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

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The tool, which Microsoft originally made available on October 22, is designed to help netbook users upgrade from XP to Windows 7 in a more streamlined way.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