[Guide] Install Longhorn 4051 x64 chk

[WindowsNeptune]

This tutorial describes how to install Longhorn 4051 x64 chk with VMWare.

1. Required Software
===============
a. VMWare Workstation, I use the latest, version 15.1.
b. Windbg. I installed Windows 10 SDK, and it comes with Windbg.
c. UltraISO, or some other software that can edit ISO.

2. Preparation before installation
=====================
a. Create a new VM with these settings:
Hardware compatibility: 6.5 - 7.x
Guest OS edition: XP Pro x64 Edition
HDD controller type: IDE
b. Add a Serial Port to VM.
The port added will be automatically named to COM2. Change connection type to "Use named pipe", input \\.\pipe\com_2 into textbox below, then choose "This end is the Server, The other end is an application". At last, check "Yield CPU on poll". After you done these, the setting page of COM2 should be like this:

3. Modify the ISO of Longhorn 4051 chk
==========================
a. Replace files
First, open LH4051 X64 FREE BUILD's ISO and extract the following 5 files related to IDE from .\AMD64

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    ataboot.sy_
    atapi.sy_
    ataport.sy_
    ident.hl_
    ideograf.uc

Second, open LH4051 X64 CHECKED BUILD's ISO, paste those 5 files extracted before to .\AMD64, overwrite files with the same name.
b. Modify txtsetup.sif
Extract .\AMD64\txtsetup.sif from LH4051 X64 CHECKED BUILD's ISO, use notepad to open it. Find one line of code:

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SetupDebugOptions = "/debug /debugport=com1 /baudrate=115200"

Change the code to:

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SetupDebugOptions = "/debug /debugport=com2 /baudrate=115200"

Then find another line of code:

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OsLoadOptions = "/fastdetect /noguiboot /nodebug"

Change the code to:

Code: Select all

OsLoadOptions = "/fastdetect /noguiboot /debug"

After that, save the file, and paste it back to .\AMD64, replace the original one. At last, save the ISO you've modified, mount it to VM then power on.

4. Installation
=========
a. First, set BIOS date and time to avoid tmebomb. For example, 2003/10/02 is OK. Then, in the initial stage, the test-based setup will stuck at "Starting Windows". This problem often occurs on non-AMD computers. It's because the setup unable to detect processor type correctly. You will need to use Windbg to communicate with setup and Ignore the problem.
b. Open Windbg. Choose File-Kernel Debug. Switch to the COM tab in the pop-up window, input port: \\.\pipe\com_2, check "Pipe", "Reconnect". After you've done, the window should be like this:

Press OK, the Windbg will now start communicate with VM. You will see a line of text on Windbg's "Monitor" Window, like:

Code: Select all

Break repeatedly, break Once, Ignore, terminate Process, or terminate Thread (boipt)? 

You should input: Ignore in the input textbox then press Enter.

You will see many codes appear in the Windbg window. The setup of 4051 start work again.

c. Now you can deal with the text stage of installation without problem, but it is still not a time to celebrate: After finish the text stage and restart, you will see BSOD Code 7E. You need to modify boot.ini at the root of 4051's Virtual Disk. Power off your VM, mount 4051's VMDK, open the boot.ini in the root directory. Replace:

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multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

with:

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multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /debug /debugport=com2 /baudrate=115200

Save the file, unmount VMDK and power on your 4051 VM again, then attach kernel debug using Windbg just like what I wrote above. No matter what question the window asks you, just type: Ignore then press Enter. Now you will enter GUI stage of installation. And please remember: each time you power on or restart, You need to keep attach kernel using Windbg, or 4051 cannot bypass the machine check.

5. After Installation
=============
Download VMWare SVGA driver version 6.5.2 (From TheCollectionBook or somewhere) and install it, you will get a colorful 4051. Now play with it!


6. The guess of mine about the stuck while installing
========================================
According to the message shows in Windbg window when installing, the stuck seems caused by a source file mcheck.c in sourcecode of 4051 x64 chk.

In my point of view, at that time Windows x64 edition are developed for AMD processor, which has AMD64 Instruction Set, while Intel processor has EM64T Instruction Set. mcheck may means "Model check" or "machine check", and that's why when your host PC use Intel CPU, the install will stuck ---- It don't know about Intel's X64 technologies. Well, or maybe it just hard-coded some codes like "While Processor is not AMD, stuck."

An example is that when install 4051 x64chk on a real AMD64 PC (I used VIA K8M800 motherboard, a socket 754 AMD Athlon 64 Processor, which is the first gen. AMD64 CPU), we don't need to debug using COM.

[Caveria]

Thanks for guide! It really worked!

[ActivateYourTech]

Thanks for the guide!
However I want to ask can I get the windbg for Windows 8.1?
I could not find it.

[SONBTV]

Thanks for the guide!
However I want to ask can I get the windbg for Windows 8.1?
I could not find it.

You can install Windows 10/11 SDK on Windows 8.1 (even Windows Server 2022 SDK can be installed on Windows 8.1)

[Googulator]

It is hardcoded to only boot on AMD CPUs, because at this time Intel was still publicly clinging to the idea that the 64-bit replacement for x86 will be Itanium. (In reality, "IA-32e" - it wasn't even called EM64T back then - was ready and implemented in some CPUs on the market, as a kind of backup strategy, but Intel didn't yet want to reveal this, hoping to sink AMD64 via litigation and/or marketing.)

[SONBTV]

It is hardcoded to only boot on AMD CPUs, because at this time Intel was still publicly clinging to the idea that the 64-bit replacement for x86 will be Itanium. (In reality, "IA-32e" - it wasn't even called EM64T back then - was ready and implemented in some CPUs on the market, as a kind of backup strategy, but Intel didn't yet want to reveal this, hoping to sink AMD64 via litigation and/or marketing.)

Interesting, this build can be installed normally when host have AMD CPU, or I still need to debug? My main PC (actually laptop) have AMD Ryzen CPU

[ActivateYourTech]

I have an i7-4th gen but I went through the text mode setup fine without modifications. However, after it rebooted it gave an error.

[Googulator]

AFAIK it still needs debug in a VM with an AMD host, but will install fine on bare metal as long as the CPU is AMD. x64fre will install in a VM with AMD host CPU as well, only needing debug for Intel. This is because there are 2 issues here, one x64-specific, related to that errant AMD CPU check, and another related to the IDE driver, which only occurs in checked builds (x86 and x64 alike), and is specific to virtualization.

[SONBTV]

BTW, how to install Windows Longhorn build 4050 and 4051 x86 chk? Because 4050 and 4051 x86 chk uses Windows PE instead of the older i386 method, and with this method I can't install build 4050 and 4051 x86 chk

x64fre will install in a VM with AMD host CPU as well, only needing debug for Intel.

I am successfully installed Windows Longhorn 4051 x64 fre when my host CPU was been Intel, so, only the chk version needs an AMD CPU

[Crazy_Milojko]

yo how do i install the svga drivers without needing to use vmware tools

[PivotGuy246]

Blame the processor feature check crash on Hyper-V; it works absolutely fine on both Intel and AMD processors without it enabled.

[WeeXnes]

thank you, this really helped me out. couldnt get it to work before