Mac,
I'm not sure how extensively XP checks the HDD before deciding that it has been pirated
The hardware checked is as follows: Serial number of system volume; NIC MAC address; CDROM; graphics adapter; CPU; hard drive; SCSI adapter; IDE controller; processor model; RAM size. There's also a check to see if the hardware is dockable or not.
You're only likely to have to repeat the activation process and get a new unlock key if you change more than three of these components.
I have used Ghost many times to clone a drive, when swapping drives in the same computer and WinXP does not even hiccup. If you clone the drive and put it in another comp, WinXP will at the very least need a repair, and trigger the Windows Product Activation (WPA) system.
Take Care,
Richard
P.S. Here is the
Inside Windows Product Activation details.