From ECDL.web

Windows XP has been built on the Windows 2000 program code. It is offered in different versions to the home and business users, ie. the Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional. The common tasks have been simplified and new visual clues help using the computer.

[edit] Startup and login

Start :
Microsoft Windows XP Professional may be started automatically, or may be menu-driven (eg. if multiple operating systems are installed on one computer), and depending on the user's intention, it may be:
- Normal (each service starts)
- Troubleshooting mode and other startup options (by pressing F8 during startup)

During the boot process the system loads hardware drivers and programs listed in the registry and system services start. During this process we can see the Windows boot screen.

Login :
- single user: automatic login (if the system has been installed with default settings).
- multi-user: log in with user name and password. If the computer is connected to a network, other steps may be necessary (domain name, inserting smart card etc.).

In most workplaces the computers are connected to the local network and common files, but sometimes private files, too, are stored on one or more central computers (servers). In these settings user identification and managing user and group rights are essential. For example, only a small group of users should be able to access sensitive financial data, and an even smaller group is supposed to change these data. Connencting to the computer network usually starts with logging in, ie. providing the user name and password. Passwords must be kept secret from those not allowed access. Windows does not show the password on the display screen as it is being entered but obscures it as it is typed by using asterisks (*) or bullets (•). If the password is mistyped, the user is offered to try again.

However, ther may be a security policy in force which locks the user after a number of unsuccessful login attempts. In this case the system administrator will be able to unlock our user. Most typing errors come from mistakenly pressing the Caps lock key. After entering the user name and password the login process starts with clicking on the OK button or pressing Enter on the keyboard.

Older versions of Windows, ie. Windows 95 and Windows 98 supported passwords only up to 14 characters long. Earlier versions of Unix and Windows limited passwords to an 8 character maximum. Windows XP passwords may be up to 127 characters long and may contain uppercase and lowercase letters, thus "password", "Password", "PaSsWord" and "PASSWORD" are different passwords. A secure password at least eight characters long, contains uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters, and should not contain English words (to prevent dictionary based attacks).

[edit] See also

Windows XP Professional - Start-up and login - Using the graphical user interface - Windows XP Options and Tools - File system and file management - Printing - Help - Search - Version of the operating system - Configuration and customization - DOS Prompt.