It's already a well-known fact that one of Microsoft's biggest problems is the illegal copying of its software. Microsoft believes that, in the United States alone, 1 of 5 PCs is running pirated versions of the software developed by the laboratories from Redmond.

And in order to encourage the users and make them understand the advantages of running original software, Microsoft has decided to implement Windows Genuine Advantage, a programme which allows only the users which have purchased an original Windows package to have access to the "treasures" offered by the Windows Update system.

The beta version of this programme has been running for almost 15 months now, and during this period the authentication of the operating system was done voluntarily by the users, and even Microsoft has been amazed by the large number of users who have decided to register in this programme.

But the miracle lasted only for about 36 hours. Practically, only a few hours after the registration in Windows Genuine Advantage and the validation of the users' OS have become mandatory, the method by means of which this watchdog created by Microsoft could be fooled had already appeared on the Internet.

And seeing that, for the past several years, Microsoft has spoken very frequently about security and a safer computing environment for the users, the image of the small crack for going around Windows Genuine Advantage it's not quite what the company from Redmond needed right now.

So let's hope that at least they'll come up with a patch quite soon!