SIDCHG 3.0m x64: B9 01 00 00 00 85 C0 89 45 80 → B9 01 00 00 00 33 C0 89 45 80 SIDCHG 3.0k x64: E8 6B 58 00 00 85 C0 89 45 80 → E8 6B 58 00 00 33 C0 89 45 80 SIDCHG 3.0j x86: E8 B3 3F 00 00 85 C0 89 44 24 10 → E8 B3 3F 00 00 33 C0 89 44 24 10
What (e.g., Macrium, Clonezilla, SCCM) are you using for your deployments? Share public link
In recent versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, users began reporting that SIDCHG no longer functioned correctly. The "key"—the specific registry manipulation the tool relied on—had been blocked.
The "patch" isn't necessarily a direct attack on the tool itself, but rather a result of Microsoft tightening the and Identity Management systems. 1. Security Hardening sidchg key patched
A critical shift in the Windows network security ecosystem has disrupted the workflows of system administrators globally. For years, deploying cloned operating system images without generalization was a common shortcut in rapid IT environments. However, recent security updates released by Microsoft completely block communication between local network devices sharing identical Security Identifiers (SIDs).
Stratesave provides monthly trial keys that are functionally identical to full licenses. A SID changed with a trial key even after the trial expires. For a one‑off SID change on a few machines, this is entirely legitimate and carries none of the risks of cracked software. Trial keys are posted during the first ten days of each month on the official SIDCHG website.
The phrasing "SIDCHG key patched" generally refers to two distinct technical events: SIDCHG 3
Modern hypervisors (VMware, Hyper-V) have built-in mechanisms to randomize SIDs during the cloning process. Ensure these features (e.g., VMware Customization Specifications) are utilized rather than manually copying VMDK/VHDX files.
: When two machines with the same machine SID attempt to communicate via SMB or RDP, the Local Security Authority Server Service ( lsasrv.dll ) rejects the connection.
SIDCHG was a third-party utility often used in environments where "ghosting" or cloning hard drive images was common. The "patch" isn't necessarily a direct attack on
For many deployment scenarios, Sysprep is still the safest, most supported method. Microsoft provides detailed documentation, and the generalise pass with an unattend.xml file handles SID regeneration reliably. The following PowerShell‑based approach is one example:
If you're running a Windows version that was affected by this vulnerability, make sure to apply the patch as soon as possible. You can do this by:
1. The Core Infrastructure Problem: Why Machine SIDs Now Matter