A.P. Lawrence

2005/07/11 BartPE (Windows live CD)

Bart Preinstalled Environment bootable Windows CD is an XP boot CD. As it's created from your own XP CD files (or the preinstalled files on your machine), it has a quasi-legal status. The developer states:

   1. It is legal to make a "backup copy" of ANY files from your
   original Windows XP/2003 media to another media.
   2. It is legal to add any other files you wish to the backup media.
   3. It is not legal to use a BartPE CD and an installed Windows
   XP/2003 both at the same time under the same Windows XP/2003
   EULA.
   4. It is not legal to change any binary files in the process
   according to the Windows XP/2003 EULA. This makes "winlogon"
   and "bootscreen" hacks illegal.
   5. A BartPE image is (and I quote) "not a properly licensed
   WinPE". This means that if you want to have a licensed WinPE,
   you cannot use BartPE. However, you can use a BartPE image under
   the license of the Windows XP/2003 EULA that came with the BartPE
   XP/2003 source media.

Hmmm. The stated intent of this is to be a rescue system. I would expect that there would be no question of legality at all if it were used to rescue the system it was created from. I'd like to think it would be legal to use this to rescue other systems, but that probably falls afoul of Microsoft's coupling their license to one piece of hardware. Legal or not, I have little doubt that people use this for that purpose.

Comments /Words2005/2005_07_11.html


Mon Jul 11 04:56:07 2005: Subject:   BigDumbDinosaur

4. It is not legal to change any binary files in the process
   according to the Windows XP/2003 EULA.

The EULA may say that, but in most localities, it has no weight of law. For one thing, no one at Microsoft can prove that you even read the EULA, let alone agreed to it. In any case, if the files are legally installed on your machine you have the right to hack them to pieces if you so desire -- this is no different than if you intentionally defaced a book that you purchased. The legal impediments arise if you try to distribute the fruits of your labor.

Contrary to popular opinion, Bill Gates and his boot-lickers do not have the right to dictate what you can or can't do with your own computer, any more than General Motors can stipulate how you should drive your car. Microsoft doesn't own the computer, only the copyrights on the Windows crapola installed on it. Incidentally, boot screen (banner) alterations are perfectly legitimate -- vendors who provide PC's loaded with Windows routinely install custom banners.



Sat Dec 17 04:41:42 2005: Subject: published   anonymous
I saw a How To make such a cd in a recent WindowsITPro mag....



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