im not positive, but i think only xp pro (and similar os' like wusy is running) are actually designed to make use of dual core/dual processors... just remember reading a forum post someone made awhile back, about lots of unexplained problems he was experiencing on his families computer, crashing and such, and tried lots of different things, but to no avail... a few people stated it was simply because xp home isnt designed to make use of dual cores/cpus properly... and that switching up to xp pro would fix that... again, im not positive, but i said the same thing to another poster recently, who had a similar question, and he said that the xp pro switch definetly seems valid after he had searched
edit: okay... yeah... i looked on google for a sec, and found a link on microsofts site, about the same thing
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=896256
SYMPTOMS
Computers that are equipped with multiple processors that support processor power management features, such as Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) processor performance states, require Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). Additional updates are available to optimize performance and behavior on computers that are running Windows XP SP2. Without these updates, computers that are equipped with these power management-capable, mobile, dual-core processors may experience decreased performance or unexpected behavior.
Note This problem also applies to x64-based versions of Microsoft Windows Server 2003.
i guess windows xp by itself wasnt originally designed for dual cores... and that after sp2, those issues are fixed