GDID Windows – Cut the tracker that follows you even under VPN
4 days ago
- The GDID is a 64-bit PUID attached to a Microsoft account, stored on Microsoft's servers and rewritten to the registry on every login, persisting across VPNs and registry deletion.
- Disabling telemetry does not block GDID; it is transmitted through DoSvc (Delivery Optimization) and Connected Devices Platform services.
- Effective mitigation requires disabling specific services via registry (since DoSvc refuses normal disable) and blocking Microsoft endpoints via hosts file, while keeping login.live.com accessible.
- The provided GitHub scripts (no-gdid) offer audit, preview, apply, and revert options for blocking GDID transmission, but do not erase past data or guarantee anonymity.
- For sensitive activities, the recommended solution is to avoid Windows entirely and use a live Linux system, as Windows-based mitigations are damage limitation only.