xppro installed in vm on xppro machine

I bought a second copy of xppro to install in a virtual machine. After
more than an hour of installing, it pops up with an error: d:\1386\asms
error in line 0 -- invalid information. Then windows setup cannot
continue.

I tried repairing that installation and finally end up at just a blue
screen (not light blue) with no text on it. I've waited up to a half
hour and nothing happens except the hard drive light seems to blink on
and off regularly. This was on Virtualbox so I thought maybe there was
a problem with that.

I tried installing on Virtual PC 2007 on the same machine and after
more than an hour (many times NOTHING WAS visibly happening), and after
it said starting windows, it showed all the first three steps as
completed same as on virtual box, and Installing Windows was red, and
it immediately pops up with the same error message.

I then tried installing the xppro cd that came with my systemax machine
and I know it's bios branded but it is installing slooooooowly but with
no problems.

Can I assume that this new copy of xpProSP2 is defective? Or has
microsoft done something else to prevent it being installed in a
virtual machine?

Tiger direct has already said they would replace the cd, but if MS has
changed the rules again to try to gouge a few more bucks from us, then
that would be a waste of time. Does anyone know if there is a problem
installing xp-prosp2 oem in a vm? The copy from two years ago
apparently has no such problem.

Now if there is no prohibition to installing in a vm, then is there a
way I can use the new cd to "repair" the copy of the 2-year old version
so that it can be authenticated with no difficulties? Or can I use the
2-year old version to repair the new cd some way (i.e. copy to hard
drive, replace the asms folders, then copy back to a new cd).

If anyone know or has an opinion on this, I'd appreciate hearing about
it.

Thanks.



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