I have had several customers whose PCs are obviously in need of reinstallation of XP.  Problem is, they have legitimate copies of XP on their machines, but have either lost, or never received, the Windows Reinstallation disk.  Is there some way to get around this - I mean legally, of course.  In almost every case, I can DETERMINE what the current XP product key is as installed on the machine, and XP has been validated thru the normal update process.  Is it possible, or legal, to use ANOTHER legitimate COPY of XP to reinstall, and use the original product key for the previously installed copy of XP?  It seems to me that I have heard of this being done - but I don't recall any of the mechanics of the reinstall.It can be done, so long as you use the product key from a COA - that is attached to the machine.

Plus you would need to use an OEM or volume license copy of XP - a retail version disc is tied with the product key so they may have issues further down the line with updates and validation tools.PCWizard:
Thanks for the reply.  When you say OEM or volume license copy of XP, I assume you mean an XP disk issued by a boxmaker, such as Dell, Gateway, etc.; in other words, a disk NOT issued by Microsoft.  Is that correct?

For some time, it has seemed to me that, so long as the user still has the original COA attached to the PC, and so long as the product key on that COA is legible, it should be possible to reinstall XP from another disk.  Can you confirm that you have actually successfully REINSTALLED from a disk other than the original - but using the original product key code?

Thanks again.