[Seth]

Problem:

You need to repair or reinstall XP, but don't have the OEM cd. Trying to use a different OEM cd won't work as the COA won't be accepted (even if it's valid).

Solution:

Use a Dell CD. It won't ask for the COA until the repair/install completes. You will then be prompted to activate and a message will appear to change the product key. Now enter the valid COA from the case and you're good to go!

[petef]

Originally Posted by Seth

Problem:

You need to repair or reinstall XP, but don't have the OEM cd.

Good one Seth.

If I may add, if you don't have a Dell CD and you only need to perform a repair of XP,
try reinstalling XP SP2 using an XP SP2 CD. Of course, it's not as good as perfoming
a regular XP repair, but it does have the ability to solve problems.

---pete---