<engwar1@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1136387878.386078.91270@g14g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
>I bought a brand new computer that shipped with XP Home but no OS
> disks.
>
> I immediately made backup disks that would allow me to reinstall the
> system and all software packages that it shipped with.
>
> If I needed to reinstall the OS and wanted to do a clean install can I
> legally do so by formatting the drive and using a borrowed copy of XP
> Home to do the install?

There are OEM versions of Windows XP Home Edition. There are retail
versions. There are vendor-specific BIOS-locked versions. If you are going
to rely on someone else having a copy of Windows from whom you can "borrow"
their CD, expect problems.

Why not use the backup discs that you claim to have produced? For the
serial number you can use Belarc Advisor (there are other similar tools) to
extract both the product key and the produce code for the currently
installed instance of Windows (just be sure to use the product key to do the
reinstall since the product code won't work because it is generated from the
product key).

Contact whomever sold you the computer or its manufacturer (if it was a
pre-built). Ask them to send you installation, recovery, or restoration
discs. It is unlikely that they are allowed to OEM the Windows software on
their boxes without providing a means for recovery. You never mentioned
WHICH brand and model of computer that you have but you did say it was
"brand new" (i.e., not used) so contact whomever makes that computer.