made to e-mail and web browsing. Service Pack 2 also added, an interface which provides a general overview of the system's security status, including the state of the firewall and automatic updates. Third-party firewall and can also be monitored from Security Center.

In August 2006, Microsoft released updated installation media for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 SP2 (SP2b), in order to incorporate a patch requiring controls in Internet Explorer to be manually activated before a user may interact with them. This was done so that the browser would not violate a owned.

Microsoft has since licensed the patent, and released a patch reverting the change in April 2008. In September 2007, another minor revision known as SP2c was released for XP Professional, extending the number of available for the operating system to 'support the continued availability of Windows XP Professional through the scheduled system builder channel end-of-life (EOL) date of January 31, 2009.'

Service Pack 3 [ ] Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) was released to manufacturing on April 21, 2008, and to the public via both the Microsoft Download Center and on May 6, 2008. It began being automatically pushed out to Automatic Updates users on July 10, 2008. A feature set overview which details new features available separately as stand-alone updates to Windows XP, as well as features from Windows Vista, has been posted by Microsoft. A total of 1,174 fixes are included in SP3. Service Pack 3 can be installed on systems with Internet Explorer versions 6, 7, or 8.

Internet Explorer 7 is not included as part of SP3. Service Pack 3 is not available for the 64 bit version of Windows XP, which is based on the Windows Server 2003 kernel. New features in Service Pack 3 [ ] • NX APIs for application developers to enable for their code, independent of system-wide compatibility enforcement settings • Turns detection on by default. • Support for signatures in certificates • client • support for IEEE authentication for • Credential • Descriptive Security options in /Local Security Policy user interface • An updated version of the Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider Module (RSAENH) that is certified (SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 algorithms.

• Even though this is Microsoft's stated minimum processor speed for Windows XP, it is possible to install and run the operating system on early processors such as a without instructions. Windows XP is not compatible with processors older than Pentium (such as 486) because it requires CMPXCHG8B instructions. • A Microsoft TechNet paper from Summer 2001 (before Windows XP's actual release), states that: 'A computer with 64 MB of RAM will have sufficient resources to run Windows XP and a few applications with moderate memory requirements.' (Emphasis added.) These were said to be office productivity applications, e-mail programs, and web browsers (of the time). With such a configuration, user interface enhancements and fast user switching are turned off by default. For comparable workloads, 64 MB of RAM was then regarded as providing an equal or better user experience on Windows XP with similar settings than it would with on the same hardware.

In a later section of the paper, superior performance over Windows ME was noted with 128 MB of RAM or more, and with computers that exceed the minimum hardware requirements. Physical memory limits [ ] The maximum amount of RAM that Windows XP can support varies depending on the product edition and the processor architecture, as shown in the following table. Physical memory limits of Windows XP Edition Maximum Starter 512 MB Home 4 GB Media Center Tablet PC Professional 128 GB (Itanium) Processor limits [ ] Windows XP Professional supports up to two physical processors (CPU sockets); Windows XP Home Edition is limited to one.

Windows XP supports a greater number of logical processors. A logical processor is either: 1) One of the two handlers of threads of instructions in one of the cores of a physical processor with support for present and enabled; or 2) one of the cores of one of the physical processors without enabled support for hyper-threading. Windows XP 32-bit editions support up to 32 logical processors; 64-bit editions support up to 64 logical processors. Support lifecycle [ ] Support status summary Expiration date Mainstream support April 14, 2009 ( 2009-04-14) Extended support April 8, 2014 ( 2014-04-08) Applicable: Home Edition, Professional Edition,, Professional for Embedded Systems, (all), Starter Edition, Tablet PC Edition and Tablet PC Edition 2005, as well as.

Exceptions Mainstream support ended on January 11, 2011. Extended support ended on January 12, 2016. Mainstream support ended on April 12, 2011 Extended support ended on April 12, 2016 Mainstream support ended on January 14, 2014.

Extended support ends on January 8, 2019. Mainstream support ended on April 8, 2014.

Extended support ends on April 9, 2019. Support for Windows XP without a service pack ended on September 30, 2005. Windows XP Service Packs 1 and 1a were retired on October 10, 2006, and Windows XP Service Pack 2 reached end of support on July 13, 2010, almost six years after its general availability. The company stopped general licensing of Windows XP to OEMs and terminated retail sales of the operating system on June 30, 2008, 17 months after the release of Windows Vista.

However, an exception was announced on April 3, 2008, for OEMs producing what it defined as 'ultra low-cost personal computers', particularly, until one year after the availability of (October 22, 2010). Analysts felt that the move was primarily intended to compete against -based netbooks, although Microsoft's Kevin Hutz stated that the decision was due to apparent market demand for low-end computers with Windows. Variants of Windows XP for have different support policies: Windows XP Embedded SP3 and Windows Embedded for Point of Service SP3 were supported until January and April 2016, respectively. And continue to receive Extended support through January and April 2019, respectively. End of support [ ] On April 14, 2009, Windows XP exited mainstream support and entered the Extended support phase; Microsoft continued to provide security updates every month for Windows XP; however, free technical support, warranty claims, and design changes were no longer being offered. Extended support ended on April 8, 2014, over 12 years since the release of XP; normally Microsoft products have a support life cycle of only 10 years. Beyond the final security updates released on April 8, no more security patches or support information are provided for XP free-of-charge; 'critical patches' will still be created, and made available only to customers subscribing to a paid 'Custom Support' plan.

As it is a Windows component, all versions of Internet Explorer for Windows XP also became unsupported. In January 2014, it was estimated that more than 95% of the 3 million in the world were still running Windows XP (which largely replaced 's as the predominant operating system on ATMs); ATMs have an average lifecycle of between seven and ten years, but some have had lifecycles as long as 15. Plans were being made by several ATM vendors and their customers to migrate to Windows 7-based systems over the course of 2014, while vendors have also considered the possibility of using Linux-based platforms in the future to give them more flexibility for support lifecycles, and the has since endorsed as a further replacement.

However, ATMs typically run the embedded variant of Windows XP, which was supported through January 2016. As of May 2017, around 60% of the 220,000 ATMs in India still run Windows XP. As of January 2014, at least 49% of all computers in still ran XP. These holdouts have been influenced by several factors; prices of genuine copies of Windows in the country are high, while Ni Guangnan of the warned that Windows 8 could allegedly expose users to, and the would ban the purchase of Windows 8 products for government use in May 2014 in protest of Microsoft's inability to provide 'guaranteed' support. The government also had concerns that the impending end of support could affect their initiatives with Microsoft, as users would simply pirate newer versions rather than purchasing them legally. As such, government officials formally requested that Microsoft extend the support period for XP for these reasons.

While Microsoft did not comply with their requests, a number of major Chinese software developers, such as Lenovo, and, will provide free support and resources for Chinese users migrating from XP. Several governments, in particular the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, elected to negotiate 'Custom Support' plans with Microsoft for their continued, internal use of Windows XP; the British government's deal lasts for a year, and also covers support for (which reached end-of-life the same day) and cost 5.5 million. On March 8, 2014, Microsoft deployed an update for XP that, on the 8th of each month, displays a pop-up notification to remind users about the end of support; however, these notifications may be disabled by the user. Microsoft also partnered with Laplink to provide a special 'express' version of its software to help users migrate files and settings from XP to a computer with a newer version of Windows. An running on Windows XP. The medical industry continues to utilise Windows XP, partly due to medical applications being incompatible with later versions of Windows.

Despite the approaching end of support, there were still notable holdouts that had not migrated past XP; many users elected to remain on XP because of the poor reception of, sales of newer PCs with newer versions of Windows declined due to the and the effects of Vista, and deployments of new versions of Windows in enterprise environments require a large amount of planning, which includes testing applications for compatibility (especially those that are dependent on Internet Explorer 6, which is not compatible with newer versions of Windows). Major security software vendors (including Microsoft itself) planned to continue offering support and definitions for Windows XP past the end of support to varying extents, along with the developers of,, and web browsers; despite these measures, critics similarly argued that users should eventually migrate from XP to a supported platform. Microsoft continued to provide and updates for its (MSRT) for XP until July 14, 2015. As the end of extended support approached, Microsoft began to increasingly urge XP customers to migrate to newer versions such as Windows 7 or 8 in the interest of security, suggesting that attackers could security patches for newer versions of Windows and use them to target equivalent vulnerabilities in XP. Windows XP is by numerous security holes that were discovered after Microsoft stopped supporting it.

Similarly specialized devices that run XP, particularly, must have any revisions to their software—even security updates for the underlying operating system—approved by relevant regulators before they can be released. For the same reason, manufacturers of medical devices had historically refused to provide, or even allow the installation of any Windows updates for these devices, leaving them open to security exploits and malware. Despite the end of support for Windows XP, Microsoft has released two emergency security patches for the operating system to patch major security vulnerabilities: • A patch released May 2014 to address recently discovered vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer 6 through 11 on all versions of Windows. • A patch released May 2017 to address a vulnerability that was being leveraged by the.

Reception [ ] On release, Windows XP received mostly positive reviews. Described the operating system as being 'worth the hype', considering the new interface to be 'spiffier' and more intuitive than previous versions, but feeling that it may 'annoy' experienced users with its 'hand-holding'. XP's expanded multimedia support and CD burning functionality was also noted, along with its streamlined networking tools.

The performance improvements of XP in comparison to 2000 and ME were also praised, along with its increased number of built-in device drivers in comparison to 2000. The software compatibility tools were also praised, although it was noted that some programs, particularly older MS-DOS software, may not work correctly on XP due to its differing architecture. They panned Windows XP's new licensing model and product activation system, considering it to be a 'slightly annoying roadblock', but acknowledged Microsoft's intent for the changes. Provided similar praise, although noting that a number of its online features were designed to promote Microsoft-owned services, and that aside from quicker boot times, XP's overall performance showed little difference over Windows 2000. Market share [ ].

See also: According to data generated by, Windows XP was the most widely used operating system until August 2012, when Windows 7 overtook it. In January 2014, Net Applications reported a market share of 29.23% of 'desktop operating systems' for XP (when XP was introduced there was not a separate mobile category to track), while reported a share of 11.0%. According to web analytics data generated by StatOwl, Windows XP had a 27.82% market share as of November 2012, having dropped to second place in October 2011. According to web analytics data generated by W3Schools, from September 2003 to July 2011, Windows XP was the most widely used operating system for accessing the w3schools website, which they claim is consistent with statistics from other websites. As of August 2015, Windows XP market share was at 3.6% after having peaked at 76.1% in January 2007.

Download SweetFX Shader Suite Download Version 1.5.1 - SweetFX is a universal image improvement and tweaking mod, that works with almost any 32-bit DirectX 9, 10 or 11 game or application. This software is made by Guru3D's own and as will be supported here on Guru3D.com to the fullest extend. The goal of this software is to provide similar tools to games in realtime, as video processing software provides for movies and videos. You will need some technical grasp to be able to work with this software though.

As such we recommend you to read the information below carefully. This is the download mirror for SweetFX - Current version is 1.5 I'll be posting and you can discuss SweetFX and share settings here too (use the code tag and optionally the spoiler tag when posting settings). We are also very happy to see your screenshots but try not to post full size screenshots as they break the forum format. Post images no wider than 1024 pixels that link to the full size screenshots instead.

If you post a lot you may also consider using the spoiler tag. News and links There is a great SweetFX Borderlands 2 specific guide on youtube by TheAdipose. So if you have trouble figuring out the instructions in the SweetFX readme, maybe seeing it being used and configured will help.

He's just making started a series of new guides for SweetFX: Part One - what is sweetfx? Part two - your first tweaks Terrasque have made a GUI tool that makes it easier to install and configure SweetFX. He calls it SweetFX Configurator Those of you with an AMD card will be happy to learn that the latest RadeonPro beta now supports SweetFX and can run all the effects without relying on the InjectSMAA injector. This makes it easy to use with RadeonPros many other cool features, but most importantly this also works with 64bit executables, which the InjectSMAA injector that SweetFX currently ships with does not. It is however an AMD only tool otherwise I would probably have chosen to it as the default injector I develop SweetFX for. So in case you're new to SweetFX Shader Suite (or just SweetFX), it's a mod built on the InjectSMAA shader injector, that allows you to apply a suite of post processing shader effects to your games. You may have tried another shader injection mod before, like InjectFXAA, InjectSMAA or FXAAtool.

SweetFX improves upon all of these. You can add SMAA anti-aliasing, sharpening and tweak the color, gamma, exposure and more. It's meant to allow you to improve the look of your games and change the look and mood of it to your liking.

If you use SMAA antialiasing instead of MSAA or an even more expensive antialaliasing technique you can also make the game run faster (than with MSAA) Skyrim with mods/ENB Skyrim with mods/ENB + SweetFX. Compatibility It works with all graphics cards as long as they support at least shader model 3. That's all cards produced after 2002 (give or take). It does not work with 64bit game executables yet, however 64bit support should be coming in the near future - so far use the 32bit version of your game if it gives you a choice between 32 and 64bit. It should work on Windows 2000 and newer, both 32bit and 64bit. So far tested working on WinXP, Vista, Win7 and Windows 8. It may work on Linux using Wine - please report your findings.

It does not work well with most programs that overlay an image onto the game. It has a workaround for the Steam overlay so that will work, and you can make overlays based on Rivatuner OSD work as well with a compability setting in those overlays, but other overlays may prevent SweetFX from making changes to the image or outright crash the game - turn those off. Version 1.5 SweetFX is a universal image improvement and tweaking mod, that works with almost any 32bit (and hopefully soon 64bit) DirectX 9, 10 or 11 game or application. It's goal is provide similar tools to games in realtime, as video processing software provides for movies and videos. It runs on all Windows versions from Windows 2000 and up.

Both 32bit and 64bit. It works perfectly with all cards that can run DirectX9 games and support shader model 3. (that's all cards since the Ati Radeon X1xxx and Nvidia Geforce 6xxx series) Some of the effects will even work on cards so old that they can only run shader model 2. (Ati Radeon 9xxx to X8xx series and the GeForce FX 5xxx series) - there is a compability setting that enables support for these really old cards in /SweetFX/SweetFX_compatibility_settings.txt Effects included: * SMAA Anti-aliasing: Anti-aliases the image using the SMAA technique - see * FXAA Anti-aliasing: Anti-aliases the image using the FXAA technique - currently only work under DirectX9. Use the d3d9.dll found in SweetFX dlls FXAA DX9 dll for this. * Explosion: Scatters the pixels similarly to the Explosion filter in Irfanview * Cartoon: Creates an outline-effect that makes the image look more cartoonish. * Advanced CRT: Mimics the look of an old arcade CRT display.

* LumaSharpen: Sharpens the image, making details easier to see * Bloom: Makes strong lights bleed their light into their surroundings * HDR: Mimics an HDR tonemapped look * Levels: Sets a new black and white point. A fast and easy way to increase contrast but it causes clipping. The Curves effect does this in a more subtle way without causing clipping. * Technicolor: Makes the image look like it was processed using a three-strip Technicolor process - see * Cineon DPX: Makes the image look like it was converted from film to Cineon DPX. Can be used to create a 'sunny' look. * Monochrome: Removes colors from the image so it appears as if shot on black and white film. * Lift Gamma Gain: Adjust brightness and color of shadows, midtones and highlights (and typically does it better then the Tonemap effect) * Tonemap: Adjust gamma, exposure, saturation, bleach and defog.

(may cause clipping) * Vibrance: Intelligently saturates (or desaturates if you use negative values) the pixels depending on their original saturation. * Curves: Contrast adjustments using S-curves - without causing clipping.

* Sepia: Sepia tones the image - see * Vignette: Darkens the edges of the image to make it look more like it was shot with a camera lens. - see ) * Dither: Applies dithering to simulate more colors than your monitor can display. This lessens banding artifacts - see ) * Border: Makes the screenedge black as a workaround for the bright edge that forcing some AA modes sometimes causes.

* Splitscreen: Enables the before-and-after splitscreen comparison mode. * Custom: A template to allow other to more easily program their own shader. Just edit /SweetFX/Shaders/custom.h (some programming knowledge required). Changelog Version 1.4 Adds the Border shader as a workaround for the bright screenedge forcing certain AA modes can cause Adds the Cartoon shader that can make the image look more cartoonish Adds the Advanced CRT shader that can mimic the look of an old arcade CRT display Adds the Monochrome shader that removes the colors Adds the FXAA shader as an alternative to SMAA for the few people that still prefer it.

(only in DX9 for now though) Improved the Curves shader so it can now apply contrast to Chroma as well as Luma (as before) or both Improved the performance of formula 5 in the Curves shader (the simplified Catmull-rom spline) Improved the Dither shader with the option to use Random Dithering. Improved the Dither shader so now uses a subpixel dithering pattern. (Both when using Random or Ordered Dithering) Lowered the default SMAA threshold to 0.10 so fewer aliased lines escape processing. Fixed a bug where dark areas could on occasion appear when HDR and Lumasharpen where both activated at the same time.

The alpha channel is now cleared before outputting the image to prevent it messing with screenshots converted to png. The SweetFX settings file now include a description field to help keep track of which version the settings are for. Improved the Vignette shader to allow you to create oval shaped vignettes. Curves_formula 2 is now the default Curves formula. Includes some notes on how you can make custom shaders Version 1.3 Adds the Lift Gamma Gain shader which lets users adjust brightness and color of shadows, midtones and highlights. Adds the Curves shader which uses S-curves to adjust the contrast of the image Adds the Splitscreen shader which makes it easier to do comparison screenshots and videos. Reversed the DPX blend setting so smaller numbers now mean less effect and not more (it's more logical this way) Better default DPX settings More conservative default Vibrance settings (down from 0.20 to 0.15) All settings in the settings file now have ranges.

(preparations for an upcoming GUI) Version 1.2 Fixes a rounding problem on AMD hardware with the dither shader. Includes usermade presets - look in the SweetFX/Presets/ folder. Updated and expanded documentation. Minor speed improvements to most of the shaders. Hopefully it adds up.

Based on user feeedback default settings now use more conservative sharpening Also default settings now enable conservative Vibrance settings Slightly better default Sepia settings Vignette now more uniformly darkens all the color channels of the screen edges Adds the DPX shader - settings still need a lot of work though. Version 1.1.1 Fixes DirectX 10/11 support Version 1.1 Keymappings have changed to Printscreen, Scroll_lock and Pause Settings now use a.txt suffix which is hopefully less scary for novices Optimized the Vignette shader to run a little faster Adds the Dither shader that performs dithering of the image to help remove or reduce banding artifacts (most commonly caused by the Vignette) Fixes and improves Vibrance Accidently broke DirectX 10/11 support Version 1.0 First non-beta release. Adds SMAA, LumaSharpen, Vibrance Tweaks and improvements to HDR, Bloom, Tonemap, Sepia and Vignette SMAA is now configurable, so you can use your own settings and it even allows you to use Color Edge Detection Supports DX 9,10 and 11 and will automatically use the version the game requires without depending on the user to do anything. ( ) _ _ / `..._.... --- / ( ) / (.-' (.-' / `-' `' `' `--' `--'`-' ' ' Shader Suite by CeeJay.dk '--------------------------------------------------' - Version 1.4 SweetFX is a universal image improvement and tweaking mod, that works with almost any 32bit (and hopefully soon 64bit) DirectX 9, 10 or 11 game or application. It's goal is provide similar tools to games in realtime, as video processing software provides for movies and videos.

Effects included: * SMAA Anti-aliasing: Anti-aliases the image using the SMAA technique - see * Cartoon: Creates an outline-effect that makes the image look more cartoonish. * Advanced CRT: Mimics the look of an old arcade CRT display. * LumaSharpen: Sharpens the image, making details easier to see * Bloom: Makes strong lights bleed their light into their surroundings * HDR: Mimics an HDR tonemapped look * Technicolor: Makes the image look like it was processed using a three-strip Technicolor process - see * Cineon DPX: Makes the image look like it was converted from film to Cineon DPX. Can be used to create a 'sunny' look.

* Monochrome: Removes colors from the image so it appears as if shot on black and white film. * Lift Gamma Gain: Adjust brightness and color of shadows, midtones and highlights (avoids clipping) * Tonemap: Adjust gamma, exposure, saturation, bleach and defog. (may cause clipping) * Vibrance: Intelligently saturates (or desaturates if you use negative values) the pixels depending on their original saturation. * Curves: Contrast adjustments using S-curves.

* Sepia: Sepia tones the image - see * Vignette: Darkens the edges of the image to make it look more like it was shot with a camera lens. - see ) * Dither: Applies dithering to simulate more colors than your monitor can display.

This lessens banding artifacts - see ) * Border: Makes the screenedge black as a workaround for the bright edge that forcing some AA modes sometimes causes. * Splitscreen: Enables the before-and-after splitscreen comparison mode. You can find new releases of SweetFX in it's thread on the Guru3d forums: /*----------------------------------------------------------. / Installation / '-----------------------------------------------------------*/ 1) Extract or copy all the files into the directory of a game exe (keeping the file structure intact). The installed files are: d3d9.dll - DirectX 9 proxy dll that will inject shaders into DirectX 9 games d3d9.fx - DirectX 9 specific shader code dxgi.dll - DirectX 10/11 proxy dll that will inject shaders into DirectX 10/11 games dxgi.fx - DirectX 10/11 specific shader code shader.fx - Alternative DirectX 9 specific shader code for FXAA support. Injector.ini - Settings for the shader injector dlls - you can reconfigure the keys used in this file SweetFX readme.txt - This readme SweetFX_preset.txt - You can choose which settings file to load here - default is to load SweetFX_settings.txt SweetFX_settings.txt - SweetFX settings. Effects can be turned on and off here, and their settings can be tweaked.

SweetFX/ (directory) - The SweetFX subdirectory. - /Presets/ - Presets are stored here. - /Shaders/ - All the shaders, except d3d9.fx and dxgi.fx are stored here. - /dlls/ - Alternative DirectX proxy dlls are stored here. - /FXAA DX9 dll/ - You will need to use the FXAA DX9 dll to use FXAA. Copy it over the one in the main folder. '- /SMAA/ - The SMAA dlls if you need to return to them.

These are the same as the ones in the main folder. - /Game_Compability.txt - Can't make SweetFX work with a game? - You can find help here. '- /Making shaders.txt - A few hints on making custom shaders for SweetFX. Log.log - This logfile is not installed, but will be created when the DirectX proxy dll runs. If something goes wrong, this file will usually tell you why. Some games require special attention - You can find a list of those and instructions on how to get them working with SweetFX in SweetFX/Game_Compability.txt If you encounter a game not in the list that requires more effort to work with SweetFX, post about it in the official thread on Guru3d: 2) Install the latest DirectX update if you haven't already Last I looked it was here: (You don't need any of the other stuff Microsoft tries to push - just DirectX) /*----------------------------------------------------------.

/ Usage / '-----------------------------------------------------------*/ It will automatically run when you start the DirectX 9, 10 or 11 game that you added SweetFX to. If you want to run different game with SweetFX then you need to install to that games directory too. It does not modify any game files either on disk or in memory. Instead it uses a custom Direct3D runtime dll which the most DirectX games will call.

PRINTSCRN saves a screenshot named ScreenshotXXXX.bmp in the directory you installed SweetFX to. SCROLL_LOCK switches it ON and OFF.

It starts in ON mode. PAUSE reloads the shader files (this is useful when you need to tweak the settings while the game is running) Keys can be reconfigured in the injector.ini file.

Some keyboards (mostly on laptops) don't have a dedicated SCROLL_LOCK button, but require you to hold down the Fn button while you press another key to activate Scroll Lock. If you can't figure out the right combination just from looking at your keyboard and experimenting, then read the documentation for your keyboard or just reconfigure the keys in injector.ini /*----------------------------------------------------------. / Tweaking settings / '-----------------------------------------------------------*/ You can choose which effects to enable, and set their parameters in the SweetFX_settings.txt file - this can even be done while the game is running. 1) Switch away from your game with ALT+TAB or WIN+TAB 2) Open SweetFX_settings.txt in any text editor - fx.: Notepad (I use Notepad2) 3) Edit the settings and save. 4) Switch back to your game with ALT+TAB or WIN+TAB 5) If the game is running in fullscreen mode then it will now have reloaded the shader files and your new settings have been applied. If the game is running in Windowed mode then you need to press the PAUSE key to reload the shader files and apply your new settings. And naturally you don't have to start the game before you edit your settings.

It can be done before the game runs as well. If you find editing a text file tedious and would rather want a GUI then I know of two third-party GUIs for SweetFX: SweetFX Configurator (by Terrasque): and FlightFX ( by Laser ): /*----------------------------------------------------------. / Presets / '-----------------------------------------------------------'/ SweetFX has a preset feature. Presets are just settings files made for a specific game, series of games or a special purpose. Many (most) of these are made by the users of SweetFX. You can find a lot of them in the SweetFX Settings Database (made by Terrasque who also made the SweetFX configurator GUI) I include a few of these in /SweetFX/Presets/ as examples. They are a good start if you need help finding the settings that are just right for you.

The preset feature works like this: 1) SweetFX looks in SweetFX_preset.txt, which tells it what settings file to include (load) 2) It then includes (loads) those settings. Per default the contents of SweetFX_preset.txt is a single command: #include 'SweetFX_settings.txt' This tells SweetFX to load the settings in SweetFX_settings.txt To load different settings simply point to a preset. To use the awesome Torchlight2_TFL.txt preset by TFL that is intended to make Torchlight 2 look, darker, dirtier, grittier and all-around more 'evil' simply change the #include line to: #include 'SweetFX/Presets/Torchlight2_TFL.txt' Note that although presets are often intended for a single specific game, they can be used in any game you wish. FAQ Q: Can I use this with a OpenGL games? A: SweetFX does not currently support OpenGL but hopefully in the future it will. For now trying using the opengl wrapper mentioned in the readme. Work is being done on a new injector with OpenGL support but it's not ready yet.

Q: Does this work with 64bit games? A: Yes, Boulotaur's Injector works with 64bit exe's and so does RadeonPro. Q: Does this work with 64bit Windows?

All version of SweetFX (not just boulotaurs) work with 64bit Windows. Q: When I launch the game it crashes/doesn't start/SweetFX isn't enabled? A: Try disabling AA in-game(some games wont work with AA and SweetFX together,) if that doesn't work check the log file to see if maybe it will give you an ideal location and if not try Boulotaur's injector; if that fails post the log file information in the thread and we'll see if we can figure it out. Q: I keep getting an error when using DX11 on Win 8.1 RTM? A: The dxgi.dll needs to be updated to support some DXGI changes that Win8.1 introduced. Future versions of the injector should have Win8.1 support. You can still use DX9 games with SweetFX under Win8.1, and some DX10/11 still work on Win8.1.

RadeonPro also works. Q: Why wont Amnesia: The Dark Descent work with SweetFX? A: Amnesia is an OpenGL game which SweetFX does not support at this time. Q: Can you add support for Depth of Field or SSAO? A: Those effects require that the injector have support for a depth texture, which the InjectSMAA injector does not. Hopefully in the future, but it's not in the cards right now. #4557153 Posted on: 12:39 AM I don't know if this would help you out or not.

But I read in the last pages of the #2 thread, that you have no support yet for multi-pass. Boris Vorontsov released ENB for GTA:SA v0.076 which enables multi-pass support for shaders. After further requests, he also released 'wrapper' and 'injector' version of this ENB, to be used with many other games.

Maybe this injector could be used, so that you would finally have multi-pass support, which in-turn; would allow for better and more complex shaders? #4557355 Posted on: 09:56 AM Some comparison shots (view in fullsize) that show the difference between: If you have trouble seeing the difference try zooming in with the windows magnifier tool (press 'Win' + '+' - that's the Windows key and the plus key at the same time) In Windows 7 at least that's a hotkey combination that should always work - I'm not sure if you have the same hotkeys in Windows Vista and XP or if you have to start the program normally first. The browser zoom function doesn't work for this because it interpolates the pixels (smooths them), which is normally a good thing - just not for this purpose. #4557500 Posted on: 02:04 PM Nice i was hopping for improved colour dithering shader COD8 BlackOps2 is a mess with those banding transitions, mostly at night. I used it by 1.3 but it didnt help much, will 1.4 improve or fix this issue?

No, Dithering in SweetFX only work for changes SweetFX makes. To remove the banding that games create I would first need to create a medium to large radious blur effect and use it to blur the areas look like they could be banding, which means also writing a algorithm to detect them and THEN dither that. The dither part is done, but proper debanding also requires the others and they will be tricky to write and make fast enough.

It will be easier with multipass capability so I'm currently working on other stuff until I get that. Maybe in a future version. I don't know if this would help you out or not.

But I read in the last pages of the #2 thread, that you have no support yet for multi-pass. Boris Vorontsov released ENB for GTA:SA v0.076 which enables multi-pass support for shaders. After further requests, he also released 'wrapper' and 'injector' version of this ENB, to be used with many other games. Maybe this injector could be used, so that you would finally have multi-pass support, which in-turn; would allow for better and more complex shaders? The ENB are created for certain games specifically and have little to no official support for other games. I prefer working with an injector that has much better compatibility with games, although it currently has fewer features.

The other reason is that ENB shader code is IMO a mess, and I would have to first clear up that mess and structure it to make heads or tails of it, which is a lot of work. So while it's possible to port SweetFX to run on ENB directly I prefer not to. Here: v1.3 and v1.4 works exactly the same with Tomb Raider 2013 In short, works with that DLL, but SMAA works poorly and I can not configure the enable keys. Well it seem like a new better injector is required then. Boulousaur did mention that his injector needed more work for Tomb Raider so maybe now that SweetFX 1.4 is done I could help him - unless I decide to work on stuff for 1.5. Meanwhile I think you best bet is Boulousaurs injector and Tomb Raiders own anti-aliasing options.

Thank you, ceejay for 1.4 release. One more question. I still curious about smaa threshold parameter. What is better for this? Lower 0.10 or maximum at 0.20?

Sound stupid but i still dont know whats better. The best is the right amount (which I also wrote in the settings file) For the threshold, lower values means it detects and processes more edges.

You want it low enough to detect all the aliased edges that bother you, but not so low that it starts to pick up fine details in textures that you want preserved - also lowering the threshold also lowers performance. I think the right balance is probably between 0.08 and 0.12 depending on the game - therefore it's default is 0.10 Random seems better for me You never replied about my suggestion about using a new injector ^^ Whether it would help or not. It includes shaders for reflection, shadows, per pixel lighting, SSAO and DoF; plus there are many multi-pass shaders out there written in HLSL that could possibly be adapted for SweetFX. Well Random is better - it's also slower though. In the future I might improve the speed of Random or improve the quality of Ordered or with multipass capability I might write one that uses Error Diffusion which should have even better quality. For now Random does an extremely good job - I just wishI could make it faster.

Thanks for your continued awesome work CeeJay, I use it in all my games Have you changed any of the default settings apart from lowering the SMAA threshold compared to 1.3? I don't think so. #4557505 Posted on: 02:16 PM No, Dithering in SweetFX only work for changes SweetFX makes. To remove the banding that games create I would first need to create a medium to large radious blur effect and use it to blur the areas look like they could be banding, which means also writing a algorithm to detect them and THEN dither that. The dither part is done, but proper debanding also requires the others and they will be tricky to write and make fast enough.

It will be easier with multipass capability so I'm currently working on other stuff until I get that. Maybe in a future version. Ok thanks, I will wait a little longer and thanks for info Also good job, this tool rocks 69 pages 1 Post New Comment.