One thing I have really never understood is say for instance if I want to migrate to an SSD from a mechanical HDD on the same computer, do I go this this process of deactivation and uninstalling and then reinstall and activate on a new SSD once the mechanical HDD has been replaced?
Technically I am still using the same computer, just the storage medium is new.
It clearly states "Release - DeActivate Band-in-a-Box on this PC, so you can use it on another PC.
I guess the question I need answered is if I can re-activate it on this same PC. After all, I don't want to use it on another PC, I want to reuse it on the same PC but with a new SSD. None of the hardware components have changed. The Mother Board, Video Card, Memory and other peripherals have not changed, just the storage medium, nor has the Operating System changed.
Back in 2017, I upgraded an old PC to a new SSD and when I went through this process, the re-activation would not take and I had to call tech support to get it fixed. Same PC, new SSD.
The answer to your question may depend on what method you choose to duplicate the stored data. Most programs offer two choices; image and clone. Generally speaking, software programs are more likely to require re-authorization when you select to image hard drive data versus when select to clone hard drive data.
Many people select to image hard drive data when the storage capacity differs between the original and replacement drives. My theory is the changes the program makes to accommodate the storage capacity are likely to "alert" the software that the physical environment changed.
However when a drive is cloned the copy is exactly the same all the way down to the bit level. Nothing is moved so operating system data like file and address pointers is not modified in any way, shape or form.
Of course if a software program uses the hard drive ID or other hardware IDs as part of the information it collects for authorization then the program would still require re-authorization.