• Users of very old operating systems such as Windows 98 will find the fresh look of XP very appealing.business lady 4 image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com
  
  Although Microsoft no longer sells Windows XP, its loyal fan base of several hundred million people makes it one of the most widely-used operating systems. Few people today upgrade to Windows XP because it has been widely available for quite some time. But if you were slow to jump on the bandwagon and wish to upgrade from an earlier version of Windows or perhaps another operating system such as Linux, keep the following system requirements in mind.
  
  

CPU Speed

• The CPU provides brain power to the computer.cpu 1 image by Robert Molnar from Fotolia.com
  
  All versions of Windows XP require a 233 MHz CPU or faster for installation, although a processor with a higher clock speed is strongly recommended. Microsoft recommends using either an Intel or AMD CPU. Note that even though Windows XP is compatible with dual-core processors, only Windows XP Professional recognizes dual processors. Keep in mind that these requirements are for the operating system only. Third-party software such as virus protection, games and productivity software typically require more processing power. Most Windows XP systems have processors ranging from 1 GHz to 3.8 GHz in speed.
  
  

System Memory

• Adding memory to your computer is an inexpensive upgrade that provides a big performance boost.ram 3 image by PeteG from Fotolia.com
  
  At least 64 MB of memory is required to upgrade to Windows XP. Microsoft recommends at least 128 MB and many applications require much more. Most IT professionals recommend your computer have 512 MB to 1 GB of RAM to get the best performance possible.
  
  

Hard Drive Space

• Windows XP takes up more room than older operating systems, so a hard drive upgrade may be necessary.hard drive interior image by Curtis Sorrentino from Fotolia.com
  
  Windows XP needs at least 1.5 GB of free hard drive space. To obtain the best user experience possible, you should have much more space available. Think about how much room you will need for software, movies, photos, games and the like. Most Windows XP computers have hard drives ranging from 40 GB to 500 GB in size. Windows requires a certain amount of free space to run at top speed and certain features may be unavailable if the hard disk is low on space.
  
  

Other Requirements

• Even if your computer is 15 years old, it probably still has a keyboard and mouse.mouse,glasses and keyboard image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
  
  A number of other miscellaneous requirements exist for running Windows XP. These include a video card (capable of displaying a 800 x 600 resolution or higher picture), keyboard, pointing device such as a mouse and a monitor. Older operating systems such as Windows 98 used to be available on floppy disk, but Windows XP requires a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. This may be a problem for users of netbooks lacking optical drives.