xp sp1a oem re-installation problems...

[goosy22]

i have a xp installation disk that came with a computer i bought a few years ago and threw away just lately... i kept the disk because i figured that's still legal... the other computer is trashed (overclocking fryed the mobo/cpu) and i'm trying to install it on my temporary computer until i buy a new one... but when i enter my old cd key, it says that it's incorrect... should i try and contact microsoft about it and procure a new one? or should i just grab one off of a friend or the internet? i know the latter is illegal but i figure that i do own a legal copy and it'll be the faster option... but finding the right Dell OEM cd key could take about forever... plus is it wrong to use a Dell OEM CD on a non-dell computer? would that pose a problem when i contact microsoft to get a cd key?

 

[codeman0013]

i have had this problem before just call microsoft and tell them you had to reformatt and that you are trying to reinstall and tell them its just on one computer and they will give you the number you need to get it all going again!

 

[OvenMaster]

...is it wrong to use a Dell OEM CD on a non-dell computer? would that pose a problem when i contact microsoft to get a cd key?

A Dell OEM CD will only work with a Dell computer.
When using an OEM Dell XP disc, Windows looks for Dell BIOS strings. If no Dell BIOS string is found, the installation aborts.
Tom