Win10 Hardware ID - What IDs are actually being used?

Hej!

I know this has already been discussed in various places before, but even after long research via the board's search and Google, I have not found a "final" or up-to-date summary or analysis.

Does anyone have any idea what device IDs are currently checked to identify hardware in Windows 10?

It's definitely more than the hardware UUID, MAC, and drive ID... I've changed them all in VirtualBox and VMware for testing propose, but never got an activated clone.

Best regards,
fsound

 

Maybe this one?
https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/save-activation-file-for-use-later-in-fresh-installs.82178
and especially
https://forums.mydigitallife.net/th...e-later-in-fresh-installs.82178/#post-1614122

 

A Chinese OEM from Alibaba has sent me these details for Windows 10 activation:

• SmbiosSystemManufacturer
• SmbiosSystemProductName
• SmbiosSystemSerialNumber
• SmbiosSkuNumber
• SmbiosSystemFamily
• SmbiosUuid
• MacAddress
• DiskSerialNumber
• TpmVersion
• TPM EkPubHash

 

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I was able to generate a report. (xxxxxxxx = blanked details, (null) = not found)

Code:

Decoded Hardware Hash:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<HardwareReport>
        <HardwareInventory>
                <p n="ToolVersion" v="5" />
                <p n="HardwareInventoryVersion" v="131" />
                <p n="ToolBuild" v="10.0.19041.1" />
                <p n="OSType" v="WOW64" />
                <p n="OsCpuArchitecture" v="x86" />
                <p n="OsBuild" v="10.0.19041.928" />
                <p n="OsSystemTime" v="2021-05-01T13:41:58Z" />
                <p n="OsLocalTime" v="2021-05-01T15:41:58+02:00" />
                <p n="ProcessorModel" v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="ProcessorPackages" v="1" />
                <p n="ProcessorThreads" v="1" />
                <p n="ProcessorCores" v="1" />
                <p n="ProcessorHyperThreading" v="false" />
                <p n="SmbiosRamArrayCount" v="0" />
                <p n="SmbiosRamSlots" v="0" />
                <p n="SmbiosRamErrorCorrection" v="Null" />
                <p n="SmbiosRamMaximumCapacity" v="0" />
                <p n="TotalPhysicalRAM" v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="SmbiosFirmwareVendor" v="innotek GmbH" />
                <p n="SmbiosSystemManufacturer" v="innotek GmbH" />
                <p n="SmbiosSystemProductName" v="VirtualBox" />
                <p n="SmbiosSystemSerialNumber" v="0" />
                <p n="SmbiosUuid" v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="SmbiosSkuNumber" v="SMBIOS_STRING_INDEX_0" />
                <p n="SmbiosSystemFamily" v="Virtual Machine" />
                <p n="SmbiosSystemVersion" v="1.2" />
                <p n="SmbiosBoardManufacturer" v="Oracle Corporation" />
                <p n="SmbiosBoardProduct" v="VirtualBox" />
                <p n="SmbiosBoardVersion" v="1.2" />
                <p n="ChassisType" v="0x78" />
                <p n="Disk1.DiskCapacity" v="53" />
                <p n="Disk1.DiskType" v="HDD" />
                <p n="Disk1.StorageBusType" v="SATA" />
                <p n="Disk1.IncursSeekPenalty" v="255" />
                <p n="Disk1.TrimEnabled" v="0" />
                <p n="Disk1.DiskSerialNumber" v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx|VBOX HARDDISK|" />
                <p n="InternalDiskCount" v="1" />
                <p n="TotalDiskCapacity" v="53" />
                <p n="OpticalDiskDriveType" v="true" />
                <p n="DisplayResolutionHorizontal" v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="DisplayResolutionVertical" v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="DisplaySizePhysicalH" v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="DisplaySizePhysicalY " v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="DigitizerSupportID" v="(null)" />
                <p n="PowerPlatformRole" v="Desktop" />
                <p n="GpuCount" v="1" />
                <p n="Gpu1.DedicatedVideoMemory" v="0" />
                <p n="Gpu1.DedicatedSystemMemory" v="0" />
                <p n="Gpu1.RemovalPolicy" v="NoRemoval" />
                <p n="Gpu1.InLocalMachineContainer" v="true" />
                <p n="Gpu1.Manufacturer" v="Oracle Corporation" />
                <p n="Gpu1.Model" v="VirtualBox Graphics Adapter (WDDM)" />
                <p n="Status" v="0x00000000" />
                <p n="OfflineDeviceIdType" v="REGISTRY_VARIABLE_RANDOMSEED" />
                <p n="OfflineDeviceId" v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="DiskSSNKernel" v="xxxxxxxxxxxxxx|VBOX HARDDISK|" />
        </HardwareInventory>
</HardwareReport>

Code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<HardwareHashQualityCheckResult>
        <InvalidCriticalField>
                <p n="ProductKeyID" v="xxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="MacAddress" v="xxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="SmbiosSystemSerialNumber" v="xxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="TPMVersion" v="(null)" />
                <p n="TPM EkPub" v="(null)" />
        </InvalidCriticalField>
        <InvalidImportantField>
                <p n="ChassisType" v="0x78" />
                <p n="Display1.ResolutionHorizontal" v="xxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="Display1.ResolutionVertical" v="xxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="Display1.DisplaySizePhysicalH" v="xxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="Display1.DisplaySizePhysicalV" v="xxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="OSType" v="WOW64" />
                <p n="ProcessorHyperThreading" v="xxxxxxxx" />
                <p n="ProductKeyPkPn" v="xxxxxxxx" />
        </InvalidImportantField>
</HardwareHashQualityCheckResult>

Seems like the "Critical Fields" are most important. And when they don't match, additional details from "Important Fields" are gathered.

 

That's what I'm trying to figure out right now. I strongly assume that Microsoft does not invent the wheel twice and uses the same procedures in different areas "in-house".

I hope to figure out, what's really significant at a hardware change.

 

This is a popular opinion, but it has never been studied in detail. CPU, for example, isn't an important value. I've just moved the VM from an AMD host to an Intel host and the machine is still activated. I've replaced the virtual NIC and changed the MAC. Additionally, I've changed the disk drive's serial number and volume number, it's still activated. Also GPU is one of those urban legends.

The HardwareHash is verified on probabilities and that's what I'm trying to figure out.

 

Believe it or not: There are also people on this board who use licenses legally. I don't want to tie my licenses to Microsoft accounts because our main users change more often. Therefore, if one is in possession of a legal license, it is of interest to keep the activation when moving or resetting a virtual machine.

It's research... maybe as senseless as flying to Mars

Yeah, it's verified on a probability level. Maybe your LAN card was higher rated.

 

In Germany, for the first time, there have recently been some raids and hundrets of charges because users have bought cheap license keys via eBay. BUT: Microsoft is apparently not suing here, but the public prosecutor's office. However, the whole thing was initiated by Microsoft, but they are apparently NOT the plaintiff (but just the state prosecution is).

On-topic:
Damn yeah. I was able to deactivate the machine and reactivate it by modifying the DMI table. Stay tuned. I'm writing it up.

Edit: Might take a while, since I need to reboot the machine each time I'm changing a value :-(