Can you install a program on a portable hard drive that requires a serial key to install the program?

My father has a test prep program he needs to install, and the program can only be installed twice. It was already installed once by another user, he purchased the program online from the former user.
The program requires a serial key to be installed.

We were just wondering, could the program be installed on a portable hard drive and then used on multiple computers, or would it only be able to be used on the computer it was installed from on the portable?

It’s not malicious, we were just wondering as he is thinking of installing it on his work laptop, but he’s supposed to get a new one in a month, and thereby that would be no good, so a portable installation would come in handy, but is it possible, or would the program not work from the drive on another computer?
Windows XP

I believe it depends on the specific program and also type of computer(s) you are using. But in my experience, if it says it can only be installed twice, it can only be installed twice. You might be able to transfer the program from you dad’s laptop to his new computer when he gets the new one but, again, I don’t know what platform you are using, etc.

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