Hardware Requirements

To install Windows XP Professional successfully, your system must meet certain hardware

requirements. Table 1.1 lists the minimum requirements for an

x

86-based computer, as well

as the more realistic recommended requirements.

The minimum requirements specify the minimum hardware required before you should even

consider installing Windows XP Professional. These requirements assume that you are installing

only the operating system and not running any special services or applications. For example,

you may be able to get by with the minimum requirements if you are just installing the operating

system to learn the basics of the software.

The recommended requirements are what Microsoft suggests to achieve what would be

considered “acceptable performance” for the most common configurations. Since computer

technology and the standard for acceptable performance are constantly changing, the recommendations

are somewhat subjective. However, the recommended hardware requirements are

based on the standards at the time that Windows XP Professional was released.

Depending on the installation method you choose, other devices may be required, as

follows:

_ If you are installing Windows XP Professional from the CD, you should have at least a 12x

CD-ROM drive.

_ If you choose to install Windows XP Professional from the network, you need a network

connection and a server with the distribution files.