Is the ProductID unique? Hardware hash?

[qjchen]

I know that ProductID is send with the hardware hash for activation. Is
the product ID unique? My guess is unique for individual users BUT NOT
for volume licensed users, NOR OEM build image.

What I am trying to do is to get the unque identity of the machine.
Since MS alreay doing this in the Activation process and we don't have
the resource to re-invent the wheel. We might as well just use it.

I also found that in Registry there SigningHash I can get. But I have
two on my machine. I erase the original OEM install from DELL and
re-installed and activated it. So how can I tell which one is the one I
am using.

Thanks

John

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Download and run the program available from this website..

http://www.belarc.com

 

[kurttrail]

I know that ProductID is send with the hardware hash for activation.
Is the product ID unique?

The product ID is just an encrypted form of the Product Key, so yes it
is unique, unless some one used the keygen to com up with you PK. The
hardware hash is not unique.

My guess is unique for individual users BUT
NOT for volume licensed users, NOR OEM build image.

In respect that they use the same PK, you are correct. But it doesn't
matter since those kind of installs don't require PA.

What I am trying to do is to get the unque identity of the machine.
Since MS alreay doing this in the Activation process and we don't have
the resource to re-invent the wheel. We might as well just use it.

I also found that in Registry there SigningHash I can get. But I have
two on my machine. I erase the original OEM install from DELL and
re-installed and activated it. So how can I tell which one is the one
I am using.

You shouldn't have had to activate your Dell as long as it was installed
on a Dell Machine.

Did you have to type in a PK before, during or immediately after the
install?


--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Q. John Chen]

Thanks for your answers.

What I am trying to do is get a unique ID of my user's machine. So I
can apply similar activation logic for my software without re-inventing
the wheel.

So, ProductID is NOT unique in case of Volume lincensed users. Even
they do not have to activate, is there still a hardware hash created on
there machine?

Anyway, I think that I can make use of the Registry Entry in WPA but I
don't really sure which is which. On my machine.
WPA
Key-AAAAAAAA
Key-BBBBBBBB
SigningHash-XXXXXXXXXXX
SigningHash-YYYYYYYYY

Both contents in the Keys are the same

Thanks

John
p.s. As for my DELL, that was long time ago. All I remembered was my
Network card did not work for the Cable modem and I was instructed to
reinstall everything.

 

[Don Schmidt]

Logic tells me the Product ID is the same for all copies of Windows of the
same type, i.e., blue boxes on the shelf at the store. There may (probably)
be a different Product ID for all OEM copies say from Dell and maybe an
other for Gateway and maybe another for the OEM package sold to shops who
build computers.

The ProductKey is another thing. I believe every copy of Windows has an
unique 25 alphanumeric code.

Think of the Product ID as a part number and the ProductKey as a serial
number.

BelArc Advisor will give you both the Product ID and the ProductKey for your
computer.

 

[Q. John Chen]

My understanding is that ProductID is generated, partly I guess, based
on ProductKey.

 

[kurttrail]

My understanding is that ProductID is generated, partly I guess, based
on ProductKey.

Totally generated from the PK. The problem comes when the same PK is
used to install windows on multiple machines, so what you need to find
out is if Volume Licenses are installed with one key, or if a different
key is used for each install.

Also you'd want to find out if OEM PIDs are generated from the OEM image
PK, or the PK on the COA.

On those two points I can't help you with.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Q. John Chen]

On those two points I can't help you with.

Now I am stuck. Any one point out my a direction?

 

[Q. John Chen]

I think that I can NOT use ProductID as unique machine id - due to OEM
image.

I just compared, running DelArc Advisor, two machines ProductID (one
dell, the other Compaq). They have different key but had almost
identical ProductID (only differ in the last digit). Dell ends with
102 and Compaq ends with 101. An accident?

On the other hand, same ProductKey may generate different ProductID ---
the last THREE digits are random.

 

[Don Schmidt]

I don't think so. It's the ProductKey that is used to generate the license
number. This is the number posted in My Computer, Properties, General tab,
under the Registration information.

 

[Q. John Chen]

You call it license number. It is the ProductID we are talking about.
Look at IE help menu/ about Internet Explorer, or
Look ProductID value in Registry under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SYSTEM
WPA <----- Windows Product Activation
Key-xxxxx