Microsoft Corp. is hoping that a new tactic will help it crack down on computers users who run pirated copies of its ubiquitous Windows operating system. The software giant said Wednesday that it will make some security updates available only for authorized copies of Windows. The move was aimed at battling widespread piracy of the computer-operating system, especially in Asia. The Windows Genuine Advantage asks people seeking to download periodic security updates to prove their software is genuine by providing an identification number or running an online authenticity test. Microsoft will allow some security patches to be installed on non- authorized machines to prevent them from becoming a risk to genuine Windows users through the spread of viruses and other hazards across the Internet. But vulnerabilities that affect only individual computers are unlikely to be offered to users of pirated Windows versions. The company has been running a pilot programme for English- language versions of Windows for several months and said it will be expanded to other languages before mid-year. In China, Norway and the Czech Republic, the online authenticator will offer discounts on genuine copies of Windows XP to participants who discover that they are running pirated software. --SP 2140 Local Time 1840 GMT
