How to Configure Windows XP Professional As a Server
Although Windows XP Professional is not designed to be a server, it can be configured to operate with some of the basic and intermediate capabilities that a Windows Server operating system possesses, such as file sharing with permissions and running a Web server through IIS (Internet Information Server). This step-by-step information will help you turn your Windows XP Professional operating system into a very passable server operating system.
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Instructions
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Set up IIS
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1
Insert your XP Professional CD into your computer.
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2
Open the Control Panel, go to Add/Remove Programs, and select the option to Add/Remove Windows Components.
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3
Check the box next to Internet Information Services, and click "OK." IIS will then install. Once it is installed, you can access the internal server through the website http://127.0.0.1 or http://localhost.
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4
To set up your website's pages, place your website files in the default web folder, located at C:\Inetpub\wwwroot.
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5
To start or stop IIS once you have placed your website files, open your Control Panel, and find the Internet Information Services icon. Open it, right click on "Default Web Site", and click "Start" or "Stop."
Set up File Sharing
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6
Decide which users you want to access files on the Windows XP machine.
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7
Open the Control Panel and select the Users section. Add the users to this section, along with the rights you want them to have and their designated passwords.
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Have the users connect to the server using the server's IP address or by finding it on the local Windows Network. They can also access it by the server name, by typing "//ServerName" into the address bar of Windows Explorer.
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Tips & Warnings
Windows XP Professional is not meant to operate as a server, and even though it does possess the ability to do so, it is in a limited capacity only. You are limited to 10 users that you can set up for file sharing, and it does not have some of the mission-critical server capabilities that allow servers to stay online for months at a time without a reboot. If you need to operate a server in a business or professional environment, it is recommended that you use an operating system that is built for performing server tasks.
