Windows 7: modifying ei.cfg

I performed these actions a good while ago buy removing the ei.cfg file to make a universal Windows 7 and Vista DVD, only to run it by the guys on the microsoft site and they told me that i was modifying the windows installation files and that it was illegal to copy or modify and of the files on the DVD even if i purchased them. WHICH I HAVE.

I argued that it was ok to at least make 1 copy of each but i got let say shouted at and banned from the forum.

would just like to say that my personal belief is if i purchased them they were mine to whatever with, but apparently not.

I dont want to get into a heated debate about this but would like to know what you guys think.

Edit [z3r010]
Posts moved from - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ml#post1023067

Maybe they are right but seems that a ban is kinda harsh. If you are making it to sell on ebay then that would be wrong.

Totally agree

I'm confused on the need/want to tell Microsoft about it. If you own a legit license or licenses, why do they need to know about it? In the end, all they really care about is that your activated licenses are legit. Whether you install from a modified DVD, or a flash drive (who doesn't by now?), they don't need to know about it. You haven't really broken any rules, and you have a legit license...let it be.

My personal opinion....as long as your license is legit...who cares.

It was the microsoft forum. And i was asking for a bit of advice on 'how to' as some people were asking similar questions about it and getting conflicting answers at the time. however this was purely testing the therory wasn't to gain anything by it as i own vista and windows 7 ultimate X32/X64. I was bored.

If I remember correctly it was a Microsoft blog that originally alerted us to this method

Yeah well i have learned over the years the microsoft so called blog are very inconsistant in what they decide you can/should/dont do.

Right, which is why anything they may have an issue with, or toes the line of what they willingly allow....shouldn't be discussed there. Like I said above, my personal opinion is...they shouldn't care one bit you edited the image, as long as your license is legit, and you aren't doing anything malicious, like embedding malware and distributing the image. All you were doing is making the install easier for people who have multiple licenses for multiple versions...nothing was being hacked, or the activation wasn't being circumvented. But after all the news reports, threads, etc...you have to know they tend to fall on the not-so-lenient side of things.

In addition, the blogs aren't always "official" in terms of what they post, unless they explicitly say so. Plenty of times, those blogs are Microsoft employees making conjectures, personal opinions, etc.

Look as i said before not getting into a debate over it, just wanted to know what you guys thought of it.

wish i didn't bother asking now

I edited a bit more in after you quoted me, apparently. It should be obvious what we all thought of it, because who wants to carry around a stack of DVDs, which are slow to install, when you can use one single flash drive. The very basis of the flash drive method involves deleting the ei.cfg file. Of my entire network of IT friends, not one of us uses a DVD to install an OS anymore, and I would assume the enthusiast crowd is just the same.

We're clearly in favor of it, and probably can all agree that your banning from the forums, is....an extreme over-reaction, at the very least. That's one of the reasons why I avoid any and all manufacturer forums, unless I have to ask a very specific question that they can't find any issues with. Now you see why forums such as this are so popular (and often better) for asking advice.