Progs installed: no
backgrounds: yes (they're simple bitmaps)

You can use some your 3.x progs with your XP-OS, but not vice versa. This is because win 3.x does not have something like a registry, so to start your dosbox-installed 3.x progs in XP, you just have to execute its program file and it might work (but only for small progs, not for big ones, the big ones will miss their "directory structure" among other things. Remember you have installed them into a virtual hard drive which is only a folder of your real hard drive).

XP progs, OTOH, are 32 bit apps and it is not possible to run them. Other reasons are missing registry entries ... .

Or do I perhaps misunderstand your question? Sorry Abyss, but your posts are sometimes really difficult to understand.