Microsoft Windows XP Professional Administrators Guide

One way to determine if an application will run on Windows XP is to check the Windows Catalog at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog. However,just because an application is listed in the catalog as Windows XP compatible does not mean that it was designed for Windows XP or that it will take advantage of Windows XP's operating environment. The only requirement that must be satisfied in order for an application to make it into the Windows Catalog is that it is able to run on Windows XP. An entry in the catalog, therefore, is not necessarily indicative of a application that is designed and optimized to run well on Windows XP Professional.

Whenever possible, administrators should try to restrict the use of software that does not comply with the Designed for Microsoft Windows XP Application Specification. This specification is a collection of requirements that Microsoft imposes on any application vendor that wishes to display the Designed for Windows logo on their application.

In order for an application to bear this logo, its operation must prove stable and reliable on Windows XP. In addition, it must register itself during installation and comply with Windows XP's application management standards. This means that it will be visible in the Add or Remove Programs utility and that it will install and uninstall cleanly.

Another advantage of purchasing products with the Designed for Windows logo is that any updates, fixes, and patches that are available for the application may be published by Microsoft and made available for download by Windows XP Professional's Windows Update utility.