With the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Microsoft latest and most reliable corporate desktop operating system now provides better protection against viruses, worms, and malicious hackers. But it still comes without a single page of printed instructions. This superbly written guide fills the gap. Co-authored by David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist and Missing Manuals creator, this book uses wit, technical insight, and scrupulous objectivity to light the way for first-time and intermediate network and standalone PC users. In fact, this jargon-free book explains XP's features so clearly revealing which work well and which don't that it should have been in the box in the first place. The book reveals which features work well and which don't, such as the Remote Desktop software that enables people to connect to the office from home, the encryption file system that protects sensitive information, and the Windows Messenger that enables real-time text, voice and video communication.