Hackers are hard at work attempting to port Windows Phone 7 over to other non WP7 HTC devices such as the HD2. However, reports suggest that there could be a “Genuine Software” check built into Microsoft’s latest mobile OS to prevent the software running on non-official hardware.

WPCentral reports that Microsoft is using private keys (PVK) to identify and tie devices to Windows Phone 7. The operating system checks the device motherboard for its PVKs and verifies the device is a genuine Windows Phone 7 model. WPCentral notes that although the core operating system will remain functional, Windows Live reliant services, such as Xbox LIVE, Marketplace and Zune, will stop working:

“Specifically, some aspect of the OS looks for and then pulls these keys from the device motherboard for verification. If the keys cannot be found, the motherboard must be replaced or serviced.”

Winrumors recently reported on efforts to jailbreak Windows Phone 7. Australian developer Chris Walshie managed to perfect a method to run native un-managed code on a Windows Phone 7 device. The method is the first step in a long road to a full Windows Phone 7 jailbreak. Windows Phone 7 hackers now have the challenge of breaking the protection and bypassing Microsoft’s efforts. These efforts could be a lengthy process as hackers and ROM developers tinker at the new OS and discover its weaknesses.