Unique ID is built into WinXP final build

Microsoft they love to spy and put hidden stuff in there operating systems to monitor as they didt on there beta testers.

Microsoft has quietly slipped a Universally Unique ID (UUID) into the ISO of build 2600 of Windows XP, thus giving itself the capability of tracking code leaks back to whoever it was that leaked them. News of the UUID's presence originally broke in the Microsoft beta newsgroups, but the matter has been followed up by Steve Gibson of GRC after postings were forwarded to him.

The UUID is located 9400 bytes from the start of the file, and is a HEX ASCII identifier which specifies the downloader's beta test ID and the IP address they're downloading from. So, all Microsoft has to do is download the warez ISO images of 2600 that are currently spreading through the usual channels. It then knows whose beta ID was used to leak the software, and can maybe figure out a little more of what's been going on from the IP address.

Naturally this only works for copies of the ISO that have leaked before the warez guys and any careless beta testers figured out what was going on. If the UUID is simply a standalone serial number or similar, then it should be fairly simple for them to obliterate it, and carry on happily distributing Microsoft's intellectual property as before.

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Source: The Register