All:
Thank you for all the posts regarding my dongle backup request. Of course I never want to be a party to an unscrupulous arrangement but it does not comfort me to be told that the solution to the dongle vunerability problem is "to take good care of my dongle". The very nature of an accident is that it is not intentional.
I remember reading somewhere many years ago to a similar dongle inquiry that Bret suggested taking out an insurance policy out to protect the dongle. Of course, premiums can rapidly overtake the cost of the dongle and an entire Hauptwerk software replacement. I would have thought that there would have been a better way. On my computer, the dongle sticks out the front just above the on/off button and is begging to be broken off. I would put the dongle in the rear of the computer out of the way but all,the ports are occupied with other Hauptwerk related hardware, etc.
Doesn't Microsoft have DVD's that are one-time use only ? I think so. They have figured out a way that the discs can't be copied. If they can do that, perhaps they could figure out to program in one extra copy for customers to make a one-time backup for similar situations such a lost or damaged discs, hard drives, etc. same for,the dongle. Just a thought.
Fortunately my accident was averted and it reminded me to recess the computer into the console even more.