May I ask why you're installing xp rather than w7? Anyway, things most people keep handy.
Spybot
Malwarebytes
CCleaner
Firewall, windows is actually fine, although a lot of people (like me) install a 3rd party one simply for usability/increased info/ui etc.
Av, mse is easily the best install and forget, although ther are others.
Malware, windows defender is fine although I disabled it when I realised it was getting updates through windows update. I prefer real time ones, but this may have changed, it's been quite some time
I use comodo (free), mostly for the firewall which is easily the best free one, and the surprisingly good anti-malware component but it's not really for novices. The av is just because it eats less resources than installing mse as well but basically, unless you have a specific reason just stick to the ms stuff*
Best way to make sure your board drivers are updated is either get the latest ones off the mobo manufacturers website and put them on disk and install them after xp.
Or install java and head over to intels site (using ie)
http://www.intel.com/support/detect.htm?iid=subhdr+dnlds_detect . It always has the newest drivers before your manufacturer does
For example, while writing this I discovered another update for my ethernet drivers =D
*I'd use a 3rd party firewall on xp for sure, check comodos
(nothing to loose).
