Repairing a windows install

[paul berezansky]

Here's my dilemma.

I am a technician and I am tasked with upgrading the motherboard and
CPU on an HP pavilion computer.

The computer is running windows XP with a legal license and
everything, and after I upgraded the motherboard/CPU it refuses to
boot. This problem is caused by the new motherboard chipset and
usually to fix this I do the repair option in windows XP setup.

Unfortunately, HP doesn't use the standard XP install and I am unable
to do a repair on the computer with HP's recovery disc. I can only
format my HDD and start from scratch.

So instead of using HPs disc, i use a regular WinXP OEM disc to do a
repair. It works and the computer boots. Unfortunately I can no longer
use the license key that is stuck on the side of the unit becuase the
OEM disc that I am using to repair the installation uses a different
product key. I stick in a product key that works and get the system to
boot.

Unfortunately now its asking me to register the computer. I want to
register it with the license key that actually belongs to the system.

Is there any way of doing this?