VLITE => legal? (windows VISTA OEM EULA)

[dragonetti]

Hello my apologies for this question I know this has been asked in a couple of topics but I couldn't get a "definitive" answer.

Is using VLITE on an VISTA machine legal by Microsoft Standards? And can they enforce that "Law"?

I am currently testing it and I like it very much but I do not now how "Legal" this "altering" of installation is?

My situation:

- Vista 64Bit English

- An official (Legal!, not pirated/copied) VISTA OEM install DVD with OEM key

- Using VLITE to strip (not add) as many not-needed components:

• Windows Media Player
  
• Internet Explorer
  
• Backgrounds / Clips / etc...
  
• Drivers (windows also installs drivers, I do not need them as I have the drivers of my hardware on seperate CD's / DVD's ...)
  
• Tweak (disable services I do not need)
  
• Remove windows defender (I have other anti-spyware / anti virus options)
  
• ...
  

- I do NOT change / remove files that are related to the activation/validation of VISTA

Does Microsoft forbid the use of VLITE in a legal sense or is it allowed? Or this a grey area?

Is there a tool that can strip windows components after install just like VLITE does? I know how I can uninstall components, but using a tool makes it a bit easier (If such a tool exists).

[jaclaz]

Does Microsoft forbid the use of VLITE in a legal sense or is it allowed? Or this a grey area?

Whether Microsoft forbids its use or not is totally irrelevant, as well as "MS legal standards" are, something is either legal or illegal according to Law, no matter what MS thinks about it, your local Laws may (usually slightly) differ from another country's ones, but the "opinion" by the good MS guys is irrelevant "everywhere".

The question would be - in case - whether MS forbids it AND they can actually legally do it (i.e. if forbidding it is legal or not).

If hypothetically they would actually forbid it BUT had no legal (nor practical) means to enforce that, even a positive answer to first question would be meaningless.

The answers are anyway NO and NO and no grey areas of sort.

You acquired a valid license to use a thing called "Operating System" that is an assembly of a number of separate (or separable) apps/programs/tools.

(BTW, specifically also the fact of calling Vista an "Operating System" may be debated )

Let's say that - by mistake - you delete NOTEPAD.EXE or PAINT.EXE.

Would this mean that your OS license is made invalid or illegal?

Naah, the most they can say is that they won't provide support for your modified OS (which is good since they won't provide a good one even for your "untouched" OS ).

They could also decline any responsability for the lousy text that you use notepad to type, but since they already declined any and all responsabilities for anything that the OS (or you through the OS) may ever do or fail to do, this is also allright, they could even want to keep distant from the artwork you produce in paint (or in another program that you use instead of paint), but that's all.

jaclaz

[dragonetti]

Thank you for your fast reply!

It makes sense!

[allen2]

While i agree with Jaclaz, i understand why you asked when you read the VISTA EULA.

The paragraph 8 say:

SCOPE OF LICENSE. The software is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some

rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you

more rights despite this limitation, you may use the software only as expressly permitted in this

agreement. In doing so, you must comply with any technical limitations in the software that only

allow you to use it in certain ways. For more information, see

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/userights. 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, despite this limitation;
  
• use components of the software to run applications not running on the software;
  
• make more copies of the software than specified in this agreement or allowed by applicable law,
  
• despite this limitation;
  

• publish the software for others to copy;
  
• rent, lease or lend the software; or
  
• use the software for commercial software hosting services.
  

So in a way using Vlite may enter in the "work around any technical limitations in the software;" category as vista installer doesn't allow to remove some components but i am pretty sure nowhere in this world you would be sued for "this" (you're already sacrificing too much using Vista as Os).

Edited August 16, 2012 by allen2

[Tripredacus]

From what I understand concerning Microsoft Policy, these rules are primarily aimed at businesses such as resellers or the enterprise. For the most part, MS doesn't care what the end-user does with their PC, just that it has been delivered using those rules. The only exception is where redistribution happens, either as warez or using parts of the OS in other applications (in whole or in part) so that it would be possible (theoretically) to run that software on a different OS.

[cluberti]

Microsoft will not support an installation of XP, Vista, Windows 7, etc. that has been modified in this way, and it does violate some of the contractual obligations that enterprise customers have with Microsoft in addition to the Windows license (violation of which by these products will vary by geography and political climate, of course). However, if you're in a business environment and you're running Windows, you will likely want and need support if anything does go wrong, and finding out at that point that Microsoft will refuse to help you with those installs is the absolute worst time to be there (I've seen this stance first hand, as well).

If it's for personal use, it's probably OK and the only risk you take is having to modify your install or reinstall if it breaks, but in a business setting it's really a dumb move.

[bphlpt]

So bottom line, it seems that if you choose to use vLite or similar tools, you should no longer expect to be able to receive any support from MS if you have any problems, as if you expected any support for Vista anyway. You are on your own. But other than that you are probably fine.

Cheers and Regards

[MrJinje]

If it's for personal use, it's probably OK and the only risk you take is having to modify your install or reinstall if it breaks, but in a business setting it's really a dumb move.

I agree with Cluberti, rolling out 44,000 desktops took our team (150 techs) quite a few months of actual work, plus another 18 months of planning. Not worth the risk to use vLite an run Vista, IMO. But wanted to point out that some of the removal can easily be done by any corporate employee worth his salt via the approved methods in 7/R2 and beyond (dism and imagex). Can also be done using pkmgr and imagex in vista, but I do not know of any company that did.

We yanked plenty of garbage out of our image and we maintain our support contract through the millions in fee's we are charged. Plus we get these on-site HP / IBM / MSFT employee's who we don't pay, but do whatever we ask of them. One of the perks of being Fortune 500 company.

Small mom and pop companies can't afford the service, but MSFT definitely supports certain aspects of gutting the system that are also implemented by vLite.

In fact, if not for MSFT built-in tools to remove features, vLite would not even exist.

Edited August 18, 2012 by MrJinje

[jaclaz]

Microsoft will not support an installation of XP, Vista, Windows 7, etc. that has been modified in this way, and it does violate some of the contractual obligations that enterprise customers have with Microsoft in addition to the Windows license (violation of which by these products will vary by geography and political climate, of course). However, if you're in a business environment and you're running Windows, you will likely want and need support if anything does go wrong, and finding out at that point that Microsoft will refuse to help you with those installs is the absolute worst time to be there (I've seen this stance first hand, as well).

I would say that, more than that, by using Vlite in a business/enterprise environment you would violate its (Vlite's) license .

LICENSE AGREEMENT:

Your use of vLite is governed by the following conditions.

Please read this information carefully before using vLite.

By using it you are agreeing to the following conditions:

1. vLite is freeware and can be freely used for any personal non-commercial purposes,

subject to the following restrictions.

2. vLite can only be distributed electronically through the official host www.vLite.net.

3. vLite is supplied "as-is". The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential,

which may result from the use of vLite.

4. Import Restrictions. International users also check any import restrictions that your government may impose.

Reread Windows Vista EULA (End User License Agreement).

5. vLite is free for personal use only, you cannot use it for any company or business purposes

6. vLite is a copyrighted material of Dino Nuhagic aka nuhi.

You may not decompile, disassemble or otherwise reverse engineer this product.

You may not include the parts of vLite in your software without the author's permission.

You may not alter or modify vLite in any way or create a new installer for it.

Copyright © 2004-2008, Dino Nuhagic (nuhi)

In other words, the whole point is that vlite is ONLY for personal use:

If it's for personal use, it's probably OK and the only risk you take is having to modify your install or reinstall if it breaks, but in a business setting it's really a dumb move.

jaclaz

[cluberti]

There's always that too .