Reply #5: Clarification ... [View All]

[RoyGBiv]

I'm not sure I understand the question. What operating system is on the machine now?

I'm inferring he's trying to set up a dual-boot system, but if that's the case, the only reason to install XP Pro on the second drive would be if some OS other than Windoze is already running the system. If the current OS is some flavor of Windoze, then installing an OS on the second drive is pointless. The one OS runs the whole system and all its drives.

So, I'm confused. I'm assuming he already has Windoze running the system. If so, the second drive is just additional hardware, and he needs no new license. The reason you're getting the answers about adding something else other than Windoze is most likely due to a similar assumption. Most people who add a second drive and put an OS on it use something other than Windoze because they already have that.

Anyway, the basic rule of a Windoze license is that each serial number may be active on only one machine at any given time. (The fuller explanation is much more complicated, and if you have a mass-produced machine that came pre-installed with Windoze, the license may or may not be tied to that one machine.)