It is "never good" (YMMV) to not have an install disk for repairs or re-installs.

What brand machine.  (Dell?, HP?, or "white box?"/(mom and pop store).
There are different types of OEM install disks.
You might be able to get someone to "slipstream" an SP2-OEM disk for you.
(Note: Slipstreaming is when the SPs are integrated into the install disk and it is
re-burned.) They are ONLY good if you have your OWN install key.

For as little as $35(US) I have gotten replacement MEDIA from MS.-(Years ago.)

                               Rick Glazier

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Russ Cox"
>Save Win XP license?
>I have acquired from someone a "crashed" computer that I was able to resurrect. The computer is running an OEM copy of XP and has
>the license code sticker >on it. I'd like to ensure all the previous owner's files are unrecoverable.  If I scrub the drive, I will
>lose the Win XP license.  I don't think I can install from another >copy of XP because the license # is synched to the Win XP CD
>and I don't have the original XP CD. As I remember from a previous discussion with Microsoft, >they just say to use the original CD
>to reinstall XP. I do have other copies of XP, but I don't like to waste the perfectly good license for this machine.
>Is there any tool that will overwrite the free space on the hard drive to make sure the old files are unrecoverable? That should
>keep the current OS and >applications intact.

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