I've done it with Longhorn, I've done it with Vista, and now I'm doing it with Windows XP. In my ongoing quest to install as many Windows beta builds as I can, I will be installing every beta build of Windows XP in VMware Workstation Pro 16. After doing Longhorn and Vista, the logical next step would be Windows 7, but I currently don't have the disk space to dedicate another 300GB+ to Windows builds. Maybe when I have a bigger hard drive. For now, I'm interested in the evolution of XP builds, so here we go...
LEGEND:
- Green: Build is installed.
- Orange: Build is not yet installed.
- Red: I tried to install the build, but it didn't work.
Information about build interest ratings: The more interesting a build is, the higher value /10 it gets. The longer it has been since a new interesting feature in a build, the lower score it gets. For me, visual changes make a build more interesting so that is the most important metric in determining this value.
Let the project begin!
Beta 1 - The beginnings of XP.
2202.1.ntvbl06.000202-1835
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: The build CD isn't bootable so I will need to run setup from a boot disk, and partition the drive before installing.
- Installation Difficulty: 7/10
- Installation Notes: Copying the CDROM.SY_ file from the Windows 2000 RTM ISO makes the build bootable. Thanks to @lubuntut for this info!
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 4/10
- Build Notes: Pretty much Windows 2000 with a build number.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2211.1.main.000309-1512
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: /10
- Installation Notes: Installed fine.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 6/10
- Build Notes: Neptune login screen is present, although I found the VMware 7.0 drivers installed, but they cause a BSoD on startup so I have to remove them. Update: For some reason it auto installed the WDDM Driver instead of the normal one! Now it works fine.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2223.1.main.000411-2307
- Installed: No
- Installation Problems: The build may crash while installing drivers. Hopefully I can get past that!
- Installation Difficulty: /10
- Installation Notes: Could not install. GUI Setup restarts when copying files.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 7/10
- Build Notes:
- Hardware Compatibility used: 5x
2250.1.main.000628-2110
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: NA/10 (Already installed prior to beginning)
- Installation Notes:
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 9/10
- Build Notes: The first build to have a complete working watercolor theme, among other things.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 15x
2257.1.idx01.000810-2103
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 3/10
- Installation Notes: it froze on hardware setup on the first try.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 8/10
- Build Notes: The watercolor theme got redesigned.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2267.1.idx01.000909-1503
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 4/10
- Installation Notes: Stuck on "Setup is starting Windows Whistler" Update: I managed to get it installed by disabling ACPI, but after installing the VMware SVGA driver it TOTALLY broke the VM. Even safe mode couldn't save it... This is why I avoid chk/debug builds whenever I can. It's currently reinstalling. Update: Installed.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): idk/10 (the betawiki page has no info on the build's changes)
- Build Notes: This build originally scene leaked in 2000, but was lost until very recently!
- Hardware Compatibility used: 5x
2267.1.idx01.000910-1316
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 1/10
- Installation Notes: It worked.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 8/10 (Many new features, but I'm sure they existed in the prior compile, so you could say that that build is more deserving of the 8/10 here.)
- Build Notes: nice loading screen.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2276.1.Lab02_N.000928-2023
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: Largely the same issues as the ones in build 2201.
- Installation Difficulty: 7/10
- Installation Notes: I tried an NT boot disk, DOS boot disk with winnt.exe, and even installing dos. I get stuck on "Setup is starting Windows Whistler" Update: Fixed by disabling ACPI.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 7/10
- Build Notes:
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2287.1.beta1.001012-1643
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: The same issue as the last build.
- Installation Difficulty: /10
- Installation Notes: Set BIOS Date, Installed DOS, disabled ACPI, ran winnt.exe, partitioned the remaining 6GB of my 8GB drive, installed build.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): idk/10 (The BetaWiki page has no info on new features.)
- Build Notes: Nothing interesting really.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2296.1.beta1.001024-1157
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 4/10
- Installation Notes: Stuck on "Setup is starting Windows Whistler", disabling ACPI fixed this.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 3/10 (The BetaWiki thread does not list many changes, which makes sense I guess.)
- Build Notes: The official Beta 1 build released to testers.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 5x
Beta 2 Builds - Watercolor was still being used at the beginning, but by the end XP had mostly taken form.
2410.main.001208-1937
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 4/10
- Installation Notes: I needed to disable ACPI or it would freeze up at "Setup is starting Windows Whistler"
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 6/10
- Build Notes: It finally has a proper generic video driver for 32-bit color and higher resolutions.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 5x
2416.idx01.010104-1958
- Installed: No
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: /10
- Installation Notes: I get a disk configuration error after the first reboot to gui setup. I've tried just about every different configuration possible and it just doesn't work.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 5/10
- Build Notes:
- Hardware Compatibility used: 5x and 6.5-7x.
2419.idx02.010113-1154
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: NA/10 (Already installed before starting)
- Installation Notes:
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 8/10
- Build Notes: One of the final builds to include Watercolor.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 15x (Shows how old this VM is!)
2419.idx02.010115-1412
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 3/10
- Installation Notes: I had to convert the MDF file to ISO in UltraISO. Usually VMware handles MDFs fine but this one didn't work for some reason.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 5/10
- Build Notes: Final build to include the watercolor and sample visual styles.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2428.idx01.010129-1827
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: NA/10 (Already installed before starting)
- Installation Notes:
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 10/10
- Build Notes: The first build to include Luna.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 15x
2430.main.010130-1821
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 1/10
- Installation Notes: I no longer have to disable ACPI to get into the installer.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 4/10
- Build Notes: It added a drop shadow that was unique to this build only on title bar text. I guess that's neat.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2433.main.010206-1822
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: This build is known to be particularly unstable, it might take some trial and error to get it up and running.
- Installation Difficulty: 1/10
- Installation Notes: I had no issues whatsoever.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 4/10
- Build Notes: Not very much interesting stuff here at this point.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2442.1.main.010217-1630
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 3/10
- Installation Notes: It was in Chinese, good thing I remembered what all the buttons did.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 6/10
- Build Notes: Leaked after this project started. Only available in Chinese.
- Hardware Compatibility used:
2446.main.010224-2228
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 1/10
- Installation Notes: No issues.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 3/10
- Build Notes: A couple logo changes.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2454.main.010306-1653
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 2/10
- Installation Notes: Many files wouldn't copy but the build still installed fine.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): ?/10 (No info on BetaWiki about new features.)
- Build Notes:
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2457.main.010309-1904
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: This build will hang on certain systems at the end of GUI setup, resetting fixes this issue.
- Installation Difficulty: 1/10
- Installation Notes: it hung at the end of GUI setup, resetting did indeed fix it.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 3/10
- Build Notes: Nothing much.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2458.main.010310-1552
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: The build will crash during boot on some copies of the build due to a rogue driver. I will need to replace it if the BA copy is affected by this.
- Installation Difficulty: 1/10
- Installation Notes: No issues.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): 2/10
- Build Notes: Nothing interesting.
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x.
2459.main.010312-1811
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 2/10
- Installation Notes: I had to convert the MDF file to ISO.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): ?/10 (No info about changed on BetaWiki.)
- Build Notes: Nothing Interesting
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
2462.main.010315-1739
- Installed: Yes
- Installation Problems: None noted.
- Installation Difficulty: 2/10
- Installation Notes: had to convert MDF to ISO.
- How interesting is it? (IMO): ?/10 (No info again on BetaWiki.)
- Build Notes: Official Beta 2 Build
- Hardware Compatibility used: 6.5-7x
And that's it! As I did with my Vista project, I will not be including any RC builds due to how similar they are to the final OS. I will include dated updates below as I begin installing builds.
- 7/15/21 - Project thread created.
- 7/16/21 - Installed build 2211.
- 7/17/21 - Tried and failed to install build 2223, installed build 2257.
- 7/18/21 - Installed the 2nd of the 2 build 2267s and Build 2202.
- 7/20/21 - Installed Builds 2296 and 2410.
- 7/21/21 - Installed the checked/debug compile of build 2267 and build 2276.
- 7/22/21 - Installed Build 2287. Done with beta 1 unless I can get Build 2223 working!
- 7/25/21 - Installed builds 2419 chk/debug and 2430.
- 8/5/21 - Installed builds 2433 and 2446.
- 8/15/21 - Installed build 2454.
- 8/28/21 - Installed build 2457.
- 9/13/21 - Installed build 2458.
- 9/15/21 - Installed build 2462.
- 9/16/21 - Installed builds 2459 and 2442. This project is now finished! I'll add a screenshots gallery later. On to Windows 7!
