Procedures after replacing cpu

[ posted in:
microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain

Sorry but wasn't quite sure where this belonged
]

I managed to mangle the many pins on the bottom side of the cpu while
tinkering awkwardly with the machines hardware.

It's a P4 3.2ghz. - P4C800-DE mobo - Was running windows XP pro

I actually managed to snap several of fine little pins clear off while
attempting to straighten them.

I found a replacement on ebay and will be installing it soon. But it
finally worked it's way into my peabrain that I would no doubt have to
completely re-install the OS from scratch.

A few things occurred to me that might be stumbling blocks.

Will I have a problem from microsoft getting the re-install activated?
(I do own the disk and serial number) But actually have 2 purchased
disks with different serial numbers... and am not sure which was
installed on that machine... One disk is from back before s/p 2 the
other includes s/p 2.

I'm not sure now which was on there.

Also, I wondered if it might be a lot easier to restore an image made
with ghost?

The image is of a different machine with somewhat different hardware
that is also running Windows XP pro. and has sp/3 installed.

Seems like I could work out the hardware differences just by
installing what ever is different. (I do have or can get the drivers
and whatever)
and uninstalling anything that isn't actually on the machine, through
the hardware manager.

But again, will I run into problems authenticating the OS with
microsoft?

And finally, I've never done a cpu replacement so not really sure what
all is involved after the replacement in terms of getting an OS
installed and in running order.

Maybe someone who has done such a replacement might supply a brief
outline of what need to happen?