Dell Inspirion OS re-install

[monkeyville]

Hey all,

Have been given a Dell Inspirion laptop that needs reformatting and has a serial key for XP home on the chassis. I have been unable to get hold of the original install CD from the owner and am not quite sure how to proceed now.

Am i ok to use any old XP home ISO available from torrents and then use my serial key to activate it or will that not work or not be allowed? If not how do i go about getting a re-install CD?

Primarily though how do re-install this laptop without breaking it or breaking the law?

[Clunk]

If it still has the original hard drive and partitions, there is a hidden partition that has the XP image on it..ctrl + f11 if I remember right

If not, yes, you can use a normal xp disc no probs, but it is advisable to grab all the latest drivers from the dell website before you start, and a smart move would be to use nlite and slipstream them all into the XP setup disc.

Edit: and if you can reinstall from the hidden partition, you dont ever need to use the serial number on the bottom of the case.