Reinstalation of windows xp

I want to install linux suse as a duel boot on my system and I dont have recovery disks for my windows. It came as one of those ones with the recovery procedure stuff on the hard drive. But when I install suse its going to mean that it wipes that recovery section. I was wondering if i created a bootable recovery cd using back up software and installed that would it over write linux should i find I dont like it. Also will it return my hard drive exactly as it was. I mean its format like NTFS. Or will it try to install it in its current state.

Woukd it work if I got someome to copy my there windows xp cd and I installed it and used my current instalation key that came with my computer. Would this work or not. would it matter if my computer came with sp1 and the copy was sp2?

does any one have any ideas how to solve my problem. Im sorry that I havent explained this very well.

Michael

 

All information below, is at your own risk:

1. You can try ghosting you computer with a imaging program that supports Linux partitions like ext2, reiser etc.
2. You can use a distribution of Linux that does not require installation (Live CD) such as Ubuntu Linux Live CD.
3. This might NOT work but > Repartition your current hard drive (if you have only 2 partitions, both for Windows, resize the one with windows on - no the restoration partition) if your Linux installation (I know Mandriva/Mandrake does) allows you to resize an existing windows partition. But there is a warning that you can lose your windows partition. With the free space create the partitions for Linux. This will allow you to keep Linux with Windows without messing with your restoration partition for Windows
4. You can buy a cheap used hard drive off eBay or new one from any good computer shop and merely use that as your Linux hard drive and your existing hardrive as your Windows.