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Resolved Question

Hard Drive Switch Selector

by Apr 1, 2015 5:07AM PDT

I have fitted a Mitron Duplus Hard Drive Switch to my desk top computer. I have installed two new hard drives. I have installed a Windows 7 Professional retail OS on one of the drives.
My question is - could I legally install the same OS on my second hard drive. As I understand, it is the chip in the motherboard that recognises the OS, so perhaps it will see it as the same OS.
As the OS is full retail, I don't think I will be doing anything illegal, but thought I would check with you good people before I proceed.

Many thanks

Discussion is locked

waggoner has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
15 Posts
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Best Answer

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First, I've never heard of this chip story.
by Forum moderator Apr 1, 2015 5:32AM PDT

Second the OS is licensed per machine (most licenses) so you are free to install it on as many drives as you wish on that PC.

Should be fine.
Bob

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Thanks
by waggoner Apr 1, 2015 5:45AM PDT

I appreciate your reply. I will go ahead with installing the OS on the second drive.

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Not true
by mejustsayin Apr 1, 2015 6:44AM PDT

You CANNOT install the same os using the same key on the same computer multiple of times. read the eula that comes with win7. It says

2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.
a. One Copy per Computer. You may install one copy of the software on one computer. That
computer is the "licensed computer."

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Grinding it too finely?
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 1, 2015 6:46AM PDT

Having had this discussion in Redmond at one of the OEM seminars, it's not a problem. Not police or MSFT will come after you. Now if you did this to another PC, another story. Not only that, but if it does violate the rules, the activation will fail.
Bob

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going by the rules
by mejustsayin Apr 1, 2015 7:23AM PDT

I am just saying what the license that was agreed to says. There is always a chance the genuine test will be change and both installs of the os is declared non-genuine because of eula violation in the future. You never know what microsoft is going to do next. besides, doesn't cnet in their tos also forbids illegal activity and that includes piracy which is what multiple installs is.

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Your choice.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 1, 2015 7:29AM PDT

I had the discussion at an OEM meeting in Redmond years ago. Your interpretation would forbid cloning the drive since that's a second install.
Bob

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Retail Windows licenses allow you to
by orlbuckeye Apr 1, 2015 11:40PM PDT

install on multiple machines as long as only one copy is running at a time. It would be illegal if it were an OEM copy of Windows. Since you can't run 2 OS's on a physical machine at the same time. Now if it was a VM for the second machine then it would count as 2 machines and technically be illegal.



I agree with Bob on this.

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Answer
You have a strange way of doing thing here.
by Apr 1, 2015 5:55AM PDT

Let us know how it come out. Good luck.

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My reason for doing this
by waggoner Apr 1, 2015 6:37AM PDT

As the hard drive switch completely isolates one hard drive from the other, installing the operating system on both drives, lets me use one drive for myself and the other for my wife and children. Should they mess things up (again), it does not affect the hard drive I use for work.

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Forgot to mention
by waggoner Apr 1, 2015 7:16AM PDT

I had thought of cloning the second hard drive from the first, this would save installing the OS from scratch.

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(NT) I'd do and have done that!
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 1, 2015 7:18AM PDT
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Decided against
by waggoner Apr 1, 2015 9:15PM PDT

With some reluctance I have decided to err on the side of caution and not to install the OS on both hard drives. To my mind this opens up the question - if cloning a hard drive including the OS is illegal, why have I seen it recommended so many times as a means of back up? Surely cloning the hard drive every couple of months is an ideal way of keeping an accurate back up.

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Re: cloning
by Kees_B Forum moderator Apr 1, 2015 10:04PM PDT

Making a backup copy of something is not illegal. Only running that copy on another PC is.

Kees

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A cloned hard drive isn't a bad idea
by Steven Haninger Apr 1, 2015 10:51PM PDT

It's better to keep it detached or on the shelf, however. It's not the best idea, IMO, for switching users or purposes. I do recall some issues trying to do that with XP. For some reason, the OS didn't like seeing its twin and caused some booting issues.

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Sorry
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 2, 2015 12:45AM PDT

I was using the idea put forth by someone to show that cloning (backup) would by extension be illegal. It's not. Sorry if I confused you here.

To reduce incidents, setup the other user then change their account to less than "administrator."
Bob

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