[OFFER] New beta and abn material

[Overdoze]

These just came in:

• IBM OS/2 Warp 4.0 build 23Q - definitely build 23, need to confirm the Q part
• Microsoft Entertainment Pack volume 1 - the original MEP from 1990/1991, we only have volume 2 ATM
• Microsoft Entertainment Pack volume 3 - ditto
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 4.0 - this is the real FS 4.0, the one on the FTP is actually 4.0b
• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows 2.5 beta
• Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 build 432 - a better copy with all 3 install disks as opposed to current custom bootdisk
• Microsoft Video for Windows 1.0 build 95 - the earliest version of VfW I've found so far
• Microsoft Visual Basic 2.0 Professional - the 5.25''-1.2MB release
• Microsoft Windows 3.0 RC6
• Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1 - the one currently on the FTP is actually 1.1a
• Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0b

Also got more abandonware in the queue (perhaps more betas as well), stuff will be checked and uploaded in the coming days, so stay tuned.

Here's a teaser:

[The Distractor]

I've had "build 23Q" for a while, but I had to recreate the ISO myself (I had proper dumps of the boot floppies) and I don't think I've tested it yet.

Regarding Windows 3.0 RC6... nice!

[SoftPCMuseum]

The Windows 3.0 pre-release version sounds interesting to me... hopefully you'll find more of those as time goes on.

I for one am really looking forward to your contributions.

- SoftPCMuseum

[Overdoze]

I've had "build 23Q" for a while, but I had to recreate the ISO myself (I had proper dumps of the boot floppies) and I don't think I've tested it yet.

Regarding Windows 3.0 RC6... nice!

We might have the same copy. 3 disks or so are properly imaged whereas the rest are folder dumped or something?

Seeing that both this RC6 and build 55 were scene leaks, it makes me wonder if there's more undiscovered/forgotten Windows 3.0 beta scene leaks. People probably don't remember these as they were one of the earliest MS scene leaks and don't seem to be common. Additionally, it was labeled by the group as RTM/retail, so it could've easily been missed out. Thank god the file dates gave it away!

EDIT: MS-DOS 5.0.432 has bad folder dumps (mixed disks) and potentially missing some files. I'll just release it as is, someone can fix it while I check the other stuff.

[Battler]

Also got more abandonware in the queue (perhaps more betas as well),

Any Norton stuff?

[Overdoze]

I'll see if there's anything.

[tarlabnor]

Would be interesting also to find some old stuff from firms acquired by Symantec: Central Point, Gazelle Systems, Fifth Generation Systems, Quarterdeck etc.

-Battler:

Any Norton stuff?

I'm preparing right now 3 new threads about old (DOS and Windows 3.x) international versions of Norton and related apps - Norton Utilities, Central Point PC Tools, Norton Desktop.

[DiskingRound]

Didn't see that coming. The Windows 3.0 RC6 is our only complete beta version of Windows 3.0 BTW, 3.00.55 came as a folder dump and remade into floppies, the 3.00.14 was just the files needed for 3.0 to run in Protected mode, no apps...
BTW, did you get these from SCiZE? The Windows 3.0 Production Release was supposedly scene leaked on May 14, 1990, and because you said the build was labeled as RTM, is that Windows 3.0 the RC6? Too bad you beat me to it... but I never got the file, so...
Anyway, thanks for sharing these, Overdoze, I have not seen these before...

[Battler]

- Overdoze: In case the 3.0 RC 6 floppy images were originally in another format, could you by any chance upload the original ones? As other formats (Teledisk, etc.) tend to store more information (such as Sector ID's, etc.) that IMG doesn't store.

[Overdoze]

It came as a folder dump, sadly not all groups took proper care with Teledisk etc... The source wishes to remain anonymous, so don't ask and just enjoy these thanks to them.

[Overdoze]

So MS-DOS 5.0.432 refuses to install for me - setup keeps nagging about inserting disk 1. Though the disk layout got messed up in folder dump, I've rebuilt the disks according to PACKING.LST (only one file on disk 3 is missing) and it _should_ work. It doesn't though, and I've tried everything, but it seems like it can't read the disk or something or it's a bug in the setup program. In any case, the download is already available, so let me know if anyone can get this thing to install. :/

I've also uploaded some minor abn pieces in the meantime while I wait for new files (hopefully soon).

[tarlabnor]

Microsoft Visual Basic 2.0 Professional - the 5.25''-1.2MB release
...
Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0b

These two are definitely interesting. Could you please upload it somewhere ?

[Overdoze]

Sure, gimme a sec...

EDIT: Uploaded, links in OP.

[tarlabnor]

Thanks a lot !
Probably after messing with utilities I'll start creating timeline lists for office apps (from MS, Wordperfect Inc., IBM, Lotus etc.). It's going to be another big theme to do.

[Battler]

- Overdoze: First, PACKING.LST might be wrong in this case.

Second, do your floppy images have the correct volume label set in the boot sector? Because that's what Setup checks as well, not just the volume label in the root directory. However, you need to hex edit the images for that, as Winimage doesn't support modifying that. The default volume label in the boot sector is "NO NAME", padded with spaces. Change that to what it should be.

[Overdoze]

Nope, turns out it only wants the root volume labels right - I didn't put the disk number at the end and spaces in between... Now it installs, though with some file errors, which I'll try to sort out now if possible.

[Battler]

I guess I should use my tools to "decompress" SETUP.INI into readable form so I can then compare the list of files inside it with what PACKING.LST says.

[Overdoze]

No need, only DOSSHELL.IN_ is missing, but it's not critically important anyway. Got it properly working and reuploading.

And yeah, packing.lst is wrong.

EDIT: Uploaded all (except OS/2) to MEGA now, so you can enjoy them early.

[mrpijey]

I've added your uploads to the FTP.

[Battler]

- Overdoze: There is no and there is supposed to be no DOSSHELL.IN_. The file is different for every video driver, so every video driver has its own. Hence you see EGA.IN_, VGA.IN_, etc. This, as well as the .GR_ and .VI_ files get expanded to DOSSHELL.INI, DOSSHELL.GRB, and DOSSHELL.VID on the destination from the files of whatever display driver you choose in Setup.

And PACKING.LST indeed shows the listing of an older build. It mentions NETWORKS.TXT and CATAPULT.BA_. Now, CATAPULT is the earlier version of GORILLA and appears as GORILLA.BA_ in the 432 files we have, however it is still CATAPULT.BA_ in 5.00.409c. Now, examining 5.00.409c and 5.00.490, we notice NETWORKS.TXT is present in the former but absent in the latter, which points out at it having been removed at some point between the two. And since 5.00.432 happens to happen right between the two, the file being absent from it is very likely.

Also, please note that SETUP.INI specifies the destination name for each file, not the source name, hence why it mentions DOSSHELL.INI, DOSSHELL.GRB, and DOSSHELL.VID.

So conclusion, the disk folder dumps are correct and represent the disks, albeit with some bogus files inserted by whoever did the scene release.

Edit: I just successfully installed 5.00.432 from my own recreated floppy images. Setup didn't complain about a single missing file.

[Overdoze]

Yeah, I must've misplaced one of the files you mentioned. Anyways, as long as we now have a proper copy of this.

[os2fan2]

I have dumps of the Windows entertainment packs 1..4, when i first discovered 'disk images' back in 1995.