Is there an imei equivalent for desktops and laptops

[Rakula]

Is there any equivalent of the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) for desktop
and laptop computers? I would like to write an application that uses some kind of hardware identification.

[tbscope]

Yes, processors have cpu id's

[squidge]

There are various means of PC identification, but none are 100% reliable, so you need to use a collection of them.

As tbscope says, cpu id is perfect, but only works if its enabled (it can be disabled by the user and is by default disabled on most systems for privacy reasons)

Network MAC Address is another good one, but again, can be changed by the user (but typically is not)

Hardisk serial number is another, but can also be changed, and if they upgrade the number will obviously change.

Root volume serial number works as long as they don't reformat (and be changed with suitable tools)

Or you can scan the PC and make a hardware signature, but then if the user upgrades his PC, the signature becomes invalid.

[Rakula]

Thanks very much tbscope and squidge! Can you tell me which classes in Qt (or Visual C++ 2008) I can use to access these parameters i.e. cpu id, Network MAC Address, Hardisk serial number, or Root volume serial number but especially cpu id.