Formatted Laptop and Can't Reinstall Hoster

[gduns - with the Lord]

I presume you are refering to the admin post that states that reinstalling windows may change the serial number, and it will make hoster think it is a different machine..

this is true. when you reinstall windows and you have to re-register microsoft gives you a different serial number. I have done this many times with customers.

when you do the Hard drive clone, you are retaining your old windows identity
and you wont have to re-register anything.