>I know that windows only allows one activation key to be in use at a time.
Yes, that's partially correct. The normal retail editions that consumers buy required activation and therefore their activation key could only be used in one computer. Volume-licensed editions of XP (for use on networks), however, require no activation.

>John: cloning is illegal if the manufacturer doesn't allow it.
Too lazy to read my post, huh? The XP EULA does specifically allow for cloning:
Last time I checked, a 'storage device' includes hard drives. Or do you want to debate that with me too?

Not only that, but the US copyright law allows for 'fair use', which usually includes making one personal backup copy of the software. That's cloning.

"Cloning
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,
Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning), or organisms. More generally, the term refers to the production of multiple copies of a product such as digital media or software."

Cloning and backing up, while involving the same process, can not be considered the same thing.

Man you really want to challenge me don't you john? a storage device like a server is what the EULA says. Yes you could consider a hard drive a storage device but it is an active in use storage device. I think you may have copied that EULA from a multi licensed version cause I don't think thats what the one license per computer version says. They don't want you running two versions at once with the same license. Yes you can make a backup every company allows that. A backup in no way means backing it up to another hard drive that also runs it; it means putting it on a form of storage (like a cd or dvd) for later use in case of a emergency.

Agreed. The question is if you clone the drive, will you still be running the old computer aswell. If so that is illegal without a doubt. Otherwise it seems to be legal if you only intend to use one copy of windows at a time.

However, it would be much better performance wise if you reinstall everything and forget about the cloning business.

Another thing to point out is if the windows genuine advantage system even suspects it may be a copied version of windows then it will drive you insane until you buy a new copy.

>Cloning and backing up, while involving the same process, can not be
>considered the same thing.
The process of backing up involves cloning to some degree. When you copy a file, you're cloning the bytes that represent the file. To a greater degree, a backup of a bootable software disc such as Windows XP implies disc cloning, as simply copying files on the disc would render the disc unbootable.

>a storage device like a server is what the EULA says.
Servers don't have hard drives?

>I think you may have copied that EULA from a multi licensed version
Instead of making wild guesses, you could... hmm, nah I'll just give you the link and let you see for yourself:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/eula/home.mspx

>They don't want you running two versions at once with the same
>license. Yes you can make a backup every company allows that. A
>backup in no way means backing it up to another hard drive that
>also runs it; it means putting it on a form of storage (like a cd or
>dvd) for later use in case of a emergency.
You're confused. Cloning hard drives doesn't imply running the hard drives concurrently on different machines, it means cloning -- just that. In many cases cloning is used for backups, in other cases it's used when upgrading hard drives (and the user doesn't want to reinstall from scratch).

Obviously if you don't own enough licenses for the number of running instances of XP, you're breaking the law, but like I've said already, the act of cloning isn't illegal. You could just use the XP install disc multiple times, and you'd be a criminal, plain and simple.

Sorry, I think John A might be right... we do appear to have gone rather of topic.

Yes Korento, You can LEGALLY clone your hard drive onto an upgrade as long as you don't use the two at the same time.

Now I don't actually know of any hard disk cloning packages however some people will. If you want to clone an XP disc (to keep a backup of it) then you can use a program like Alcohol 120%. However the second you install XP on a second machine that is in use at the same time as you original machine you are breaking the EULA.

Sorry John A I think people realise what you are saying and we all understand what the various terms mean but I believe the argument (or discussion) is continuing because we are all talking about slightly different things.

and because the eee-pc uses a solid state flash disk of sorts its going to be harder to clone it ,will need to clone to external device i assumme .

A fun Sunday afternoon project:
http://beta.ivancover.com/wiki/index...es#Flash_drive

(Note: while they don't actually replace the hard drive, they effectively add another 4 GB to the computer's internal Flash solid state memory.)

interesting!