This VPN firm has created a way to stop Microsoft's hidden tracking tool on Windows although it will break some key cloud services

Date:
Sun, 09 Aug 2026 16:05:00 +0000

Description:
Windscribe's deGDID removes Windows tracking identifiers while preventing new ones, although several Microsoft cloud authentication services stop functioning afterward.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter deGDID wipes cached tracking keys straight from the Windows registry permanently The script blocks Microsoft's DeviceAdd endpoint from ever seeing your device again Some Microsoft account and login services like login.live.com and account verification break once deGDID runs Windscribe has built an open source
script called deGDID to strip a persistent tracking identifier from Windows systems entirely.

The tool targets Microsoft 's Global Device Identifier, a permanent marker that operates beneath the network layer where VPNs function. Its release follows a federal case in which the identifier reportedly helped the FBI locate an alleged hacker. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: How the script operates The free script runs through PowerShell with administrator privileges and is available for download directly from GitHub.

It offers four execution flags that control its behaviour, starting with a read-only -Status check to confirm whether a GDID is active. You may like
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A -Status -Redact option generates diagnostic logs with the identifier hidden for safer sharing, while -Protect performs the core function.

This flag purges cached GDID keys from the registry and then modifies Access Control Lists and registry permissions to stop Windows from reissuing them. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

It further puts up a firewall against the internal DeviceAdd endpoint,
cutting off Microsoft identity services from recognizing the machine as registered at all.

A fourth flag, Unprotect, lets users reverse the process and restore default settings if needed.

Testing on a Windows 11 machine confirmed the script functioned as described, with the -Status flag revealing several cached identifiers before removal. What to read next Mullvad to patch VPN fingerprinting issue to stop your activity from being tracked across servers I had my data removed from company databases with this little-known VPN feature Microsoft kills annoying McAfee ad served via LG monitor app in Windows 11

No new GDID appeared even after a system restart, though the trade-offs
became apparent almost immediately afterward.

Account verification through login.live.com stopped working across every browser tested, while login.microsoftonline.com continued functioning without issue.

Some Microsoft applications returned connection errors, though online games and other software kept working normally throughout testing.

Users should still keep antivirus and endpoint protection active since deGDID addresses tracking rather than malicious software. Limitations of the workaround Windscribe acknowledges that keys already stored on Microsoft's servers cannot be deleted, meaning the company retains indefinite access to previously collected data.

The script also refuses to run on managed systems or domain-joined accounts, restricting its use to individual unmanaged machines.

Windows currently offers no built-in method for disabling GDID, and the identifier persists across IP addresses regardless of any VPN tunneling applied.

"We tried the script on a Windows 11 computer, and it worked as intended,"
the company noted in its documentation of the testing process.

Windscribe describes deGDID as an ongoing research effort that will keep evolving as more details about the identifier's mechanics come to light.

The broken services represent a real cost for users weighing whether the privacy trade-off justifies losing certain Microsoft account functions.

Given that server-side keys remain permanently accessible to Microsoft, this script functions as a partial fix rather than a complete solution.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/this-vpn-firm-has-created-a-way-to-stop-microsof ts-hidden-tracking-tool-on-windows-although-it-will-break-some-key-cloud-servi ces


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