:' I have an older system, emachine, I tried to install the OS that came with the computer, the setup STOPS and gives me an ERROR unable to retrive "product id of system you are tring to install" The error also tells me that the disc may be damaged. it also gives me this registary entry, RegOpenKeyEx[system\setup\pid]
error2(2)
does anybody understand and maybe be able to help me?

or........

does anybody know I can exit the setup?
When I turn the machine on, it boots, I enter the password, then the machine goes back the setup and the process starts all over again

If anybody has any suggestions please feel free to share your thoughts, I would be gratefull.
sincerly Bernard,what operating system is it? Is the DISK scratched or does it have any other BLEMISHES on either side of the disk? You may NEED to get another cd.
It's also possible that you hard drive is getting old and trying to die.
You could also try installing linux on it and see if it can revive your old pc. Linux can sometimes make hardware work that windows cannot. Go to www.kubuntu.com for more information. This version of linux is very easy to use and install and has a similar interface to windows.