problem

i'm not really following your post, but just do a format and clean install.

if your pc did not come with xp, but you bought it retail (or downloaded a retail version) then your bios will not have the slp key tattooed to them, therefore you are going to need a key to activate, but if you are using an OEM version that has the key in the winnt.sif then it will not work because again you do not have the slp in the bios.

you will either have to mod your bios or create a volume license version which does not require a key from your xp cd/dvd.

i could be wrong or way off, but again i really didn't understand your post.

hope this helps

 

Another way would be to do a repair install using the OEM disk, this way you can keep all your apps that you have installed and most of the settings. I tweak my system extensively so I avoid doing a fresh install unless really needed. Here are instructions on repair installing XP

Boot the computer using the XP CD. You may need to change the boot order in the system BIOS so the CD boots before the hard drive. Check your system documentation for steps to access the BIOS and change the boot order.
When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen, you will see the options below

This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft
Windows XP to run on your computer:

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
Press Enter to start the Windows Setup.

To setup Windows XP now and Repair Install , press ENTER. do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R", (you Do Not want to load Recovery Console). I repeat, do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R".
Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows installations.
Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to start the repair. If Repair is not one of the options, END setup. After the reboot read Warning#2!
Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot. Do not press any key to boot from CD when the message appears. Setup will continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain intact.

Hope it helped