Can I install Windows XP Pro (32 bits) on a dual xeon based server/pc board? I am looking into buying an HP DL140 and use it as my own PC at the office... Please advise if XP Pro or Win2000 Pro can be installed as OS on such a server rather than installing 2000 server or 2003 server OS.. Thanks.

Both win2kpro and xp pro support dual cpu's but you will be disappointed as the operating systems don't take advantage of the computing power of both processors.

Windows 2000 Pro would not be a good choice. Since it does not know about hyperthreading it would see four logical processors with hyperthreading turned on. The only problem with this is Windows 2000 Pro only supports a maximum of two processors. You would have to turn off hyperthreading for to use both physical CPUs. Windows 2000 Server would work since it supports up to four processor (real or logical). Task scheduling would not be as efficient as Windows XP. For instance if two threads were running Window 2000 Server would run them both logical processors on CPU 1. Windows XP would run them on the first logial processor on each physical CPU. This is much more efficient. Windows XP Pro supports two CPUs with hyperthreading fine. It would be your best OS if you are using your computer as a workstation. Windows 2003 Server would only be needed if your want to run them as servers. The disadvantage would be high cost. I am telling you all this from experience. I have installed Windows XP Pro on over a dozen 3.06 Ghz Dual-Xeon computers. Our programs were highly threaded and worked great on these computers. The programs were real-time and needed the hyperthreading to work right. The computers they replaced were 500-700 Mhz quad Xeon computers that ran Windows 2000 Server. It should be noted that some of these computers were workstation and some were servers. Even though they were all were used as workstations the servers had to be purchased if we required rack mounting.