[Solved] HardDisk uuid - what is it in Windows guest

[sebus]

There were discussions:

Which changes trigger reactivation in a Windows guest?
http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic. ... &start=150

UUID Reporting to Guest
http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22357

But I would like to know what changes in Windows guest when HardDisk uuid is changed in VB config via VBoxManage internalcommands sethduuid
I can not find the value reported in Windows guest
It definitely is NOT:

Disk ID (as reported by diskpart detail disk)
Volume ID (as given by mountvol)
win32_computersystemproduct get uuid &
UUID as reported by dmidecode -t1
wmic DISKDRIVE get SerialNumber

(no matter what HardDisk uuid ALL above values are identical)

Yet something definitely changes (a software i am trying generates different own ID with Harddisk uuid value changed, hence it must somehow be accessible/reported in Windows, as it is win32 code that generates the ID)

Anybody knows what?

Thanks

sebus

[mpack]

I don't intend to investigate what those various tools are reporting, but basically the disk UUID is reported to the guest as a drive ID via DMI I believe. Windows guests see this change, though since Win7 this no longer contributes to the activation signature. Linux guests may fail to boot when the drive UUID changes, because some grub scripts use this ID to identify which disk to boot from.

Most machine signatures today would use the machine (motherboard) UUID, not a disk UUID. Perhaps you might weight drive UUID more in a laptop signature.

[sebus]

As stated already, NONE of the values for different values of HardDisk uuid that are reported in Windows are any different!
Unless there is something else that I did not check?

sebus

[mpack]

And as I already stated, I have no intention of spending time on researching what those tools report. I'll leave that homework to you. All I can apparantly assume is that those tools are not reporting the DMI drive ID.

[sebus]

So if so, do you know the tool that does? Bacause when I use the most logical (diskpart) I get:

HardDisk UUID="6d985532-e332-11e7-80c1-9a214cf093ae"
DISKPART> detail disk

VBOX HARDDISK ATA Device
Disk ID: F3F11EF2

wmic DISKDRIVE get SerialNumber
SerialNumber
42566436383935353233612d3965663334302063

C:\Users\Administrator>dir
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 668D-A2AE

HardDisk UUID="c83eca4c-e333-11e7-80c1-9a214cf093ae"
DISKPART> detail disk

VBOX HARDDISK ATA Device
Disk ID: F3F11EF2

wmic DISKDRIVE get SerialNumber
SerialNumber
42563863653361636334612d3965663334302063

when hext to text it gives most odd BV8ce3acc4a-9ef340 c instead of

wmic path win32_physicalmedia get Tag,SerialNumber
SerialNumber Tag
VBc83eca4c-ae93f04c \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE0
\\.\CDROM0

C:\Users\Administrator>dir
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 668D-A2AE

Exactly the same in either case

I am asking, as I have done all the homework I can. Assuming is not always correct...

edit:
In fact I the answer was already here, I just did not spot the difference in serialnumber (as it is displayed as long hex on Windows 7 32-bit and NOT text, but bytes reversed) - a discussion about it is here if anybody interested

How To Get Hardware Information (CPU ID, MainBoard Info, Hard Disk Serial, System Information , ...)

[sebus]

In my afternoon trials, force changing disk id by hand with diskpart / uniqueid disk id=XXXXXXXX does not make difference to the ID generated by software I am testing.
But changing HardDisk uuid (and ofcourse editing VB .xml, so it can boot) generates new ID by the software

Hence this value must be somehow "reported" to Windows, making the installation "looking" like a completely different hardware (the software has no way of knowing the value in xml which is outside the OS!)

sebus

[sebus]

Surely somebody (should) knows?

[erdeslawe]

It's nothing to do with VirtualBox, it's a Windows OS Question, so you are asking your question in the wrong place.

Just Google the question without mentioning VirtualBox.

One hint: You need to use Windows Command Line not the GUI, and; just in case this is your ultimate objective, 'NO' you there is no legitimate way to edit a hardware UUID to 'pretend' that you are using different hardware/get around software licensing restrictions that link some registered software to a specific hardware configuration. UUIDs are designed to be unique and static for a reason.

[sebus]

I am NOT asking about Hardware UUID, I am asking about HardDisk UUID (which should be only internal to VB for keeping track of its disks)
Yet it gets reported to Windows somehow

So yes, it is VB question, because that is the "hardware" that Windows runs on
GUI or CLI, instead of just "hinting", anybody actually have a clue as what HardDisk UUID gets reported to Windows ?

[mpack]

I am asking about HardDisk UUID (which should be only internal to VB for keeping track of its disks)

Says who? In fact the UUIDs are used for multiple things, rather than invent separate mechanisms for each requirement. Go off and Google for information about DMI, since your lack of knowledge on the subject is IS NOT a VirtualBox problem.

[sebus]

Don't be silly, NONE of the DMI changes when HardDidk UUID changes.
I can not state it plainer.
And please do not assume somebody else knowledge, by not being able to answer the question asked!

How about INSTEAD OF stating this and that & sending me away, you just answer this question (unless of course you do not know, which is OK, not knowing is not a crime)

[mpack]

I know with certainty that the hard disk UUID is visible to the guest (perhaps in an altered format). I know because it affects XP and other software activation and Linux grub boot. The exact mechanism by which the guest learns this disk ID is not something I've ever cared enough to find out. I assumed DMI or some similar BIOS mechanism, but if that isn't the case then I'm happy to believe you and leave you to find the correct one.

I can tell you that it isn't due to any VirtualBox code inside the guest. It must be a normal BIOS or hardware mechanism, e.g. DMI, SLIC tables, ACPI tables etc.

[sebus]

In normal BIOS/UEFI there is no value like HardDisk UUID (as they are NOT needed)
So it is some VB implementation that VB itself somehow "presents" to Windows as some property (still want to figure out which, that is the point of the question)

But it is none in DMI, wmic, diskpart

sebus

[sebus]

OK, got it,

Code: Select all

wmic path win32_physicalmedia get Tag,SerialNumber

That returns the full serial number of ("physical") hard drive, and that is what HardDisk UUID controls

Sorted

sebus

[socratis]

Great, thanks for the feedback. And thank you for marking it as [Solved]...