| Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs | |
|---|---|
| Version of theWindows NT operating system | |
 | |
 Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs desktop, showingstart menu and "About Windows"dialog box | |
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Source model | |
| Released to manufacturing | July 8, 2006; 19 years ago (2006-07-08) |
| Final release | 5.1.2600.5512 Service Pack 3 (SP3) / October 7, 2008; 17 years ago (2008-10-07)[1] |
| Supported platforms | IA-32 |
| Kernel type | Hybrid kernel |
| License | Proprietarycommercial software |
| Succeeded by | Windows Thin PC[2] |
| Official website | web |
| Support status | |
| Part ofa series of articles on |
| Windows XP |
|---|
| Siblings |
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs ("WinFLP") is athin client release of theWindows NToperating system developed byMicrosoft[4] and optimized for older, less powerfulhardware. It was released on July 8, 2006, nearly two years after itsWindows XP SP2 counterpart was released in August 2004, and is not marketed as a full-fledged general purpose operating system, although it is functionally able to perform most of the tasks generally associated with one. It includes only certain functionality for local workloads such as security, management, document viewing related tasks and the .NET Framework. It is designed to work as aclient–server solution withRDP clients or other third party clients such asCitrixICA.[citation needed] Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs reachedend of support on April 8, 2014, along with most otherWindows XP editions.
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs was originally announced with thecode name "Eiger" on 12 May 2005.[5][6][7] ("Mönch" was announced as a potential follow-up project at about the same time.[8]) The name "Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs" appeared in a press release in September 2005, when it was introduced as "formerly code-named 'Eiger'" and described as "an exclusive benefit to SA [Microsoft Software Assurance] customers".[9]
AGartner evaluation from April 2006 stated that:
The main purpose of Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (WinFLP) is to allow users running old PCs to be able to replace unsupported Windows NT Workstation v.4, Windows 95 and Windows 98 with a supported release of Windows XP (or, eventually, a version based on Windows Vista). [...] Because WinFLP will have the ability to run some applications locally – including Internet Explorer, media players, Instant-Messaging clients, Java Virtual Machines, terminal emulators and ICA or Remote Desktop Protocol clients, and Microsoft Office – WinFLP can be better described as a "lean client" than a "thin client".
— Gartner[10]
TheRTM version of Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs, which was released on July 8, 2006, was built from the Windows XP Embedded Service Pack 2 codebase.[11] The release was announced to the press on July 12, 2006.[12] Because Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs comes from a codebase of Windows XP Embedded, its service packs are also developed separately.[1] For the same reason, Service Pack 3 for Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs, released on October 7, 2008, is the same as Service Pack 3 for 32-bit (x86) editions of Windows XP.[1] In fact, due to the earlier release date of the 32-bit version, many of the key features introduced by Service Pack 2 for 32-bit (x86) editions of Windows XP were already present in the RTM version of Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs.[12] Service Pack 3 is the last released service pack for Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs.
In May 2011, Microsoft announcedWindows Thin PC as the successor product.[13]
Microsoft positioned Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs as an operating system that provides basic computing services on older hardware, while still providing core management features of more recent Windows releases, such asWindows Firewall,Group Policy, Automatic Updates, and other management services. However, it was not considered to be a general-purpose operating system by Microsoft.[14]
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs is aWindows XP Embedded derivative and, as such, it requires significantly fewer system resources than the fully featured Windows XP.[4] It also features basic networking, extended peripheral support,[clarification needed]DirectX, and the ability to launch the remote desktop clients fromcompact discs. In addition to localapplications, it offers support for those hosted on a remote server usingRemote Desktop.[4] It can be installed on a local hard drive, or configured to run on adiskless workstation.[citation needed]
| CPU | Pentium 233 MHz (300 MHz recommended) |
|---|---|
| Memory | 64 MB (128 MB recommended) |
| Graphics hardware | 800×600computer monitor |
| Hard disk space | 610 MB minimum (1GB recommended) |
| Network hardware | Optional |
Despite being optimized for older PCs, hardware requirements for Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs aresimilar to Windows XP, although it is faster running on slower clock speeds than Windows XP.[citation needed]
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs has a smaller feature set than Windows XP. For example, WinFLP does not includePaint,Outlook Express and Windows games such asSolitaire. Another limitation is the absence of theCompatibility tab in theProperties dialog box for executable files.
Internet Explorer 8 (and 7) can be installed, but a hotfix is required for auto-complete to work in these newer versions of the browser.[15]
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs was exclusively available toMicrosoft Software Assurance customers, as it was designed to be an inexpensive upgrade option for corporations that had a number ofWindows 9x computers, but lacked the hardware necessary to support the latest Windows. It was not available throughretail orOEM channels.
On October 7, 2008, Service Pack 3 forWindows Embedded for Point of Service and Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs was made available.[1]
On April 18, 2013, Service Pack 3 for Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs was temporarily made available for download again after previously having been removed from the Microsoft site.[16] It was removed in 2014, and the original Service Pack 3 for Windows Embedded for Point of Service and Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs was reinstated.
Following the release ofWindows Thin PC, the Microsoft marketing pages for Windows Fundamentals were made to redirect to those of Windows Thin PC, suggesting that Windows Fundamentals is no longer available for any customers.
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs has the same lifecycle policy as Windows XP; as such, its support lifespan ended on 8 April 2014.[3]
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs is based on the Windows XP Embedded Service Pack 2 (SP2) operating system
→Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs →Q:Can Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs function as a general-purpose operating system? →A: No. Microsoft Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs is a small-footprint Windows-based operating system solution designed to work with the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection client or third-party clients, such as Citrix IC It allows for a limited number of workloads to be executed locally, including security software, management software, terminal emulation software, document viewers, and the .NET Framework.
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