Windows API Hardware ID Generator

A .NET application that generates unique hardware-based identifiers for Windows systems using WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) queries to gather system information.

Tags

.NET, Windows API, Hardware ID, WMI, System Information, Unique Identifier, Security

Overview

This project provides a robust hardware ID generation service that combines multiple system components to create a unique identifier for a Windows machine. The service collects information from various hardware components including CPU, BIOS, base board, disk drives, and TPM (if available) to generate a unique, persistent identifier.

Features

• Multiple Hardware Components: Gathers information from CPU, BIOS, Base Board, Disk Drives, and TPM
• Configurable: Customizable hash algorithms and component selection
• Robust Error Handling: Includes retry mechanisms and fallback strategies
• WMI Query Support: Uses Windows Management Instrumentation for system information
• Validation: Built-in hardware ID validation functionality

Requirements

• .NET 10.0 or later
• Windows operating system
• Administrative privileges may be required for some WMI queries

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/windows-api.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd windows-api

3. Restore dependencies:

   dotnet restore

Configuration

The hardware ID generation can be configured through the HardwareIdConfiguration class:

• HashAlgorithm: Hash algorithm to use (SHA256, SHA512, SHA1) - defaults to SHA256
• IncludeCpuInfo: Include CPU information in the ID - defaults to true
• IncludeBiosInfo: Include BIOS information in the ID - defaults to true
• IncludeBaseBoardInfo: Include base board information in the ID - defaults to true
• IncludeDiskInfo: Include disk information in the ID - defaults to true
• IncludeTpmInfo: Include TPM information in the ID - defaults to true
• WmiTimeoutMs: Timeout for WMI queries in milliseconds - defaults to 5000ms
• MaxRetries: Maximum number of retries for failed WMI queries - defaults to 3

Usage

The application can be run directly to generate a hardware ID:

dotnet run

This will output the generated hardware ID along with information about which components were used in its creation.

Dependencies

• System.Management: For WMI queries
• Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection: For dependency injection
• Microsoft.Extensions.Logging: For logging
• Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console: For console logging
• System.ComponentModel.Annotations: For data annotations

API

The service provides the following methods:

• GenerateHardwareIdAsync(): Generates a unique hardware identifier based on multiple system components
• ValidateHardwareId(string hardwareId): Validates if a hardware ID is properly formatted

Security

The generated hardware ID is created using cryptographic hash functions to ensure uniqueness and prevent reverse engineering of the original hardware information.