Can I backup my DRM registration for restore after factory reset (Win7 Pro 32 bit)?

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lyonrouge

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#93093 14-Nov-2011 11:08

My laptop is a mess (due to my poor discipline over the years), so I'm considering performing a "factory reset". All content is backed up, however I believe my DRM content is stored somewhere secret (registry perhaps), is there a way to back this up and restore it to the refreshed OS?

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#545056 14-Nov-2011 11:17

Just use the built-in backup and restore feature. That should work.

lyonrouge

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#545063 14-Nov-2011 11:24

I don't want to back up the whole setup as it's full of rubbish, I only want to backup the DRM

dontpanic42

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#545066 14-Nov-2011 11:31

Can you please elaborate a little more on what you mean by "DRM Registration"?

lyonrouge

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#545073 14-Nov-2011 11:38

On about a dozen of the BluRays I have bought, they included a "play anywhere" copy, which I have installed on my Laptop. As I understand it, these copies are "locked" to the laptop via the registration key, it is this relationship between the content and my laptop that I wish to preserve (possibly bound to the SID, really unsure of the mechanics).

dontpanic42

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#545079 14-Nov-2011 11:43

lyonrouge: On about a dozen of the BluRays I have bought, they included a "play anywhere" copy, which I have installed on my Laptop. As I understand it, these copies are "locked" to the laptop via the registration key, it is this relationship between the content and my laptop that I wish to preserve (possibly bound to the SID, really unsure of the mechanics).

Ah, I see.
Did you set them up on WMP or iTunes?

lyonrouge

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#545084 14-Nov-2011 11:49

Neither. The content seem to use native windows content management. The disc auto ran a menu, from that it offered Windows Media Player or iTunes, I chose Windows Media Player, entered the code and it copied the content to the location I selected (an external drive in may case as my laptop has limited solid state harddrive capacity).

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dontpanic42

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#545089 14-Nov-2011 11:56

I'm pretty sure it would be linked to Windows Media Player (WMP) in some way then.
I'm pretty sure that's how it works with iTunes.

I have a few Blu-ray "Digital Copy" films on iTunes. They are in my iTunes library, and whenever I do a fresh Windows install I can just reload my iTunes library in to a fresh install of iTunes and they are good to go. I believe it could be linked to my apple ID.

Maybe that's the difference between WMP and iTunes?
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how digital copies work with WMP.

trig42

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#545102 14-Nov-2011 12:25

Any help? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925705

lyonrouge

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#545126 14-Nov-2011 12:54

trig42: Any help? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925705

Looks very promising, I'll copy teh DRM store and a full backup before I refresh and will post my results back here.

lyonrouge

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#545133 14-Nov-2011 13:05

"Note You must contact any third-party stores from which you purchased music to reset the licenses for that music. If you have copied CDs to protected Windows Media Audio files, those CDs must be copied again.", I guess this applies to Movies also. I suspect I'll have to contact each distributor to re-register each movie.

lyonrouge

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#549249 24-Nov-2011 10:21

Well, that confirms it, you cannot restore DRM, even if it's the same machine, once reinstalled the DRM is lost and irrecoverable.

So, now that I know this, if I was to select iTunes instead of Windows Media Player, would my DRM material be registered against my iTunes account and hence be transferrable between up to 5 devices?

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#549261 24-Nov-2011 10:36

lyonrouge: if I was to select iTunes instead of Windows Media Player, would my DRM material be registered against my iTunes account and hence be transferrable between up to 5 devices?

If its from the iTunes store then yes.

lyonrouge

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#549272 24-Nov-2011 10:52

oh. The DRM I have are "Triple Play" BluRay.

codyc1515

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#549275 24-Nov-2011 10:54

lyonrouge: oh. The DRM I have are "Triple Play" BluRay.

Blu Ray+DVD+Digital Copy? Are you trying to backup the digital copy?

lyonrouge

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#549282 24-Nov-2011 11:03

codyc1515:
lyonrouge: oh. The DRM I have are "Triple Play" BluRay.

Blu Ray+DVD+Digital Copy? Are you trying to backup the digital copy?

Yes to the former, no to the latter. After poluting my laptop over the years I have restored it to factory, and in doing so lost all my DRM. So, going forward, I don't want to make the same mistake, most importantly, when I buy a new laptop in the next year or so, I want to be sure I don't lose my DRM.

<rant> it's ironic that trying to do things by the book have caused me so much trouble, if just downloaded it illegally I would not suffer this, and also I would not have to put up with BluRay software subbish and previews and I could just watch the damn material I bought. </rant>

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