Ok my dad bought a windows xp upgrade disk for his laptop and he used the cd key that came with it and installed windows xp home edition on his laptop.  ok my computer came with windows xp and no discs.  I completely wiped my hard drive so now i have no OS.  My friend has a discs that consisits of Windows 2000ME (for dell it says)  that he used about four years ago and on the computer he installed it on he now has windows xp.  Ok now I got  a couple of questions:

1) Can I install this Windows 2000ME thats for dell on my Sony Vaio? Then use my dads upgrade xp disc and use my cd key and install xp that WAY?

2) If I can get a Retail Version of Windows XP from a firend can I use my cd key and install it?

3) If I can install this Windows 2000ME and he used it four years ago but installed Windows XP over it will his cd key be free?  Will/Can I get in TROUBLE?First of all there is no such OS as Windows 2000me.  It is either Windows ME ore Windows 2000 (professional, server, advanced server or database server).

I have never heard of a windows xp upgrade edition, only xp home edition or xp professional.

It is the licence that counts; therefore if you hold a valid licence for xp and borrow a disk from someone else, that is perfectly legal; so the answer to question 2 as far as I'm aware is yes.  I would be CONCERNED as to why your computer came with xp installed and no discs.

Sony waio usually comes with restore discs and that will restore their systems back to the factory settings or on a partition with their packaged software.  Upgrade is not usually an option so the answer to question one is no.

I believe after upgrading to xp, you will have to type in a cd key for a valid xp licenceSorry your right ME. I put 2000 cause I was thinking Melinium(spl) but ya my computer didnt come with any discs to REINSTALL windows and its out of warranty.. So I guess Ill have to see if i can get some from Sony. but will ME for dell work on my Sony? and for the upgrade its Mircrosoft Windows Xp Home Edition Upgrade.  Instead of retail...You seem to be totally confused as to what you actually have. The disk you have is what is known as a Restore Disk, which is just a copy of all the software that is pre-installed when you buy a new computer - it's slightly cheaper than providing about 30 CD's for all the software.

You could probably install Windows from that CD, but in my experience most of them have copy protection measures to stop people from installing the software on more than one PC.

So in answer to your questions:
1) Maybe
2) No
3) No, and you can get into trouble if you do. Next time you go to Windows Ugrade, you'll just find that you're copy will be disabled.

And in answer to your second post, you will have to "go retail". Doing it the way you want to do it is effectively theft, and thereby a felony or whatever you Yanks call major crimes...