Editing Windows XP (section)

===Infrastructure===
Windows XP uses [[prefetcher|prefetching]] to improve startup and application launch times.<ref name="ms-WHDC-kernel">{{cite web |url=https://www.microsoft.com/whdc/driver/kernel/XP_kernel.mspx |title=Kernel Enhancements for Windows XP |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Windows Hardware Developer Center (WHDC) |date=January 13, 2003 |access-date=August 8, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307105611/http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/driver/kernel/xp_kernel.mspx |archive-date=March 7, 2008 |author=<!--N/A--> }}</ref> It also became possible to revert the installation of an updated [[device driver]], should the updated driver produce undesirable results.<ref>{{cite web|title=HOW TO: Use the Driver Roll Back Feature to Restore a Previous Version of a Device Driver in Windows XP|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|url=https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=306546|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060218123843/http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=306546|archive-date=February 18, 2006|date=October 27, 2002|author=<!--N/A-->}}</ref>

A [[copy protection]] system known as [[Windows Product Activation]] was introduced with Windows XP and its server counterpart, [[Windows Server 2003]]. All non-enterprise (Volume Licensing) Windows licenses must be tied to a unique ID generated using information from the [[computer hardware]], 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.<ref name="ars-activation">{{cite web|title=Windows Product Activation: an early look|url=https://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2001/02/wpa.ars|website=Ars Technica|access-date=February 22, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205075258/http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2001/02/wpa.ars|archive-date=December 5, 2011|date=February 2, 2001|first1=Ken|last1=Fisher}}</ref>{{Clarify|reason=IIRC it took something on the level of a motherboard + CPU swap and reinstall to trigger this, and re-key was either automatic or really fast through calling the MS number. The parts that should be clarified are the number of key migrations and what hardware changes mattered.  It's currently default-set to 1001 on Windows 10 (and only triggered by full reinstalls on a new motherboard and system without importing the Windows signing keys into the bios first AFAICT).|date=November 2023}}