this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2026
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Microsoft admits Windows 11 has a GDID tracker with no off switch, first documented publicly in an FBI hacker complaint (www.windowslatest.com)
submitted 2 days ago by inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[โ€“] cley_faye@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If it was registered, probably. They use a mixture of that to allow re-enabling the same license on the same hardware.

[โ€“] The_Decryptor@aussie.zone 1 points 1 day ago

OEM systems come with the license key stored in the firmware (ACPI tables specifically), you can read them from *nix easily enough.

sudo strings /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM

If you boot the system and login an account then yeah they'll be able to link that, but the install itself can "self activate".