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Windows 7 download tool is back and now available under a GPL open-source license

By | December 9, 2009, 5:56pm PST

After pulling a Windows 7 download tool from the Microsoft Store because it violated a number of GNU General Public License (GPL) terms, Microsoft has reposted an altered version of it — and is making it available under the GPL v2.

“Within Windows” blogger Rafael Rivera made public the possible infringments by the tool in early November. After a quick investigation, Microsoft officials concurred that there were licensing problems with the tool, and attributed those problems to a third-party contractor which helped develop it — while admitting that Microsoft should have caught the infringements during its own code review.

Microsoft reposted the tool for download on December 9. The fixed Windows 7 USB/DVD tool is now available via Microsoft’s CodePlex open-source repository.

The tool, which Microsoft originally made available on October 22, is designed to help netbook users upgrade from XP to Windows 7 in a more streamlined way. The tool is free.

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Topics

GPL, Microsoft Corp., Tool, Microsoft Windows 7, Productivity, Microsoft Windows, Open Source, Operating Systems, Software, Mary Jo Foley

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Disclosure

Mary-Jo Foley

Freelance journalist/blogger Mary Jo Foley has nothing to disclose. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). I do not own Microsoft stock or stock in any of its partners or competitors. I have no business ventures that are sponsored by/funded by Microsoft or any of its partners or competitors.

Biography

Mary-Jo Foley

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 25 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She has kept close tabs on Microsoft strategy, products and technologies for the past 10 years. In the late 1990s, she penned the award-winning "At The Evil Empire" column for ZDNet, and more recently the Microsoft Watch blog for Ziff Davis.

Got a tip? Send her an email with your rants, rumors, tips and tattles. Confidentiality guaranteed.

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RE: Windows 7 download tool is back and now available under a GPL open-source license
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 10th Oct
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View in thread
0 Votes
+ -
I hope they fired and sued that outside contractor
honeymonster Updated - 9th Dec 2009
He took money for developing something he actually
lifted from an open source project.

He cheated MS out of money and opened them up for
litigation.
0 Votes
+ -
Perfect crime
Cylon Centurion 9th Dec 2009
No one would suspect anyone but MS. Lol
0 Votes
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3rd party contractor? - Boo-hoo
Wintel BSOD 10th Dec 2009
This is just another example of incompetence and laziness on M$'s part.

And I'll bet those who care in the general public thought it was all done in-house...
0 Votes
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Fire contractor? why?
Cisco-SA 11th Dec 2009
This is exactly what GPL code is for.
Take, use it to make something better; recognize the contributors. Do you even understand what GPL means?

Microsoft, like many companies use GPL code.
As long as you abide by the License (the L in GPL) you are free to use the code.

For more, look at some small projects that use GPL: Apache, Linux, KDE, Gnome etc. You get the point (I hope).
0 Votes
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This is just the beginning
tim.hobbes 10th Dec 2009
There are many other GPL'ed code in Windows 7 yet to be discovered. Just wait and watch.
0 Votes
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It was not IN Windows 7
The 'G-Man.' 10th Dec 2009
Can you read???
0 Votes
+ -
No?
The Mentalist 10th Dec 2009
You mean... it's not a windows 7 tool? What is it in then?
0 Votes
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It is a tool by which you can transfer
honeymonster 10th Dec 2009
a bootable Windows installer image from a DVD
to a bootable USB stick.

So no, it was never part of Windows 7.
Not then, not now.

Microsoft was making it available (for free)
for download.

Microsoft was cheated by a contractor. They
failed to discover that the contractor had used
GPLed code. But as soon as they were made aware
of the possible copyright violation they did
all the right things:

They pulled the download and launched a review.

They announced what they were doing.

When their review concluded that it was indeed
a GPL violation they owned up to it and
released the tool as GPL.
0 Votes
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Just wait and watch
tim.hobbes 10th Dec 2009
Nuff said.
0 Votes
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GPLv2? Oh that's nice. But totally meaningless.
D T Schmitz 10th Dec 2009
MS isn't fooling anyone with these token measures.
0 Votes
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What exactly could Microsoft do to get any praise from you?
JoeMama_z 10th Dec 2009
Just curious.
0 Votes
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Think "Goldfinger"
rapson 11th Dec 2009
"Do you expect me to talk?"

"No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."

Carl Rapson
0 Votes
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Where is the image master api ....
mrlinux Updated - 10th Dec 2009
When I tried to install the tool, it fails and indicates I need the Image Mastering API ??
0 Votes
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RE: Windows 7 download tool is back and now available under a GPL open-source license
Loverock Davidson 10th Dec 2009
Wasn't a problem back then and isn't a problem now. The impressive part is that Microsoft acknowledged the licensing issue and complied and made it open source. They could have just yanked it and programmed it from scratch. Consider that a favor to all.
0 Votes
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Yes, Yes
Viva la crank dodo 10th Dec 2009
we know, MS all good, no bad. All benevolent, motivated only by love and peace and joy and tolerance of all.

Your point is well known and never shows originality but MS loves you anyways.
0 Votes
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RE: Windows 7 download tool is back and now available under a GPL open-sour
joel@... 10th Dec 2009
That is looking at it the negative way. The positive side
of this is that Microsoft has now tasted true open source
coding. If they are smart enough they could find a way to
embrace this and make money in the near future.
0 Votes
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Micro-disciples rebel as Microsoft goes open source
Ole Man 10th Dec 2009
They want to PAY for it. Don't want nuttin for free. Their DNA demands it. Its in their genes.

What will the antivirus vendors do now? Run two-for-one specials?
0 Votes
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It was a free download before
honeymonster 10th Dec 2009
it was GPL'ed. MS never charged for it. Free as in
beer. Now it is obviously free as in speech.
0 Votes
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Uh huh...
Wintel BSOD Updated - 10th Dec 2009
Just make sure you tick off the EULA and give up all your rights. You'll pay for it somehow on the back end.

'Free', right...
0 Votes
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That makes a lot of sense.
Erroneous 10th Dec 2009
NOT.... Microsoft has had free offerings for years. Did you have a valid point to make or just putting in your daily bash?
0 Votes
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Yes yes! Now I remember........
Ole Man 10th Dec 2009
Free activation
Free authentication
Free WGA
Free secret forced updates
Free DRM
Free IE (to squash Netscape)
etc etc etc etc
0 Votes
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OMG!
windowslover 17th Dec 2009
The hackers are gonna' love this one!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Windows 7 download tool is back and now available under a GPL open-source license
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 10th Oct
You completed a handful of high-quality details there. I did a lookup around the make a difference and looked at mostly a number of consumers may have precisely reebok jersey the same see using your web site.

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