I've never heard a dfinitive answer to this question, but I'm sure this is t he place to find one.

I'm helping a friend with her computer and it will need formatted and a XP installation. Her computer is a Gateway with an XP Pro SP1 key on the COA label. She no longer has the restore disks for the computer.

Can I install XP with my Retail XP Pro disk and use her Key Code from her computer? I've never quite understood how Miscrosoft tracks the Keys or what the do's and dont's are regarding installation.

Thank you for any insight.

JimYes.
If it is a clean install there's no need to worry about the SERVICE Packs matching...
Only the version NEEDS to match.
This is perfectly legal.

Travel to Gateway as you will need to re-install all the drivers...MBoard chipset drivers go first.That's exactly what I was hoping to hear.

My friend and I thank you for your help and also the quick response.

JimMy Pleasure...GOOD Luck...and Welcome Aboard !You will have to call Micro$oft to activate the installation. You have 30 days to do it. It's pretty simple. Call them up and TELL them that the hard DRIVE crashed and you had to do a clean install. They will issue you a activation code over the phone.