OEM or Retail Versions of XP can not use a Volume License Key as the VL Product is slightly different just the same as XP Home is different from Pro.
To change the Product Key you need the same version of XP so you can not use a XP Home Key with a Professional or Volume License Version of XP and the same applies for any combination of the above.
If the systems are all the same or at the very least you have several the same model you could make Images or even Slipstream the Service Packs and necessary Drivers with nLite available here
http://www.nliteos.com/download.html
But probably the easiest way out here is to do a In Place Install with the VL Product and enter the VL key by following the directions here.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341
This is what you need to look at though. ;)
[i]Method 2: Repair install of Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP CD
Note If Windows XP was preinstalled on your computer, you may need the installation CD to reinstall. Contact your computer manufacturer to make sure that you have the installation CD for a repair installation.
To reinstall Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP CD, follow these steps:
Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer's CD drive or DVD drive, and then restart your computer.
When you receive the "Press any key to boot from CD" message on the screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
The following message on the Welcome to Setup screen will appear:
This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft Windows XP to run on your computer: To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER. To repair a Windows XP installation by using Recovery Console, press R. To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
Press ENTER to set up Windows XP.
On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.
Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.
Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to reinstall Windows XP. After you repair Windows XP, you may have to reactivate your copy of Windows XP. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
310064 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310064/ ) How to troubleshoot Windows XP Setup problems when you upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition
If you successfully completed the reinstallation, congratulations. You are almost done. Please continue to the "After you reinstall Windows XP" section to finish.
If you received an error or if the reinstallation did not finish, unfortunately, this article did not resolve your problem. For your next steps, you may want to ask someone whom you know for help. Or, you may want to contact Microsoft Support to help you resolve this problem. [/i]
You will of course need to apply any Service Packs and Hot Fixes after doing this.
Col
