Microsoft Released Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool Under GPLv2

The really great news is Microsoft released the Open Sourced Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (WUDT) under the GPLv2.

The Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool allows you to create a copy of your Windows 7 ISO file on a USB flash drive or a DVD. To create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive, download the ISO file and then run the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool. Once this is done, you can install Windows 7 directly from the USB flash drive or DVD.

As said by Microsoft “the testing and localization took longer than we expected, but the project is now hosted on CodePlex.com, Microsoft’s Open Source software project hosting repository, and the code can be found here.”

The tool can also now be downloaded from the Microsoft Store.

Also, as a result of some necessary changes, while the user experience of the tool will be the same as before, the install involves additional steps.

Originally, for the convenience of customers, they aggregated together additional files, which are separate freestanding executables:

(a) .NET Framework
WUDT is written in C# which requires the Microsoft .NET Framework to run.

(b) IMAPI
The tool uses IMAPI to burn DVDs.

(c) Bootsect.exe
This is part of the Windows 7 bits (found in \boot\bootsect.exe) and allows a USB device to be marked as bootable.

It is important to note that these files were not linked with the original WUDT in a programmatic sense but, instead, were launched via a command line. They have now separated these files for clarity as they are separate programs under different licensing terms.

The new release will provide Full Instructions for customers on how to install .NETfx and IMAPI prior to installing WUDT. Bootsect.exe will be part of the Windows 7 ISO download on the Microsoft Store.

For Windows XP Users
The following applications must be installed prior to installing the tool:

•Microsoft .NET Framework v2 must be installed.
If you want you can also Download Microsoft .NET Framework v2

•Microsoft Image Mastering API v2 must be installed
It can be downloaded at Microsoft Downloads Centre