Trouble starting windows

[Guest]

Upon either cold or warm reboot, windows hangs in the loading screen with the
blue bar. Upon re-trying, it goes to the option screen, and even hangs in
safe mode, but sometimes, using last known good config, it will finally load
after 10-15 minutes (not all the time, sometimes never loads).

Been told, the OS might be corrupt, but my windows CD was damaged in a
move---so can I use someone else's copy to repair/load on top of itself, and
before activation, go in and change the cd key to the key I have to pass thru
activation with the legal product key I bought?

 

[Guest]

You can use any CD that 'matches' the type CD you lost. Say, a standard Pro
Edition, or perhaps an OEM version from HP that is for your exact system, and
so on. The Product Key is not included on a CD, except for the 'System Image"
type that the OEM makers sometimes use.
If you have a Product Key from Microsoft, all you need to do is find a
matching XP "Edition" (Pro, Home, Media Center or whatever). Otherwise, your
Product Key ONLY works for that OEM system