Ryan McBeth
The Secret ID That Tracks You
This Is Why VPN Users Still Get Caught https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0pFznEJf14

Can't stand this guy's noisy and overly melodramatic presentation style,
but sometimes he comes up with useful information, so occasionally I
watch particular geo-politics videos. This one about Windows happened
to catch my eye.

Spoiler alert: Basically, the video discusses that each Windows
installation has a unique ID that can be used to track individual
devices, regardless of VPN use, etc.

--

Fake news kills!

I may be contacted via the contact address given on my website: www.macfh.co.uk

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Windows, VPNs, & Privacy - A YT Video That Might Be Of Interest To Some

On Wed, 7/8/2026 3:33 PM, Java Jive wrote:

Ryan McBeth
The Secret ID That Tracks You
This Is Why VPN Users Still Get Caught https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0pFznEJf14

Can't stand this guy's noisy and overly melodramatic presentation style,
but sometimes he comes up with useful information, so occasionally I watch particular geo-politics videos.ÿ This one about Windows happened to catch my eye.

Spoiler alert:ÿ Basically, the video discusses that each Windows installation has a unique ID that can
be used to track individual devices, regardless of VPN use, etc.

In the WinXP era, we learned how the license for an OEM installation,
was tied to hardware information.

CPU - no serial number (only one known exception, PIII maybe)
RAM - each DIMM is serialzed
NIC - MAC address is unique (purchased from IEEE in "blocks")
Firewire - MAC address (Firewire is capable of TCP/IP as well, TCP/IP support removed W10)
Motherboard - may have some kind of number (one is present on the outside of the box), check the DMI.
HDD - drives can be swapped, so not a strong indcator

The one that counted the most, is the NIC MAC. This might be why (Magically)
at some point, motherboard makers had to have an onboard NIC, rather than
the customer fitting their own RealTek 5139 PCI card. There was a time, when low end motherboards were missing a lot of stuff, and you had to add PCI cards to bring them up to level.

One motherboard (NF2 based), the flasher could change the MAC of
the chipset NIC and the add-on Firewire. That's getting a little closer
to anonymization capability.

The Diagnostic Data Viewer in Windows, if you examine the outgoing telemetry, it is chock full of repeats of various "identifiers". So while it is true, that

slmgr /dlv

shows a variety of numbers for the install (an install that can be moved
from machine to machine!), the bedrock identifiers are the hardware itself.
So while Intel is avoiding the embarrassment of being caught holding
a serial number, the equipment still has usable materials.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Windows, VPNs, & Privacy - A YT Video That Might Be Of Interest To Some

On 2026-07-08 21:33, Java Jive wrote:

Ryan McBeth
The Secret ID That Tracks You
This Is Why VPN Users Still Get Caught https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0pFznEJf14

Can't stand this guy's noisy and overly melodramatic presentation style,
but sometimes he comes up with useful information, so occasionally I
watch particular geo-politics videos.ÿ This one about Windows happened
to catch my eye.

Spoiler alert:ÿ Basically, the video discusses that each Windows installation has a unique ID that can be used to track individual
devices, regardless of VPN use, etc.

I did not watch the video, I prefer reading. Here is a written piece
instead:

<https://www.pcmag.com/news/a-hackers-arrest-reveals-microsoft-can-track-users-via-a-windows-device>

*A Hacker's Arrest Reveals Microsoft Can Track Users Via a Windows
Device ID*

The FBI used a Microsoft device identifier, dubbed GDID, to link a
teenager to a hack attributed to Scattered Spider, raising privacy red
flags about Windows' surveillance capabilities.



--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.
ES??, EU??;

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Windows, VPNs, & Privacy - A YT Video That Might Be Of Interest To Some

On 07/08/2026 10:16 PM, Paul wrote:

The Diagnostic Data Viewer in Windows, if you examine the outgoing telemetry, it is chock full of repeats of various "identifiers". So while it is true, that

slmgr /dlv

shows a variety of numbers for the install (an install that can be moved
from machine to machine!), the bedrock identifiers are the hardware itself. So while Intel is avoiding the embarrassment of being caught holding
a serial number, the equipment still has usable materials.

Paul

Even with slmgr /dlv the information may not always appear consistent
with expectation, especially in some instances where a retail product
key(not OEM) was used to install the original o/s then later upgraded to
the next/later os(free upgrade e.g. [W7 > W10] or [W7 > W10 > W11] or
[W10 > W11] or [Home to Pro with a retail Pro Key]).

All retail at start and all retail as seen/shown in slmgr /dlv
Operating Sytem - Retail Channel
Product Key Channel - Retail
License URL - Retail
License status - Licensed

...but with
Remaining Windows rearm count = 1001
Remaining SKU rearm count = 1001

1001, technically is not strictly 'retail' as it is also the identifier
for Volume Licensing (e.g. KMS i.e. corporate server) or Unactivated.
Even so, the 1001 is irrelevant for retail installs where 1001 is also a generic value, effectively set as an endless placeholder.


--
...w­¤?ñ?¤

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: Windows, VPNs, & Privacy - A YT Video That Might Be Of Interest To Some

On 07/08/2026 3:33 PM, Java Jive wrote:

Ryan McBeth
The Secret ID That Tracks You
This Is Why VPN Users Still Get Caught https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0pFznEJf14

Can't stand this guy's noisy and overly melodramatic presentation style,
but sometimes he comes up with useful information, so occasionally I
watch particular geo-politics videos.ÿ This one about Windows happened
to catch my eye.

Spoiler alert:ÿ Basically, the video discusses that each Windows installation has a unique ID that can be used to track individual
devices, regardless of VPN use, etc.

Well, more spin and from content generated and originated elsewhere.
- i.e. not McBeth, but re-re-reporting for follower #s/likes purposes.



--
...w­¤?ñ?¤

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)