The Hardware Compatibility List (HCL)

Along with meeting the minimum requirements, your hardware should appear on the Hardware

Compatibility List (HCL). The HCL is an extensive list of computers and peripheral hardware that

have been tested with the Windows XP Professional operating system.

The Windows XP Professional operating system requires control of the hardware for

stability, efficiency, and security. The hardware and supported drivers on the HCL have

been put through rigorous tests to ensure their compatibility with Windows XP Professional.

Microsoft guarantees that the items on the list meet the requirements for Windows XP and do

not have any incompatibilities that could affect the stability of the operating system.

If you call Microsoft for support, the first thing a Microsoft support engineer will ask about

is your configuration. If you have any hardware that is not on the HCL, you won’t be able to

get support from Microsoft.

To determine if your computer and peripherals are on the HCL, check the most up-to-date

list