obsolete xp installation disk

The easiest way is to use nLiteOS.com to integrate Service Packs and/or drivers.

I think you're running an SFC /scannow to repair your windows files. What exact error are you having? There might be an alternative solution other than proceeding with the scan.

What scan are you running? The disk you have should work OK. If you are the original owner and live in the US, you can request replacement disks (should have the latest version of xp) by filling out the form HERE.

I think you're running an SFC /scannow to repair your windows files. What exact error are you having? There might be an alternative solution other than proceeding with the scan.

http://xps-resource.blogspot.com 

I am in UK. I ran SFC /scannow  it gave no report just requested disk which it rejected as wrong disk. I was doing this because sometime earlier even though all seemed to be ok   i got a message stating "in order for windows to operate correctly I needed to replace missings dlls" 

Sounds like something a virus infection would do. The missing DLL's might be part of the service pack 3 and couldn't find it on the original disc that's why it's saying it's the wrong disk. Another thing I can suggest is booting to the CD and run a CHKDSK /r in the recovery console. http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsc/p/chkdsk.htm

http://xps-resource.blogspot.com

Thank you all for your help. My computer seems to be running OK & I don't know what effect these missing dlls have or will have. I am not very knowledgeable about the types of actions you suggest so I am leaving things as they are until something does go wrong (hopefully not)

MANY THANKS AGAIN

Microsoft (and its cartel members like Adobe) value preventing small scale "piracy" far over serving their customers. Consequently, Windows is setup such that each SP (Service Pack) is "viewed" as a separate higher version of Windows. For instance, an XP pro disc will "see" an installed XP Pro with SP1 as a higher or different version and as such will not work.

Any version will work with your Dell as the license code Windows must have to work is on Dell motherboards. You can find Dell Windows recovery CDs on eBay for under $15. I bought a Win XP Pro SP3 CD for the Dells I run (mine and family members' Dells) for $9 & free ship. It works on all our Dell PCs & Laptops.

I have considered WINDOWS a terrible product & Microsoft a monopolistic market share & money greedy corporation since Windows 2.11.

Windows 2000 and XP are in my opinion the best Operating Systems MS ever released. I refused to run Vista and refuse to run 7... Vista is a bad joke and 7 continues the MS progression to ever bigger O/S. I suggest people seriously look into Linux, which installs and runs well on Dell systems.

Ubuntu & (tiny) Puppy Linux are excellent transition versions of Linux. There is also now a free Linux beginners manual. This is not the place for it but I could write a small book on the superiorities of Linux.

I am writing this on a Dell ultralite laptop, the Latitude D420, running Puppy Linux. The D420 is a fine business laptop. To get the thinness and 3 lb weight, Dell used the 1.8" hard drive which really slows down the Intel low power duo 1.2GHz processor. Its a rather slow PC with Windows XP but lightning fast with Puppy Linux, which boots from a flash drive and loads and resides in RAM memory during operation.

Linux, by superior design, makes resource hog virus, malware, & firewall software unnecessary. There is no goofy registry or hard drive file fragmenting to waste your time,money, or crash your system!

--Quasar

Thank you Quasar, I will take on board all your comments & I agree that Microsoft is not customer friendly. I think my best move at the minute is to shop for a cd

Lenardo

Dear Linux missionary ...

1)  "XP pro disc will "see" an installed XP Pro with SP1 as a higher or different version and as such will not work." 

** Not true.  Product Keys will work regardless of SP level, but cannot cross over levels such as Pro and Home.  What he was trying to do required functionality only found in SP2 - had he created an nLite CD to integrate the Service Pack, he would have had that functionality.

2)  It is illegal to sell OEM media without its original hardware on eBay.  (So if you see it, you better hurry and buy it :))

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/software.html

3)  The rest of your post has no place here.  If you don't know how to use Windows, then you don't really have anything to offer in helping to answer his question.

No need to buy anything, use your original Dell CD and Nlite to slipstream SP3 into it, then you have the disc you need for FREE.

http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html

Guides here

http://lifehacker.com/386526/slipstream-service-pack-3-into-your-windows-xp-installation-cd

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I have made 3 slipstreamed discs using nLite & then run SFC /scannow. I get the following message FILES THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR WINDOWS TO RUN PROPERLY MUST BE COPIED TO THE DLL CACHE  INSERT YOUR WINDOWS XP HOME CD ROM. When I do this I get message CD PROVIDED IS WRONG CD Excuse my lack of knowledge here  & should I just ignore this scan & carry on while the computer seems OK