Technical Preview build 9879 as a daily OS

[runner105]

I have a copy of a Windows Tech Preview build that I would like to set up and use as a daily OS. [build 9879, NT 6.4] I have tested the build for bugs, and it seems perfectly usable. All of the drivers are working and programs install properly. There are only 2 problems. The first, obviously, is the timebomb. It expired at exactly 6:59 PM on 04/15/2015. The second is the amount of data collection taking place, because pre-rerlease operating systems have different license agreements that allow them to record and send as much personal data as they can. I would like to include some screenshots of the OS, but this is a new account and I don't have access to the image uploader. I have uploaded the license agreement to Onedrive, the link is further on in this post.

1: I know that in modern builds of Windows the activation and expiration info is stored in both a file and a registry entry. The file is located at [C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\tokens.dat]. I don't know where the registry entry is stored. What I do know is that I will need to replace the tokens file with one that doesn't expire and modify the registry to disarm the timebomb. So I need to know where the registry entry is and how I can replace/edit both parts of the timebomb. Or if I'm way off, then I need to know how to actually disarm the timebomb.

2: As for the data collection/privacy stuff, here are the license terms for this build: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhTyfwdtEuGcoR9DFmcRoe-vDdmH Should I have anything to worry about, and if so, what measures can I take to fix this huge privacy breach and stop the "spying"?

I can provide any additional details/resources if necessary. [Including official Microsoft download links to both the x64 and x32 .iso files.]

Thanks everyone, and I'm glad to have found such a great community for this kind of stuff.

[gtgamer468]

You are definitely on the right track for disarming the timebomb, but there are more steps to take like modifying the catroot folder as well as the spp folder and changing permission. If you look at Camwinny's topic about removing the timebomb for build 9834, it shows what I said.

[runner105]

Thanks for the quick response! I was actually about to try Camwinny's method before I realized that their build will at least boot when set to the current day. Additionally, their build displays the "Microsoft Confidential" message. Will their method still work on my build?

[AlphaBeta]

Windows 10 previews don't like running past the timebomb date: System executables stop working, because the certificates expire on the same date as the timebomb. Also in some builds the boot loader even purposefully bricks itself if the build starts two weeks after its expiration date.

All of this is for a good reason - these builds are not supported anymore and therefore they most certainly have big or small security issues. Of course, you can use some kind of antivirus software, but I believe it's better to fix the hole in the fence rather than place a CCTV camera in front of it. It's interesting that you care about some telemetry being sent to MS but you don't care about the other security problems that are much more dangerous.

Even using Windows 7 is better than using an early beta of Windows 10 as a daily OS.

[Applegame12345]

Windows 10 previews don't like running past the timebomb date: System executables stop working, because the certificates expire on the same date as the timebomb. Also in some builds the boot loader even purposefully bricks itself if the build starts two weeks after its expiration date.

All of this is for a good reason - these builds are not supported anymore and therefore they most certainly have big or small security issues. Of course, you can use some kind of antivirus software, but I believe it's better to fix the hole in the fence rather than place a CCTV camera in front of it. It's interesting that you care about some telemetry being sent to MS but you don't care about the other security problems that are much more dangerous.

Even using Windows 7 is better than using an early beta of Windows 10 as a daily OS.

9834, 9845 and 9907 fbl_ie are able to boot with current date.
They don't complain about expired certificates.

[onza110]

Out of curiosity what is the reason you want this build for a daily driver?

[AlphaBeta]

Windows 10 previews don't like running past the timebomb date: System executables stop working, because the certificates expire on the same date as the timebomb. Also in some builds the boot loader even purposefully bricks itself if the build starts two weeks after its expiration date.

All of this is for a good reason - these builds are not supported anymore and therefore they most certainly have big or small security issues. Of course, you can use some kind of antivirus software, but I believe it's better to fix the hole in the fence rather than place a CCTV camera in front of it. It's interesting that you care about some telemetry being sent to MS but you don't care about the other security problems that are much more dangerous.

Even using Windows 7 is better than using an early beta of Windows 10 as a daily OS.

9834, 9845 and 9907 fbl_ie are able to boot with current date.
They don't complain about expired certificates.

How does that change the fact using them as a daily driver is objectively a bad idea from a security viewpoint?

[runner105]

Thanks for all the replies! I was about to try Camwinny's method before I realized that his build boots to current date. Would his method still work on this build?

And what are the security problems? It still gets updates for Windows Defender, so I wouldn't imagine that it's any less secure than any other OS. [but I'm probably wrong]

I want to use this OS because it's pretty cool and I don't like Windows 10. This build takes the good things about Windows 10 and combines them with what I like about 8/8.1, it looks nicer from a cosmetic standpoint, and also has plenty of features that can't be found in 8/8.1 or 10. [like a search feature that isn't Cortana, storage sense, data sense, etc.]

Here are the files if anyone is interested in seeing the build I have:
x64: http://care.dlservice.microsoft.com/dl/ ... _EN-US.ISO
x32: http://care.dlservice.microsoft.com/dl/ ... _EN-US.ISO

Sorry my responses are so delayed, I have to wait for moderation before my posts go through.

[gtgamer468]

I don't think that's possible. Have you tried booting an installed copy of this build with the current date? If you were hit with the timebomb even during booting it from the image, then it's not possible. Actually, it's only possible to install a build like 9834 or 9907 as these were leaked to the web, not officially released by Microsoft like build 9841, 9860 or 9879.

[runner105]

If I set the time to current day, the OS will brick with a self-induced blue screen. The message is "A component of the operating system has expired.". So you're saying that it is only possible to disarm builds that will boot to current day? If so, why is that? [just out of curiosity]

[Applegame12345]

If I set the time to current day, the OS will brick with a self-induced blue screen. The message is "A component of the operating system has expired.". So you're saying that it is only possible to disarm builds that will boot to current day? If so, why is that? [just out of curiosity]

Well, these 3 builds (9834, 9845 and 9907 fbl_ie) are compiled in different labs. So, they don't have expiring certificates and components. I highly recommend using disarmed 9834 by Camwinny instead of 9879 because it's pretty stable and it boots with current date.

Here is the screenshot of disarmed 9834 by Camwinny.

[jeff69dini]

If I set the time to current day, the OS will brick with a self-induced blue screen. The message is "A component of the operating system has expired.". So you're saying that it is only possible to disarm builds that will boot to current day? If so, why is that? [just out of curiosity]

Well, these 3 builds (9834, 9845 and 9907 fbl_ie) are compiled in different labs. So, they don't have expiring certificates and components. I highly recommend using disarmed 9834 by Camwinny instead of 9879 because it's pretty stable and it boots with current date.

Here is the screenshot of disarmed 9834 by Camwinny.

yeah just wished nvidia drivers worked

[runner105]

I'm trying to get this version working as a bit of a personal project, so I would like to use 9879. I don't want to use 9907 or 9845 because 9907 isn't really any different from Windows 10 [it's even NT 10.0] and 9845 is not available in english.

If it isn't at all possible to disarm this build and I can't get it to boot with current date, then I'd like to try 9834, [it seems pretty similar to mine] but I would like to try this one first. I'll attempt what Camwinny did for 9834 and post the results. Thanks!

[Applegame12345]

I'm trying to get this version working as a bit of a personal project, so I would like to use 9879. I don't want to use 9907 or 9845 because 9907 isn't really any different from Windows 10 [it's even NT 10.0] and 9845 is not available in english.

If it isn't at all possible to disarm this build and I can't get it to boot with current date, then I'd like to try 9834, [it seems pretty similar to mine] but I would like to try this one first. I'll attempt what Camwinny did for 9834 and post the results. Thanks!

This most likely is not going to work on 9879.
Server 9845 is available in English, but it has many bugs compared to 9834.

[gtgamer468]

The system files for build 9879 like explorer.exe and regedit.exe have already expired as well because of a timestamp, so at this point, don't bother disarming the timebomb. To do so, you will have to remove and issue new certificates for every single file and unless you can use a batch file(I'm not sure that's possible), that process will take hours or even days at the least.

[runner105]

Ok, then I'll use 9834 instead. I didn't realize that every file in each application expired as well as the OS itself.

[gtgamer468]

Camwinny had already debombed the build (9834) but it only covers Windows Technical Preview and not Technical Preview for Consumers. If you could try to debomb the second index, that would be helpful as I couldn't do it myself. You can see why I want to debomb it in the first place in the other topic covering the debomb process of 9834.

[runner105]

For Windows Media Center, right?

[gtgamer468]

Correct, plus I can first activate it with my OEM key as well as my PC came with Windows 8.0 Core.

[runner105]

Do you mean that the consumer index needs to be disarmed to activate Windows? Or just with your OEM key? Because I have a copy of MT252 that I use for activation, and it works on nearly any version of Windows, release or pre-release.

[gtgamer468]

The index itself needs to be disarmed. I mentioned my OEM key because, after setup, you need to activate it with a Windows 8.1 key and the second index happens to be based on Windows 8.1 Core. After setup completes successfully without the timebomb, you need to activate Windows with an 8.x key.

[jeff69dini]

you still need a way to make gpu drivers work

[runner105]

My test laptop is Intel integrated and my desktop is ATI graphics, so I haven't had the Nvidia problem I've heard so much about. I'm not great with modifying drivers, so someone else would have to help you with that.

[gtgamer468]

I not even worried about drivers in my PC because I successfully installed every one from the graphic card to the chipset. All I need is the timebomb disarmed. I installed the first index to test out my drivers and its working.

[jeff69dini]

I not even worried about drivers in my PC because I successfully installed every one from the graphic card to the chipset. All I need is the timebomb disarmed. I installed the first index to test out my drivers and its working.

what gpu do you have?