Unfortunately neither a backup nor a restore point will guarantee that I can easily get everything back to the previous state, as the installation and the data files exist in various different places across the disk. It would also mean I can't install anything else to the system during the trial period which is a no-go.

That is why I did not suggest it originally. But you have you answers albeit not from an authoritative source.

Yep, just waiting for someone to speak up either from authority or from experience. Thanks for the comments so far.

Yup - I certainly agree with holding off until we all know for sure - that was how I had attempted to phrase my earlier comment.
 
Bob Bone
 

you could image the disk using acronis or similar?

Again, that requires that I don't do anything else of importance on my computer at all during the trial period.

different partition, multiboot?

new pc?

I'll just buy the recording studio down the road and install it in there.

Buy one that already has it