Hi, MIke.
SOME software is licensed for installation on only a single computer. That
software MIGHT require you to uninstall it on the original computer (with
the original media in the drive so that the uninstallation can be recorded
there) before it will install on a second one. And it might not know the
difference between a "new" computer and a "reformatted" hard drive with a
"new" operating system.
That limitation is NOT imposed by Windows, but by the application. I have
not run into this limitation on any software that I've installed in the past
dozen or more years.
Just make sure that you have your original installation disks or other media
handy before reformatting the hard disk. If you installed downloaded
applications, be sure you preserve that download - or that you can download
it again after the clean install.
And, of course, be sure that you have all your own data (which does not
exist anywhere else in the world!) preserved and that it can be recovered
after the clean install. (Many users have multiple backups - but have never
tested to be sure that those backups can be restored.)
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64