Windows 7 ISO Edition Switcher

Well it may not be wrong on the consumer side to do so as ultimately he has to pay for & have the product key of the other version that he wants to install if hey is not happy with the version he got. But then if I have the bucks & wish a different version why not go & buy a Legal DVD in stores.

Right or Wrong but in a first glance it looks like a HACK !!!...& Microsoft wont be happy someone tampering their products.

Honestly, the sensationalist views on this subject are just amazing.

This is not a HACK. It does not do anything that forces the software to do anything it was not supposed to. If you do not understand what this does then this is NOT MEANT FOR YOU. It is meant for people who have multiple versions of the OS but do not wish to download multiple .iso files from Microsoft when the only difference is a 15 byte file on the disc. It doesn't allow you to change your version of Windows, unless you can magically create a key for the new version. Anyone on the "consumer side" would have no use for this, as it would create a version they cannot use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKHhhqCJPL0&feat...

why people use this patch for while we can easy done that by hand?

isn't this all in the Windows 7 install anyway??? you go in, and it says "Select an edition" and you select one......

I've done Ultimate from professional discs and vice versa.....

No, that's the way it SHOULD be but Microsoft (probably to stop people installing he wrong version by mistake) have automatically configured the iso and retail discs to only install a single version of the OS by default. Every OS is on there (excluding Enterprise), the only thing preventing more from being installed is the ei.cfg file on the disc.

No it is not. Every version exists on the disc that you download from MSDN/Technet. The file "ei.cfg" simply tells the installer to install a specific version, and hence skipping one part of the process and making it faster. There's nothing stopping people deleting this file themselves, allowing them to get the choice of all 5 versions (Enterprise isn't available on the standard installation iso), and then installing that. And since the EULA is displayed based on the version you pick AFTER this step in the installation process... I have no idea where you got that insane notion from.

Yes, it absolutely does violate the EULA. Perhaps you might try reading it sometime. It is available for download from Microsoft. The essential issue is covered to varying degrees in several sections but to get to the point and I quote:

"In doing so, you must comply with any technical limitations in the software that only allow you to use it in certain ways. You may not
· work around any technical limitations in the software;
· reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the software, except and only to the extent that applicable law expressly permits...."

To alter the installer to install a version other than the version you purchased is not allowed. Yes, all versions of Windows 7 (like Vista) are on the disk. You, however, only purchased the version that the installer unlocks. The fact that all are included is why anytime upgrades are usually simple - that you have to PAY for the anytime upgrade addresses the fact you only bought one version. Ask a competent lawyer - this one is hardly rocket science since you are altering someone else's intellectual property for which you only purchased a user license.

BTW, indeed, all of the versions of Windows 7 posted on MSDN/Technet are essentially identical but even there they are broken out into each and every possible variant and members can request up to ten keys for each - yes, I am a Technet subscriber....

Stephen

You are also an immense idiot. Microsoft PROVIDES THIS INFORMATION. This tool simply means you do not have to extract the iso, delete or edit the file yourself which is JUST A TEXT FILE, no modification of "the installer" as you so concisely put it. You seem to think that this, somehow, lets you use, for example Ultimate with a Home Premium license? It does not. The version you buy is the ONLY version that will work with your key, all other versions will install only as the 30-day grace period unless you have your own key.

You are not "working around" any limitations, this is simply put on the DVD so that the 99% of home users that buy their Home Premium or Professional discs don't get tempted to install the Ultimate version during the install process, just to find their key doesn't work. It's logic, and yours is flawed.

Oh, and in case you don't believe me, have a look here. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd74...

EI.cfg
EI.cfg is a Windows Setup-specific configuration file used to determine what edition and license will be used during installation. This file replaces PID.txt and is located on the product media under the \sources folder. If you are creating custom installation media—for example, recovery media—make sure the settings in your EI.cfg file match the installation sources."

Doing this is a violation of the Windows 7 EULA/user's agreement. I would think this site might want to pay closer attention to this sort of thing before posting.

Stephen