Digitaltopia

Windows Genuine Advantage aimed at stopping pirates from downloading any software updates besides critical security updates. However nearly from its launch hackers and tinkers have been able to find numorus ways around it. One of the first work arounds to appear involves simple a simple script. Directions can be found here.

Some other simple instructions for bypassing this 'protection' can be found at boingboing.net. Or for an even more simple work around for users with Windows Service Pack 2 installed is to goto Internet Explorers tools > manage add-ons > then disable Windows Genuine Advantage validation tool. Still yet another hack is to Open LegitCheckControl.dll (it's in windows\system32) with a Hex editor and at 0002BE98h change 8B45D8 to 33C090
Genuine Windows Validation will now pass whatever key you're using.

Microsoft has claimed that this was never meant to stop users who where intentionally using pirated XP copies, but instead those who had unknowingly bought PC's with pirated XP installed on it. This just goes to show that for every way software vendors find to try to stop Internet pirates, the pirates tend to find four or five ways around. P2PForums.com has an interesting thread on this subject that can be found here.