Questions re running "two copies of the same license&qu

[dsvochak]

From a thread in the T4x forum (quoting another thread):

Quote:
You are not allowed to run two copies of the same license - it is not a glitch. After SP2, I put a new disk with a duplicate license for changeove reasons in the main drive and my existing disk in the ultra bay. After booting in the ultra bay, the main drive was not able to run. It would start and then complain about the license. I had to format it and start again. I always got rid of the second copy fairly promptly, but SP2 pretty much enforces it. For your purposes (ongoing use), you need another license.
... JD Hurst

Does anyone know whether this is only applicable to Win XP or does it apply to previous operating systems? Also, what happens if you disable, in the BIOS, all boot devices except the HD?

I'd have to take drives out of machines to test so I thought I'd ask before going to the trouble.

Thanks.

[jdhurst]

Starting with a ThinkPad that came with XP Pro, I got an UltraBay holder for a hard drive. Then the 60Gb 7200-rpm hard drive came along.

So, with XP SP1, here is what I did:
1. Base machine XP SP1, 40Gb hard drive, properly licensed.
2. Put 60Gb drive in main machine and image with recovery CD's.
3. Quickly update and patch the 60Gb drive in the main machine
4. Put 60Gb drive in the bay and return the 40Gb drive to the main machine.

Now, here is my objective:
1. Run the 40Gb drive in the machine (Mail, documents, working stuff).
2. Boot from the 60Gb drive when time permits and begin installling applications. Copy data from main drive as needed.
3. When complete, fdisk the 40Gb drive (deletes duplicate license)
4. Put 60Gb drive in main machine and move on.

Enter SP2:
1. Upgrade 60Gb drive to SP2. It is now my working machine and there is no other license in play.
2. I want to do some testing.
3. Put old 40Gb drive in main machine, image, install SP2.
4. Put 60Gb drive in drive bay (remember, this is my working drive).
5. Boot from Bay. All works.
6. Boot 40Gb drive in main machine. Message about duplicate license and the drive will start but not stay running.
7. Try 60Gb working drive in main machine. It starts and runs.
8. Try 40Gb spare drive in main machine (nothing in Bay). It starts, but won't stay running (complains about licensing).
9. Re-image 40Gb drive in main machine (nothing in Bay) and it works fine.
10. Put 60Gb drive in main machine (nothing in Bay) and it works fine.

Try the whole thing again in my spare time and get the same results.

So, on balance, I have to say that this is an issue only with SP2, not with SP1 and not with prior operating systems.

Also, to be very clear: I never intended to run duplicate licenses except for a very short period where I was building a new system.

I also know the following: If you build a new drive (B) with XP Pro SP2 and you have an old drive (A) with the same license, you can put A in the Bay, not boot from it, but read data off it. So long as you don't boot it, I didn't have any problems.
... JD Hurst

[dsvochak]

So the lessons we learn from this are, with XP SP2, one can no longer use the process described under "Now, here is my objective:" and if "I want to do some testing" I probably have to put the drive I want to use for testing in the main machine with nothing in the bay.

The only thing I can see this accomplishes is to make life difficult for people, who for whatever reason have the same objective or reason to do some testing.

I know the EULA limits the user to 1 copy of the software on the computer, but I would be really surprised if this sort of thing was what MS was trying to prevent.

Anyway, thanks for the information.