"Ingvaard" <Ingvaard@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news

3006142-45BA-42E0-89DC-3C0F74419BFF@xxxxxx
> So does this mean I can do as many clean installs as I like on my machine?
>
> What about hardware configuration. If I have to replace my motherboard or
> hard-drive, will Vista consider that a 'new' computer? Where is that line
> drawn? If you pretend you are M$ when you read the EULA, you might believe that
changing the case or monitor or mouse is all it takes to be a 'new'
computer. You might even think that multibooting between four separate
installations of Vista on a single hard drive is violating the EULA, even
though only one installation can be used at any one time. Most of us have
no problem with making a duplicate of the installation CD/DVD. That is
probably covered under the fair-use laws. Most of us have no problem
imaging the hard drive and saving one or more copies of that image (you are
not really backed up until your backup is backed up). That dormant image
should be no more legal than a dormant bootable partition. Yes, it is kind
of a fuzzy line and you have to decide where the line is and what side of it
you want to be on. Microsoft purposely worded the fuzziness into the EULA.
Yes, on multiple occasions you can do clean installs on the same computer.
If you activate every time, the system may flag 'too many installs' and
require phone activation, but M$ does understand that people can have good
reason to install multiple times. I would try to avoid this by not
activating until absolutely necessary, after the 30 to 120 day trial period.