Hi. When I browsing forum I saw "Microsoft Operating Systems" category, but its without sub-forum every topic is in one place. But what about creating subforum in that Like "Beta Version" and "Final Version" and inside them Windows 95, Windows 98 etc. and for Beta Version sub-forum Codename Chicago, Codename Memphis etc. ? It can make forum more clearer to read. I waiting for some reply about my idea, and if this not make too many work for Moderators to make something like that.

Doing that would just add more clutter to the board. This is what it would look like if we went that way:


See how messy and confusing that would be?

But then I think then it will more easy to find info about interesting system.

phpBB3 has a Search tool built in: search.php
If that doesn't cut it, you can always enter "site:betaarchive.com <search terms>" into Google and search that way.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather be made to actually *look* for stuff I'm interested in rather than having a messy and unattractive board where it's just sub-forum after sub-forum to get what I want.

We're working on a new layout for the forum, it won't be as specific as you list it, but it will separate all the OSes into groups which would make it easier to find what you're looking for.

ok thank you all for anserw and good that you working on new layout. There are approximate date when we can except new forum layout ?

A new layout? No leaks yet? lol.

No leaks yet but we'll see if we can provide one before the RTM .

I think some basic Subforums would be fine...
DOS
Windows 9x (DOS Based)
Windows NT (including 2000 or XP ,too)
(Windows XP)
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows 8

Yeah, not many of them and its then easier to find because sometime some can use other name topic that we can think and use i search function.

I don't like this idea at all, since there are just too far many times in which the discussion relating to different Microsoft operating systems and/or variations of Microsoft operating systems (and even other PC operating systems) is too far intertwined (such as differences between different versions of Windows, spanning different architectures).

I think it would just create too much division between the types of topics accepted, since it would too much divide the actual software-related discussion here.

I think we should wait with the pro/cons arguments until Andy and I presented a draft of the new layout, then we can see if we can further improve it. But what will happen is that we will have separation of the forums a bit. Most of the topics cover a specific OS or platform (Longhorn, XP, OS/2 Win16 etc) so we need to have specific forums. Not a single forum per OS, but rather a decent group of forums covering all aspects. We can't just have a single forum covering everything because it's hard to browse and follow (remember, not everyone checks the forum every day) so some kind of sub-grouping is required.

But you will have plenty time to discuss it when you see the layout, only then can we more properly discuss how to make it the best. But do remember that we can't please everyone so in the end it will be up to Andy and me to decide how it will look. We will listen to your opinions, but we won't hold the argument open forever.

Until then please be patient and don't speculate too much .

Let's just not get nearly as messy as XDA-Developers has gotten. It's a nightmare there with a specific subforum for a select group of devices, and then other devices randomly tucked away somewhere.

Separate them in a sort of grouping that makes sense to someone who has some knowledge of the subject (at the very least, the type of OS)
DOS based OS's (up to 3.x)
Win9X OS (Including WinME)
NT5.x
NT6.x

Four forums that give plenty of space for discussion. Possibly a longhorn forum so that we don't have arguments about where each post should go.

That's just my idea. I'm as excited for BetaArchive V3 leaks as the next guy, but I can sit patiently for them. No "Gimmie Gimmie" from me =)

Just Windows/DOS, OS/2 and CE/WM5-6.5 would be enough.