The Product ID which you entered is invalid

Hi EugeneGardner,
You need to speak to Microsoft at a guess you have an upgrade key and your trying to do a full install or vice versa.

go to www.microsoft.com and get the LOCAL contact details

Cheers!

Thanks for the fast replies.  

I have done all in the article Sunray suggested short of copying the CD to disk and running Setup from the command prompt.  Currently copying files.  

I was not given the option of an upgrade (unfortunately) just a "New (Advanced)" installation.  What types of CoA are there ?  How can I tell what sort I have ?  

Thanks

check if you not using the corporate license to install , it will not work.

Corporate license... Errr what ?
How do I know which sort I have ?   The license is the same as the CoA right ?

to check all the cd level check this site.
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=226

u have reinstallation OEM. which i suppose can not be used for upgrade, this is good for fresh installation.

My volume label is XPSP1_PER_ENG which is not listed on the above site.  Two Dell reinstallation CDs are though (neither have the same part number as my CD) they have labels XP2_PER_ENG
I'm not sure what that tells us though.
I'd prefer an upgrade, but will be satisfied with a full install.  What determines which is possible ?

Ahh - at last light is begining to shine.  How can I tell by looking at a CoA whether it is retail or OEM ?

I got into this mess because
a) the original seller of CD and CoA failed me then
b) the PCs owner said she had a CD so I bought a CoA separately from eBay then
c) the owner realised that Office XP and Windows XP are not exactly the same so
d) I bought a separate CD.

So how can I buy a OEM CoA and be sure it is not a retail one ?
Thanks.

You cannot buy just a Coa...you have to buy a complete version.  OEM would have to be purchased with hardware.

Hmm, well both CD and COA are OEM versions although not the same OEM.  
The problem occurs before any contact with MS so I don't think it's a lack of propagation, and the holograms etc. on the CoA are that good I seriously doubt that the CoA is a fake.  No, there must be different types of licences - perhaps a COA is bound to a particular OEM, although that is different from what I've been led to believe.

My CoA does not have a 'D' so from the link you sent I think that means it is not a recovery CoA.  Ahh - so "retail" means that CD can be used to install or update any PC, and recovery means you can only use the disk on the very same PC which it came with (how does it know?)

So have I got this right - I need to either swap my recovery CD for a genuine MS 'retail' one, or swap the CoA for one with a 'D' after the OEM name.  The fact that the OEM on the CoA and the CD are different is not relevant.  

Eugene.