From: "Rich Gauszka" 

Now when you do a BIOS update Vista's wga will probably call you a thief
and enter auto self destruct mode errr Enhanced Reduced Functionality

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/11/vista_oem_product_activation/

Alex Kochis, a Microsoft senior product manager, blogged: "Because
Windows Vista can't be pirated as easily as Windows XP, it's possible that
the increased pressure will result in more interest in efforts to hack the
OEM Activation 2.0 implementation."

Microsoft responded following reports Windows Vista's OEM Activation (OA)
2.0 has been broken. OA uses pre-installed code on the BIOS of an OEM'd PC
motherboard to identify the system as pre-installed with a licensed copy of
Windows.

The company has so-far identified two approaches to cracking OA 2.0. One
involves editing the BIOS on the motherboard to make it appear as if it's
from an authorized OEM, and the second uses software to convince Windows
Vista it's running on OA 2.0-enabled hardware.

Microsoft last saw product activation hacked when it introduced Windows XP in 2001.

According to Kochis, Microsoft is taking a wait-and-see approach on this
latest challenge: "Our goal isn't to stop every 'mad scientist' that's
on a mission to hack Windows. Our goal is to disrupt the business model of
organized counterfeiters and protect users from becoming unknown victims.
This means focusing on responding to hacks that are scalable and can easily
be commercializ

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