Naturally, I started looking for browsers that still worked on Windows XP, given that popular options had dropped support ...

This isn't very likely, but it is possible. So don't take chances, and do make backups. If you're not using backup software, Windows XP Professional even includes a utility called Backup that can be ...

Windows XP Backup utility. If I select C: and all subdirectories for backup, is also selecting System State redundant? Or does the program/Windows treat the SS as an independent set of files?