🧩 A Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) in Microsoft systems is a 128-bit value used to uniquely identify objects, components, or records across space and time—without requiring a central authority.

🔍 What Makes a GUID Special?

• Universally unique: The odds of generating the same GUID twice are astronomically low.
• Format: Typically displayed as a string like 6B29FC40-CA47-1067-B31D-00DD010662DA
• Structure: 32 hexadecimal characters split into five groups (8-4-4-4-12)

🛠️ Common Uses in Microsoft Ecosystem

• COM interfaces: Each interface has a GUID to distinguish it
• Registry keys: CLSIDs (Class Identifiers) are GUIDs used to locate components
• Databases: Used as primary keys to ensure uniqueness
• Software licensing: Identifying installations or devices
• Azure & .NET: Widely used in cloud services and programming

🧪 How to Generate One

You can create a GUID using PowerShell or Command Prompt:

[guid]::NewGuid()

Or in Command Prompt:

powershell [guid]::NewGuid()

This generates a brand-new GUID every time.

🆚 GUID vs UUID

They’re essentially the same thing—just different names depending on context.

Want to see how GUIDs are used in real-world applications or how they’re generated behind the scenes? I can walk you through that next.