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As I understand it you're generally allowed to redistribute modified versions of Windows PE that are intended for its allowed use case of system installation, r

As I understand it you're generally allowed to redistribute modified versions of Windows PE that are intended for its allowed use case of system installation, recovery, and configuration. It is common for backup software (ex Macrium Reflect) to include "recovery disk creators" that bundle WinPE with the backup software and drivers.

Havoc 7y ago
> allowed to redistribute [..] use case of [..] recovery Fair. That would appear to answer the question. Thanks.
mappu 7y ago
No, not any more - the PE licensing changed to only allow this if the PE image is created by the same user. Tools like Macrium now download the WADK SDK and generate an image at runtime. Distributing prebuilt images like this violates the current PE license AFAICT.
- vulpessarl 7y ago
  Because of licensing issues like the above: I've a lighter version of the program like this (also based on Windows 10 PE) - called "MiniNT" (https://github.com/VulpesSARL/MiniNT5-Tools https://github.com/VulpesSARL/MiniNT5-Tools), and is fully open source, including the scripts to build the ISO (and other images) from scratch. Is supported in both 32 and 64 Bit editions. The 64 bit edition also can execute 32 Bit executables. It also can boot from USB, CD-ROM as well PXE Network.
ComputerGuru 7y ago
Nope. I worked in this industry for a long time (still do) and we had to report to Microsoft every month how many copies we sold and pay them for it. Then towards the end of the Ballmer days it was decided that program would be ended entirely and it would be illegal to ever redistribute WinPE, and that is still the case today. Maybe I’ll write about the crazy stories I have from when that decision was made someday. Two weeks to port a WinPE application to Linux, getting approached by ISVs worldwide who had the rug pulled out from under them for some sort of transition help.. fun times!

Havoc 7y ago

> allowed to redistribute [..] use case of [..] recovery Fair. That would appear to answer the question. Thanks.

mappu 7y ago

No, not any more - the PE licensing changed to only allow this if the PE image is created by the same user. Tools like Macrium now download the WADK SDK and generate an image at runtime. Distributing prebuilt images like this violates the current PE license AFAICT.

vulpessarl 7y ago
Because of licensing issues like the above: I've a lighter version of the program like this (also based on Windows 10 PE) - called "MiniNT" (https://github.com/VulpesSARL/MiniNT5-Tools https://github.com/VulpesSARL/MiniNT5-Tools), and is fully open source, including the scripts to build the ISO (and other images) from scratch. Is supported in both 32 and 64 Bit editions. The 64 bit edition also can execute 32 Bit executables. It also can boot from USB, CD-ROM as well PXE Network.

ComputerGuru 7y ago

Nope. I worked in this industry for a long time (still do) and we had to report to Microsoft every month how many copies we sold and pay them for it. Then towards the end of the Ballmer days it was decided that program would be ended entirely and it would be illegal to ever redistribute WinPE, and that is still the case today. Maybe I’ll write about the crazy stories I have from when that decision was made someday. Two weeks to port a WinPE application to Linux, getting approached by ISVs worldwide who had the rug pulled out from under them for some sort of transition help.. fun times!