Operating System Concepts, Windows Xp Update starts with chapters on computer system structures and operating system structures to enlighten readers regarding the key areas involved in successfully running both the computer and its software. The book deals with the underlying concepts that define an operating system, such as process management, file systems, storage access, resource protection, and memory management. It also describes in detail two operating systems from Microsoft, Windows XP and Windows 2000. Under the concept of process management, processes and threads have been discussed in detail by the author. A process may be defined as an instance of any computer programme during its execution. Processes consist of a variety of resources like memory and certain security attributes. A thread is a part of the process, and is independently managed by the operating system scheduler. The file systems and storage access features like file system interface and implementation, mass-storage structure, and distributed file systems have been covered extensively by the authors in the book. Under the resource protection and memory management concepts, the book covers important topics like virtual memory and memory protection. Along with Windows XP and 2000, the authors have also included a separate section on the operating system Linux, which is also used widely around the world by computer users. The authors have taken great care to present the contents of Operating System Concepts, Windows Xp Update in an easy-to-understand manner.