Installing problems with windows xp home

this is probably a very silly problem, but we had windows xp professional on our computer for a while and when we went to reformat, someone had lost the disk!!!! we decided to go to windows xp home, which i use on my other computer for compatiblity, so i bought a copy from a computer place, not really paying attention to the label (yes, I know, very, very stupid), but at any rate, we uninstalled the old windows and when we tried to install the new one, it got about 30% through the install and then stopped. it was then that i looked more closely to see that the label said this version was only for new computers. so, my question is, is there any way around this, or have i just blown the money i paid? i appreciate your help!

If you are installing from a fresh reformat, it sounds like a hardware issue. Try isolate the problem by removing components that may be connected via your USB, etc. If that doesnt solve the problem and you are literate with internal hardware components, do that same thing for them.
Hope this helps.

"Only for new computers" simply means that you have a copy of the OEM Distribution. The setup is identical to the retail version.