Even with Windows 7 on the horizon, Microsoft continues to focus on Windows Vista when it comes down to fighting illegal activation workarounds. After it managed to tackle a couple of the most notorious Vista cracks with the release of Service Pack 1, the software giant is now ready to take on yet another hack designed to bypass the activation process of Windows 7's precursor. In this regard, the Redmond company announced that a Windows Genuine Advantage update set up to kill the SoftMod hack would be served to Windows Vista users in the coming weeks.

“We're releasing this update to Windows Vista Ultimate Edition only at this time and only to systems with English as their primary language. As I've said before, we continuously evaluate the risk each reported hack poses to our customers, our partners and the protection of Microsoft's intellectual property; then we plan our activities accordingly,” revealed Alex Kochis, senior product manager, Windows Genuine Advantage.

Microsoft started serving the update to Windows Vista Activation Exploit detection on February 24, 2009. Pirated copies of Windows Vista activated with the SoftMod crack will be flagged as a consequence of the update's implementation. A Windows Software Licensing window will inform users, in the eventuality that SoftMod is detected, that code designed to circumvent the Windows activation process was detected. Users will be warned that, in such a scenario, the software may interfere with the normal operations of the operating system and that the copy they are running is counterfeit.

“Beginning this week, and over the next several weeks depending on where you are, we will be releasing an update to that particular technology to help Windows Vista Ultimate Edition based systems detect the presence of additional activation exploits, namely the activation exploit commonly referred to as the 'SoftMod hack',” Kochis added.

With the release of SP1 for Windows Vista in the first half of 2008, Microsoft “shut down” the Grace Timer, and the TimerStop activation workarounds.