Later this month, Microsoft will be releasing an optional update that will help stop piracy. But, if you are running a pirated version of 7, it will fix the files and loopholes and basically an “uncracked” copy of Windows 7. So, if you are not running a legit copy of Windows, beware. Also, a lot of those pirated copies include some form of malware built into the OS, so it makes sense to go legit. Unlike Vista, though, the new update won’t force you into reduced functionality. It sports the older Windows XP model of just letting you know your OS isn’t genuine.

The Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7, which will be released later this month, closes more than 70 “activation hacks,” according to Joe Williams, general manager of Microsoft’s Genuine Windows unit, responsible for anti-counterfeiting measures. The update will also check with a server periodically to see if there are further hacks that need to be addressed, though Williams said no personally identifiable information about the user will be sent to the server.