SEP: How to generate new hardware key for client

Products

• Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

Generating a new Hardware Key may be required in a specific situations related to client registration process.

Cause

Hardware Key is a value used to identify a SEP client during registration with SEPM. It is calculated based on different "IDs" (such as computer name, OS version, MAC addresses, etc.). Such value is stored in the DB, and can affect re-registration process of the client or be a part of multiple cloned client entries issue. 

Resolution

In order to restart the current Hardware Key, execute the following 3 steps:

1. Locate and delete Hardware ID from the registry:
   - 32-bit systems, 14.3 RU4 or earlier: (Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\SMC\SYLINK\SyLink)
   - 64-bit systems, 14.3 RU4 or earlier: (Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\SMC\SYLINK\SyLink)
   - 64-bit systems, 14.3 RU5 or later: (Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\SMC\SYLINK\SyLink)
2. Locate and delete sephwid (C:\ProgramData\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\PersistedData).
3. Restart client.

This forces client to generate a new hardware key which is unique every time.

Additional Information

SEP version 14.3 RU6 doesn't support computers that run the Microsoft Windows 32-bit operating system. 
14.3 RU5 is the last version that supports 32-bit Windows clients.