How does one search for a beta build of Windows?

[ComboOfWombo]

See the title

[beta.a.brian]

Um, what. You mean a specific build, unleaked build, build with special things in it and such...

[DiskingRound]

A tip for you: Many builds were released by certain groups (PWA is the most well known, but also has DoD, SCuM, NTA, MTY, etc.) to the warez scene. These groups existed back in the 1990's are were shut down and convicted in the late 1990's/early 2000's. Many if not most releaks in recent years came from the old warez scene. They can be found on warez discs, but they are very difficult to find. I'll let you search for that on your own since they also contain content against BA rules (cracks, erotic content, etc.)

[ComboOfWombo]

Um, what. You mean a specific build, unleaked build, build with special things in it and such...

I meant how do people search for and find unleaked builds...

[Windows OS]

Um, what. You mean a specific build, unleaked build, build with special things in it and such...

I meant how do people search for and find unleaked builds...

Simple. Some people just have some unleaked builds that they decided to release.

It's not like most unleaked builds are just floating on the internet. Someone with possession of the build must leak it themselves. While there are some exceptions (mainly W10 builds that MS mistakenly put up on Windows Update's servers), that is the case for most.

[mrpijey]

"[...] unleaked builds floating on the internet [...]".... um... unwet water? Cold heat? What about powdered water . It floating on the internet would be the very definition of a leaked build . To answer the OP, to find something that is unleaked you need to simply find something that is not available to the general public (such as in house developer builds, custom customer tailored builds or in general unreleased software). Through work, connections, or illegally so, hacking (i.e breaching a corporate firewall or user account and get access to internal and confidential material).

Second hand (as demonstrated by the latest releases) find pre-internet compilation discs of pirated software and hope the group released pre-release builds. Those would also be considered unleaked as they never went "online" and didn't spread in a regular fashion like todays releases.

[DiskingRound]

Second hand (as demonstrated by the latest releases) find pre-internet compilation discs of pirated software and hope the group released pre-release builds. Those would also be considered unleaked as they never went "online" and didn't spread in a regular fashion like todays releases.

The internet did exist in the mid-late 1990's. However, 99.8% of those sites are currently down, so nowadays they'd be considered unleaked.

Many of those builds are also mislabeled or corrupted. I just found what appeared to be Nashville PP build 1074 from my contact, however it was just 1072 with 80% of the files corrupted. Completely useless. I will try to ask him for a re-dump of the tape to see if a complete 1072 could be obtained.

[Battler]

Actually, the actual Nashville Plus Pack Build 1074 was scene-leaked as well, but we're still missing the first two ZIP's of it.

[DiskingRound]

Actually, the actual Nashville Plus Pack Build 1074 was scene-leaked as well, but we're still missing the first two ZIP's of it.

Who knows... maybe one day a complete one will be found, perhaps from original media or CD.... or maybe from another warez group. Good things come to those who wait.

[ComboOfWombo]

Another question: what would be considered the holy grail of Windows beta builds?

[DiskingRound]

Another question: what would be considered the holy grail of Windows beta builds?

Personally, anything before DR5, Windows 2.x betas, any NT before October '91, any Chicago/Cougar/whatever build before 56, a different Neptune build, or really early Longhorns.
Another build I'd like to see include Millennium build 2368. With Activity Centers. I did contact a guy who had this build a long time ago, but he never bothered to answer (because EMail's from 17 years ago are unlikely to still work). While the odds are low, I'd like to see them.
Seeing older posts in this forum though one build often considered 'legendary' was Memphis 1134.

[Overdoze]

Another question: what would be considered the holy grail of Windows beta builds?

Depends on who you ask. I'd personally be most interested in early Chicago (let's say pre-122 or pre-58s even) or Neptune.

[WindowsCollector2000]

The Holy Grail of Windows Betas to me would be anything under DR5, earlier 95 Builds before 58s (or 56), NT July 1991 or earlier, earlier NT4 (if any), earlier NT5, Memphis, NepTune, Whistler 2415, and Odyssey. I'd like to see older LongHorn betas as well

[DiskingRound]

Whistler 2415

That was a demo build. These builds very rarely leak. Like Longhorns, 4050, 4015.l06, 4018...

Odyssey

No evidence any builds of that were compiled.

Also, sometimes on eBay there are very good original beta disks. One member here leaked most of his releases this way. You also better know what you're getting, as warez dumps can be mislabeled or corrupted (Chicago 122 mislabeled as 124, Windows 95 build 347 mislabeled as 478, a certain NT 3.5 build 683 which is entirely broken).

[OltScript131]

[DiskingRound]

What build is this? Where did you get this? Any more screenshots? Is it even real?

[ComboOfWombo]

What build is this? Where did you get this? Any more screenshots? Is it even real?

What is this a screenshot of?

[DiskingRound]

What build is this? Where did you get this? Any more screenshots? Is it even real?

What is this a screenshot of?

It looks exactly like the Windows 1.00 very early GUI shown in a Byte microcomputer magazine demo from 1983. There's no indication if that screenshot is real though. Have a look:

Do you possess this, is it a mockup, or did your friend send? If so can he share?

[ComboOfWombo]

What build is this? Where did you get this? Any more screenshots? Is it even real?

What is this a screenshot of?

It looks exactly like the Windows 1.0 Byte demo from 1983. There's no indication if it is real though.

Holy crap! IIRC DR5 is from 1984? This is big! A pre-DR5 build! (Hopefully its real)

[Battler]

- Jajan131: Could you please upload this somewhere? This would be one of the things we've been looking for quite some time now.

[ComboOfWombo]

Strange how I ask about Windows beta builds, someone mentions pre-DR5, then this happens!

[OltScript131]

[ComboOfWombo]

The suspense is KILLING me! We need to get this uploaded!

[OltScript131]

Sorry, the first photo is not real, it's just a design very realistic I drew... A view in 86Box if we had this version... Sorry...
For the second, it is real and the download link is below !
Microsoft Mouse (Leaked by ToastyTech) : http://toastytech.com/guis/msmouse.html
Oh, I just remembered :
History of Microsoft - 1983 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvx5L3RnjAA

But in August 2016, I tried to contact Bill Gates on , but I had no answer because it was not the time to ask him questions...

[Gnome]

Well, quite a mess we have here. Topic is (almost?) useless, so lets end it now. To OP, include more in your posts, give it more context.

Locked