Since software was distributed on 5 1/4" discs, software developers exploited dozens of tricky ways to identify media to prevent unauthorized copying. Usually without explaining to customers what might invalidate their software. In my case with Acrobat, I could find nothing in my user manuals, help nor advertising material that explained that running a disc restore on a new drive would use up an authorization. But it did. Without telling me. And I had to stop using Acrobat until I bought a new copy.
I have never seen any drive image software that promised a physically/electrically identical copy that could guarantee no authorization problems. Are there some? I pay for my software - but I have abandoned tools that are too hard to keep authenticated. Less common in the last 5 years and there really isn't a decent single source of so many fine tools as Adobe. And hard drives fail so much less often than they did in the 90's.
I was just hoping someone at Adobe could help me carry out a reasonable step that a customer might want to take. Thanks to Jose above for a good suggestion.