Does Ghost copy protected software?

  • Thread starter Thread starter robertfeduniak
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robertfeduniak

I plan to install a new, larger hard drive. The old one has several
copy-protected programs. If I use Ghost to copy the old drive onto the
new one will these programs work? If so, does that mean that Ghost
effectively circumvents copy-protection, since either hard drive could
be used on a second machine?
 
I plan to install a new, larger hard drive. The old one has several
copy-protected programs. If I use Ghost to copy the old drive onto the
new one will these programs work?
Click to expand...

Yes they will if you Clone the drive.

If so, does that mean that Ghost
effectively circumvents copy-protection, since either hard drive could
be used on a second machine?
Click to expand...

No, not at all. As well, if the hardware isn't the same in a different machine
you'll have some work to do to straighten it out.


--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
 
Brian,

What if the second machine is identical to the first? My wife has the
same laptop as mine--the one in which I'm replacing the hard drive?

Thanks for the response.

Bob Feduniak
 
robertfeduniak said:
I plan to install a new, larger hard drive. The old one has several
copy-protected programs. If I use Ghost to copy the old drive onto
the new one will these programs work? If so, does that mean that
Ghost effectively circumvents copy-protection, since either hard
drive could be used on a second machine?
Click to expand...

Brian said:
Yes they will if you Clone the drive.

No, not at all. As well, if the hardware isn't the same in a
different machine you'll have some work to do to straighten it out.
Click to expand...
What if the second machine is identical to the first? My wife has
the same laptop as mine--the one in which I'm replacing the hard
drive?
Click to expand...

Even if the machines were not identical - the only thing keeping you from
applying that ghost image to another machine and perhaps using a repair
install to fix any hardware discrepancies is the license agreement. From a
strictly technical standpoint - everything will work.

You will be breaking your OEM agreement.
 
Brian/Shenan,

Thanks very much for your responses. They've helped me understand the
situation. FWIW, the question I posted crossed my mind because, about
two years ago, my laptop hard drive crashed about two days after I'd
downloaded a several hundred dollar web-design program. I salvaged the
data/files/programs via a "slave" setup to a second machine, but the
web-design program wouldn't work. I respect copy protection, but this
didn't seem quite fair. (The crash was caused by a bug in my Sony's
"hibernate" routine, not by me). So Ghosting a hard drive struck me as
a possibly sensible and fair way to address this risk in the future.

Bob Feduniak
 
Brian/Shenan,

Thanks very much for your responses. They've helped me understand the
situation. FWIW, the question I posted crossed my mind because, about
two years ago, my laptop hard drive crashed about two days after I'd
downloaded a several hundred dollar web-design program. I salvaged the
data/files/programs via a "slave" setup to a second machine, but the
web-design program wouldn't work. I respect copy protection, but this
didn't seem quite fair. (The crash was caused by a bug in my Sony's
"hibernate" routine, not by me). So Ghosting a hard drive struck me as
a possibly sensible and fair way to address this risk in the future.

Bob Feduniak
Click to expand...

Just keep in mind that for every method at defeating copy
protection, there are also counter-measures, depending on
the level of sophistication to which the developer pursues
to protect the product. While restoring from a disc image
file to the same computer might offer the least of problems,
any changes within the same computer prior to restoring a
disc image could be sufficient, depending on how a developer
might, for instance, use checksums of hardware or software,
to validate the application.
 
There were some older programs that noted the exact physical area of
installation on the hard drive. These, at best, are difficult to clone and
remain operable.
 
Brian/Shenan,

Thanks very much for your responses. They've helped me understand the
situation. FWIW, the question I posted crossed my mind because, about
two years ago, my laptop hard drive crashed about two days after I'd
downloaded a several hundred dollar web-design program. I salvaged the
data/files/programs via a "slave" setup to a second machine, but the
web-design program wouldn't work. I respect copy protection, but this
didn't seem quite fair. (The crash was caused by a bug in my Sony's
"hibernate" routine, not by me). So Ghosting a hard drive struck me as
a possibly sensible and fair way to address this risk in the future.
Click to expand...

Without wanting to get into an argument, you did buy the program with copy
protection, so you should have investigated it's conditions and
restrictions, right? I don't see where you should think wasn't quite fair
since you made the decision to go with it in the first place.
 
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