Is a GUID unique 100% of the time?

Question

Is a GUID unique 100% of the time?

Will it stay unique over multiple threads?

Answer 1

I experienced a duplicate GUID.

I use the Neat Receipts desktop scanner and it comes with proprietary database software. The software has a sync to cloud feature, and I kept getting an error upon syncing. A gander at the logs revealed the awesome line:

"errors":[{"code":1,"message":"creator_guid: is already taken","guid":"C83E5734-D77A-4B09-B8C1-9623CAC7B167"}]}

I was a bit in disbelief, but surely enough, when I found a way into my local neatworks database and deleted the record containing that GUID, the error stopped occurring.

So to answer your question with anecdotal evidence, no. A duplicate is possible. But it is likely that the reason it happened wasn't due to chance, but due to standard practice not being adhered to in some way. (I am just not that lucky) However, I cannot say for sure. It isn't my software.

Their customer support was EXTREMELY courteous and helpful, but they must have never encountered this issue before because after 3+ hours on the phone with them, they didn't find the solution. (FWIW, I am very impressed by Neat, and this glitch, however frustrating, didn't change my opinion of their product.)