Windows XP Minimum Requirements and Upgrade Paths

Minimum Requirements to run Windows XP

PC with 300 megahertz (MHz)
128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended
1.5 gigabyte (GB) of available hard disk space.1

Windows XP Upgrade Paths

Winn98 and WinME will upgrade to WinXP home or PRO

NT4, 2000 Pro and XP Home will upgrade to XP Pro

 

 

XP Home vs. XP Professional

Remote Desktop, a feature found only in Windows XP Professional, lets you set up your computer for connection from any other Windows-based computer. 

Windows XP Professional is best for people who connect to large networks, such as a school or office network, since it allows you to join and be managed by a Windows domain. More about joining networks. 
 
Do you need to protect sensitive data in files and folders that are stored on your computer?
The Encrypting File System (EFS), found in Windows XP Professional but not Windows XP Home Edition, 
 
Do you need the ability to completely restore your system in the event of a catastrophic failure?
Windows XP Professional provides more robust options for backing up and restoring data than Home Edition
 
Windows XP Professional contains a number of incremental features too numerous to list here. Suffice it to say, users who demand the most from their computers will want to "go Pro." Some additional features found only in Windows XP Professional are: •Advanced networking for multiple PC environments
•Internet Information Services (IIS), a Windows XP Professional feature that lets you host and manage personal Web sites
•Support for multiple-processor systems
•Support for multiple languages


Upgrade paths for Windows 2000:

Microsoft Windows 95/Microsoft Windows 98/Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition will upgrade to:
Windows 2000 Professional Retail (Full) Version
Windows 2000 Professional Upgrade Version

Microsoft Windows NT 3.51/4.0 Workstation will upgrade to:
Windows 2000 Professional Retail (Full) Version
Windows 2000 Professional Upgrade Version

Windows 2000 Professional will upgrade to:
Windows 2000 Professional Retail (Full) Version
Windows 2000 Professional Upgrade Version

Windows NT 3.51 Server will upgrade to:
Windows 2000 Server Retail (Full) Version
Windows 2000 Server Upgrade Version
Windows 2000 Advanced Server Retail (Full) Version
 
Windows NT 4.0 Server will upgrade to:
Windows 2000 Server Retail (Full) Version
Windows 2000 Server Upgrade Version
Windows 2000 Advanced Server Retail (Full) Version

Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server will upgrade to:
Windows 2000 Server Retail (Full) Version
Windows 2000 Server Upgrade Version
Windows 2000 Advanced Server Retail (Full) Version

Windows NT 4.0 Enterprise Edition will upgrade to:
Windows 2000 Advanced Server Retail (Full) Version
Windows 2000 Advanced Server Upgrade Version