The stability and changes of Windows Longhorn builds

[zeehonden_3]

Because a lot of people are asking about this, I will start this topic about how stable longhorn builds are, and what some changes are.

Please note that I get the information out of other topics and information sources! (mostly within BA)

Maybe, if this list is going to be succesfull, it could be stickied so not everyone has to ask "how stable is this build" and "what is the most stable longhorn build?

With longhorn, I mean here the period from our first build up to Vista RTM (so not until when longhorn was cancelled)

Blue means a new visual style (theme), or an updated one.
Red means that the build includes recoded system components which use Avalon.

3683 (M3): Quite stable, as it is a lot like Windows XP, but has another theme, some new features, and displays sometimes: "under construction". Avalone is used in a new Display Control Panel. The Plex theme is introduced in this build, but it has still the old XP taskbar.


3706 (M3): This build contains DWM (= Desktop Windows Manager).


3718 (M3): In this build, there is a new, partly working taksbar, which can be enabled.

Starting with the 40xx builds, the setup is image-based

4008 (M4): Not really stable. Logos are changes from XP to longhorn. There is also an updated Taksbar .

4011 (M4): The new taksbar is made default

4015 (M5): This build has a huge memmory leak, which makes it not very handy to work with.

4029 (M5): This build has DPE (= Desktop Composition Engine), only nobody knows how to enable it.

4033 (M6): It contains an updated version of the Plex theme.

4039 (M6): The first build containing Phodeo and is also the first leaked build containing Aero.

4051 (M6): It contains a new visual style (theme) which is called "Slate", Plex is not present anymore

4066 (M7):The second build containing Phodeo and has got a new visual style (theme) called Jade, which also introduced the Plain Green DWM theme.

4074 (M7): Quite stable, but has some bugs (mainly a memory leak in explorer.exe). It was given out at WinHec 2004 and is known for it's new features (Aero glass) . It is one of the most popular builds. It also contained a extended DWM, where the DWM could be extended into the application .

4093 (M7): This build is not stable at all, and the installation takes a long time. It is the only build containing an Avalon (which will later become Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) Windows Movie Maker. Avalon is also used in the display control panal .

5048 (D1): It is like Windows Server 2003 with SearchIndexing service (pre build of Search 3.0) and has for the first time Windows Vista's start menu . It is quite stable, And the Vista RTM is comparable with this one, only the RTM has got some new features, DWM, a new IE version, icon scaling and Aero. The sidebar is removed. Both Slate and Jade are removed, and replaced with an early Aero theme. DWM is removed, and replaced with a PNG Transparency. Some old DWM animations where still present .

5112 (Beta 1): There is a more polished Aero theme, and it reintroduced many missing Aero features.

5203: The first time that a new Aero theme appeared, which is present in all the next builds.

5259 (CTP, November): Major UI changes

Last updated: 07-08-09, 15:44(GMT+0)

[Day2Die]

Actually 5048 is still longhorn. Build 5112 is vista beta 1.

Build 5259, major UI changes.

[Derf]

Because a lot of people are asking about this, I will start this topic about how stable longhorn builds are, and what some changes are.

Please note that I get the information out of other topics and information sources! (mostly within BA)

Maybe, if this list is going to be succesfull, it could be stickied so not everyone has to ask "how stable is this build" and "what is the most stable longhorn build?

With longhorn, I mean here the period from our first build up to Vista RTM (so not until when longhorn was cancelled)

3683 (M3): Quite stable, as it is a lot like Windows XP, but has another theme, some new features, and displays sometimes: "under construction".

4008 (M4): Not really stable. It contains a blue theme, and logos are changes from XP to longhorn.

4074 (M7): Quite stable, but has some bugs (mainly a memory leak in explorer.exe). It was given out at WinHec 2004 and is known for it's new features (Aero glass). It is one of the most popular builds.

4093 (M7): This build is not stable at all, and the installation takes a long time.

5048 (Vista Beta 1): It is like Windows Server 2003 with SearchIndexing service (pre build of Search 3.0) and has for the first time Windows Vista's start menu. It is quite stable, And the Vista RTM is comparable with this one, only the RTM has got some new features, DWM, a new IE version, icon scaling and Aero.

Note that this list is far from finished: please point out wrong points, and please post about other builds.

You're incorrect on Build 5048 - first of all, it is not Beta 1. Beta 1 is Build 5112. Secondly, DWM, a newer IE than the one included in 2003, icon scaling, and Aero are all in Build 5048. Sidebar was removed from 5048.

Also of interest...

Build 3706 contains DWM.
Build 4015 (the first Longhorn build, and beta, that I had ever used) has a huge memory leak.
Build 4033 contains an updated version of the Plex visual style.
Build 4039 is the first to contain Phodeo, and also is the first leaked build to contain Aero.
Build 4051 contained a brand new visual style entitled Slate.
Build 4066 is the second build to have Phodeo, and contains a brand new visual style entitled Jade.
Build 4093 is the only build with an Avalon (which would later become WPF) version of Windows Movie Maker.

[zeehonden_3]

The list is updated. Thank you Derf and Day2Die!

Changes:
- builds added and updated
- usage of colour to indicate a new theme or avalone

I will be updating more of this list tomorrow, and use more colours, so you can see faster which build includes what, and select a build you want to try.

I will also try to make a link of all the build numbers, that links to a screenshot, so you can have a better view of each of the builds (I think that that will be the neatest way, screenshots placed near the information will get very messy).

[Derf]

Close, but you misunderstood be a bit - 4093 isn't the only build to contain Avalon, but the only build to have an Avalone-Based Windows Movie Maker. Besides that, the list is getting there. Also, Build 5048 is known as the (D1) milestone, and 5259 known as the (November CTP) milestone. (Yes, I realize it was removed due to instability, but it was compiled to be that milestone.)

Also a bit of a problem, the "Blue theme" you speak of in Build 4008 is Plex, and it didn't first appear in Build 4008, but in Build 3706.

One to add to your list is Build 5203, which is the first appearance of the new version of the Aero theme, which is found in every build after.

[nickenzi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmen ... dows_Vista may be a good reference point for builds.

[TheWahbinator]

You should also state the obvious, that the jump from 3xxx to 40xx was because of the image-based installation.

[pizzaboy192]

May I suggest some other color than the green? I feel like I might go blind staring at it too long...

[hounsell]

Firstly, it's 'Avalon', as opposed to 'Avalone'.

Secondly, all builds contained 'Avalon'. Some builds just contained recoded system components that used Avalon, like 3683 Contained a new Display Control Panel made using Avalon. 4093 Also included a display control panel made using Avalon, along with the Avalon Movie Maker.


As for themes:

3683 and 3706 contained the traditional Plex theme with the old-style Taskbar.
3718 introduced a partially working New Taskbar that could be enabled.
4008 updated the New Taskbar.
4011 made the new taskbar default.
4039 was the earliest build to be leaked with Aero.
4051 is the earliest leaked build to contain Slate. Plex is no longer present.
4066 introduced Jade, which ran alongside Slate. Jade introduced the Plain Green DWM theme.
4074 presented extended DWM where the DWM could be extended into the application.
5048 dropped the Slate and Jade themes and replaced them with an early Aero theme. Full DWM was lost, with plain PNG Transparency being used instead. Some animations were still present.
5112 brought in a much more polished Aero theme, and reintroduced many of the missing Aero features.

[Thlump]

4029 also contained DCE, except no one knows how to activate it.

Source

[zeehonden_3]

List is updated.

I have changed the build information, and added some builds.

I was not able yet to change the colors, I think I can do that tomorrow, but I am quite bussy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmen ... dows_Vista may be a good reference point for builds.

I've seen it before, but I didn't remeber it. Thanks!

May I suggest some other color than the green? I feel like I might go blind staring at it too long...

I will do that as soon as I have time.


Thank you all!

[Derf]

List is updated.

I have changed the build information, and added some builds.

I was not able yet to change the colors, I think I can do that tomorrow, but I am quite bussy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmen ... dows_Vista may be a good reference point for builds.

I've seen it before, but I didn't remeber it. Thanks!

May I suggest some other color than the green? I feel like I might go blind staring at it too long...

I will do that as soon as I have time.


Thank you all!

As confusing as this sounds, 5112 didn't mark the appearance of the "more polished Aero theme", that was Build 5203 - and Build 5203 is actually older than Build 5112.

[hounsell]

5203 isn't leaked though, and if we're gonna go into unleakeds, then it was noticeably earlier, the earliest I've got it in is 5086.winmain_idx02.050621-2010.

[zeehonden_3]

It is about the leaked builds, the first time something appears in a leaked build, as you can then decide if you want to download it. Adding unleaked builds would be not handy,as nobody is able to download it!

However, it's nice to know about it (it is unleaked, so always more interesting ).

[zeehonden_3]

After some time, I changed the colours, but when I tried to do the pictures, I had the whole time problems with that bug that if you use BB-codes, and you edit your text, it is every time you type a single letter scrolled up. So I am making now my own simple webpage for it, and I will try to finish this page in another way.

[Rob Jansen]

After some time, I changed the colours, but when I tried to do the pictures, I had the whole time problems with that bug that if you use BB-codes, and you edit your text, it is every time you type a single letter scrolled up. So I am making now my own simple webpage for it, and I will try to finish this page in another way.

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