Microsoft late Friday publicly responded to widespread reports that a recent change to its Windows Genuine Advantage program caused the software to contact Microsoft servers on a daily basis. The company says it will soon release an update to make WGA only call home every 14 days.

Rolled out last year, Windows Genuine Advantage is an anti-piracy program implemented to detect counterfeit copies of Windows XP. This component is called WGA Validation. Microsoft later expanded the program with WGA Notifications, which causes users running counterfeit versions of Windows to be notified directly on their desktop that their operating system is not legitimate.

"Shortly after logon, WGA Notifications checks whether a newer settings file is available and downloads the file if one is found. The settings file provides Microsoft with the ability to update how often reminders are displayed and to disable the program if necessary during the test period," Microsoft explained Friday.

News source: BetaNews