DavidR
6
The XP OS isn’t so much the issue of corruption, but the Hard Disk file format, NTFS or FAT32. In early builds of XP or updates from earlier versions it used FAT32, which isn’t as resilient as NTFS for preventing corruption on these power off shutdowns.
Buy a small UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) which is great for protection against power spikes and power outs. If you hit the mains power switch the UPS takes over and you can simply switch the main power back on. In the UK where I am we have lots of thunderstorms and power outs and my UPS allows me to save what I was doing and shut down the system cleanly in the event of a power out.