Truly unique Identifier for a machine.

[Mufasa]

I'm looking for a way to get a truly unique identifier for a machine for our
client software. I'd like to have it so that there's little or no setup by
the end user. (We set up the machines and then ship them out for most cases
but some of our customers do provide their own machines.) Our concern is if
somebody takes one of our machines and ghosts it so they have a complete
copy of the machine, it will allow them to continue working.

We are currently using the Mac Address but there are situations, like with
cellular modems, where the Mac Address isn't neccessarily unique and also
that it could change.

Does anybody know of anything that is truly unique for each and every
machine that we can use as a unique Identifier that's not the mac address?

TIA - Jeff.

 

[Ignacio Machin ( .NET/ C# MVP )]

I'm looking for a way to get a truly unique identifier for a machine for our
client software. I'd like to have it so that there's little or no setup by
the end user. (We set up the machines and then ship them out for most cases
but some of our customers do provide their own machines.) Our concern is if
somebody takes one of our machines and ghosts it so they have a complete
copy of the machine, it will allow them to continue working.

Personally my recommendation is that you forget it and move forward,
if BIG companies like MS, Adobe, etc have been unable to protect 100%
theirs software it's really imposible to do.

We are currently using the Mac Address but there are situations, like with
cellular modems, where the Mac Address isn't neccessarily unique and also
that it could change.

You could create a combination of HDD id, MAC, processor ID, etc. That
would be unique, but no matter what you use it can change and you have
to account that into the activation process

 

[Marc Gravell]

No such thing. Besides, most (including MAC) can be spoofed. And
consider also virtual machines; I can have 5 identical copies of the
same machine (depending on whether I choose to run sysprep or not)...

Marc

 

[Peter Bromberg [C# MVP]]

There is no foolproof method. MAC Addresess can easily be changed using free
utilties like EtherChange.
You could get the CPU ID, that is something that rarely changes. You will
need to search around for some code to do that, I don't happen to have mine
handy.
Peter