Microsoft Windows XP Pro – Retail Key (1 PC)

Windows XP Pro is the business-oriented edition of the 2001 system. Compared with the Home edition it adds domain join, incoming Remote Desktop, EFS encryption and support for two processors. This is a Retail licence for 1 PC.

Please read before ordering

Windows XP has not been maintained since 2014, and Microsoft has published no security updates for it since then. It should not be used as a main computer connected to the internet, because its known flaws are numerous and remain unpatched. We would rather say so plainly before you buy. The licence does still have a role in some specific technical situations.

Where this licence still makes sense

• Controlling machines and instruments: industrial, measurement or laboratory equipment whose control software never moved beyond XP, run on an offline workstation.
• Older business software: accounting, technical or sector-specific applications certified for XP only.
• Isolated virtual machines: an XP environment in VMware, VirtualBox or Hyper-V for testing or archiving.
• Period hardware: capture cards, serial or parallel peripherals with no modern driver.

What the Pro edition adds

• Active Directory domain join and Group Policy.
• Incoming Remote Desktop: the computer can accept connections, which the Home edition cannot.
• EFS encrypting file system: folder encryption on NTFS volumes.
• Two physical processors and 4 GB of RAM supported.

System requirements

• Processor of at least 300 MHz
• 128 MB of RAM (256 MB recommended)
• 1.5 GB of available disk space
• Super VGA display (800 x 600) or higher

Activation and delivery

The key is entered during installation. On this system, activation is generally done through Microsoft's voice service: you read out the installation ID that Windows shows and type in the confirmation ID you receive. Odin Key sends the key by e-mail within 24 hours of payment, together with the activation steps, and an official invoice is included. Support is available in English by e-mail and live chat.