installing xp home

You just need the legal license key for your product.

You can contact Microsoft for replacement disks. See for details http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246

You most certainly can use it provided that your original computer used OEM Microsoft Products.

If however it used one of the different versions of XP your Product Key will not work with it.

There are several distinct versions of XP

XP Home OEM

XP Home Volume License as used by places like HP, Dell and so on

Then the 64 Bit versions of XP which didn't come in Home for OEM but I do believe that HP had a Volume License Version available.

You need to use the same type of Install Disc as suits your Product Key or the Product Key will not activate the Installer and allow the process to complete.

If the HDD still functions you can use Acronis True Image Trial to clone the HDD available here to download

http://www.acronis.com.au/enterprise/products/ATICW/

But if your Product Key doesn't work with the other Install Disc you will need to contact the computer maker for a Recovery Set to suit your computer.

If you are using the other Install Disc and it works do not forget that you'll need to get all of the drivers for it as the other Install Disc is unlikely to have the necessary drivers.

If you do not know what drivers you require and this is a White Box that doesn't have a list of available drivers on it's makers Web Site you can use Unknown Device Manager to find out what Hardware you have and then search just for those drivers.

http://www.fileheap.com/software-unknown-device-identifier-download-34861.html

Col