Download Restores Windows XP N

To ensure full compliance with the European Commission’s antitrust rulings, Microsoft made minor modifications to Windows XP N, a European version of the OS that lacks the Windows Media Player. The company also released a free download that restores the Media Player and related files that are excluded from Windows XP N per the commission’s requirements.

The modifications-mostly changes to Registry settings-were made in June 2005 and allow alternative media players, such as those from RealNetworks, to work with other applications, such as Word, that formerly required Windows Media Player for audio and video functions.

In Aug. 2005, Microsoft released a download that installs the Windows Media Player on Windows XP N, effectively giving customers the ability to turn Windows XP N into a full version of Windows XP. According to Microsoft, installing the download ensures that software programs and Web sites that rely on Windows files not included in Windows XP N will work properly.

Although Windows XP N is supposed to be available through OEMs, none of the major OEMs appears to offer computers with Windows XP N. The product is available through other distribution channels, including retail and volume licensing. Although Microsoft does not publicly reveal the wholesale prices, the following prices are listed for the different products at Amazon in the United Kingdom: