Windows XP: Stability and reliability

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Although XP looks consumer-friendly, beneath the hood it has the engine of a business-oriented OS, Windows 2000 to be exact. The fundamental advantage of the Windows 2000/NT code is that applications run in their own memory spaces so that they don't step on each other's toes. It also warns you if it suspects a driver may cause problems because the source is not verified. XP adds another feature (Driver Protection) that will actually block a handful of third-party drivers that Microsoft says are known to cause stability problems.

If you're used to Windows 98, 98 SE, or Me, you'll find XP vastly more reliable. If you're accustomed to working in Windows NT or 2000, you'll see the same level of reliability as well as the inclusion of broad hardware and software support. If you come across a legacy application that isn't compatible with XP, the Compatibility Mode lets you emulate a Windows 95 or NT environment to run it, and you can associate the application with its compatibility mode to avoid future system problems.

In the event something doesn't work, however, XP also comes with a number of tools to keep you up and running. The Automatic Update service, based on Windows Update, does exactly what it says: automatically download and install new drivers, patches, and application updates to keep your system healthy. The System Restore tool, first introduced in Windows Me, lets you take manual or automatic snapshots of your system drivers and configuration. If you install a new device, for example, that causes system problems, you can select a date in the past and roll the system back to that state without losing any of your files or settings.

For backing up and restoring your system, XP comes with a slightly modified version of the tool found in Windows 2000, which can use just about any media you throw at it--tape, network drives, CD-R/RWs, and so on. It can also create an emergency repair disk to boot your system in the event it becomes unusable.