Windows AlphaBetas: Difference between revisions

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{{Partially missing|According to the September 27 Notes.txt text file, there was a mention for Build 405 (released on July 4), but has since been lost to time.}}{{Infobox bootleg
{{Infobox bootleg
|title = Windows AlphaBetas
|screenshot = W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 Desktop.png
|original_os = [[:Category:Bootlegs based on Windows 2000|Windows 2000 SP4]]
|screenshot = AlphaBetas_Desktop.png
|release_date = September 27, 2005
|caption = The desktop of Windows AlphaBetas
|creator = ddrmaxromance of Troy's Work
|original_os = [[Windows 2000]]
|country = United States
|creator = ddrmaxromance
|release_date = 2006
|country = ?
|language = English
|language = English
|arch = x86
|arch = x86 (32-bit)
|size = 232 MB
|size = 232.2 MiB
|download = [https://crustywindo.ws/collection/Windows%202000/Windows%20AlphaBetas%20Build%20905.iso Windows AlphaBetas Build 905.iso]
|download = {{link|url=https://crustywindo.ws/collection/Windows%202000/Windows%20AlphaBetas%20Build%20905.iso|name=Windows AlphaBetas Build 905.iso}}
|archiveadd = December 5, 2022
}}
}}
'''Windows AlphaBetas Build 905''' is a bootleg [[:Category:Bootlegs based on Windows 2000|Windows 2000 SP4]] edition, which was created by ddrmaxromance of Troy's Work. It released to OSBetaArchive on September 27, 2005, and was added to the archive on December 5, 2022.

Windows AlphaBetas is a bootleg Windows edition created by ddrmaxromance and Troy's Work in 2006.


== Description ==
== Description ==
The bootleg is mostly intended to be an enhancement to Windows 2000 by adding unused/beta content, as per the name. It has some software bundled with it which you can install on the CD itself.
The bootleg is a modified Windows 2000 SP4 ISO. The bootleg is mostly intended to be an enhancement to Windows 2000 by adding unused/beta content from various Windows releases, as per the name. It has some software bundled with it, which you can install from the CD itself.


The ISO was made using nLite 1.0 beta 6 on Windows 2000, making it one of the earliest known bootlegs to use nLite.
== Changes from Windows 2000 ==

* New branding on the autorun, Setup background, Winver banner and in a few other places
== Changes from Windows 2000 SP4 ==
* The boot screen has been edited to have a green and black progress bar with the author's branding on it. The logo is changed to a Windows Neptune style logo, and a Watercolor-themed window is added, with nine of the major Windows betas and releases with their corresponding Windows default shell icons
=== Minor changes ===
* The Windows directory is titled "WINABCS" instead of the original "WINNT"
* New branding on the autorun, Winver banner and in a few other places
* The My Computer and Network Neighborhood icons have been changed
* The Run dialog's buttons are now resized to be more like Windows NT 4.0's ones, and have also been rearranged.
* The Start button has no text and uses the 16 color XP icon
* The Command Prompt header text is now "Microsoft Windows AlphaBetas [Version 5.05: Build 905]" and "(C) Copyright 1985-2005 Microsoft Corp. & [troy's work] Online Network".
* The taskbar is unlocked by default and the Quick Launch toolbar is set with nothing in it

* The start menu icons have been changed to their original icons from different angles in various background colors
=== Changes in pre-desktop procedures ===
* The Explorer icons now have color when you hover over them
* New setup background
* New boot graphics. The boot screen has been edited to have a green and black progress bar with the author's branding on it. The logo is changed to a Windows Neptune style logo, and a Watercolor-themed window is added, with nine of the major Windows betas and releases with their corresponding Windows default shell icons
* New login graphics. Login banner is changed

=== Look and feel ===
* New icon set. The "My Computer" and "Network Neighborhood" icons have been changed. The start menu icons have been changed to their original icons from different angles in various background colors.
* Nearly every sound has been removed from the system. There have been some new sounds added though, like the Windows 95 startup sound which has been made the default startup sound, and a low quality version of the Windows NT 5.0 beta startup sound which is now the logon sound


== Software ==
== Software ==
=== Software on the CD ===
* CursorXP
* Mozilla Firefox 1.0.7
* Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack
* Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack
* Mozilla Firefox 2.0
* Stardock CursorXP
* QuickTime
* Trillian 3.1
* Trillian 3.1
* Unknown Device Identifier 4.0
* Windows Messenger 5.1


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
=== Bootleg quirks ===
* When the Setup is copying files, two files (ir50_32.dll and winver.exe) will "fail" to install. You can skip them just fine, it won't actually affect the installation.
* When the Setup is copying files, two files (ir50_32.dll (Intel Indeo 5.0 32-bit codec) and winver.exe) will "fail" to install. This is a bug in the TXTSETUP.SIF file, both files are present on the CD and the latter is clearly demonstrated as clear as day in the Gallery.
* When you get an empty directory listing in the Command Prompt, it will return a message with missing message text. This is because message number 0x2711, where the "File Not Found" string is, has no message text assigned to it.
* The default drivers for sound, video and game controllers don't have a digital signature, and you will be asked about it during Setup.
* The icon for "My Computer" in this build is taken from {{link|url=https://betawiki.net/wiki/Windows_95_build_189|name=Windows 95 build 189}}.
* The start button has no text and uses the 16 color Windows XP start button icon, making the taskbar resemble {{link|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_CE_5.0|name=Windows CE 5.0}}.
* The taskbar is unlocked by default, and the Quick Launch toolbar is shown with nothing in it.
* The shortcut arrow is now a big gray arrow pointing to the top right.
* The Windows directory is titled "WINABCS" instead of the usual "WINNT".
* The Documents and Settings directory has been renamed to "Users".

=== CD contents and other info ===
* There are some additional images in the Extras folder.

=== Bugs ===
* The Add/Remove Programs Control Panel applet doesn't work.
* The Windows Components Wizard doesn't work due to the file comsetup.dll not being present in this bootleg. The workaround is to expand the file from the original Windows 2000 install CD onto the system32 directory, then the wizard can be accessed through the autorun setup.exe program. However it's not very useful, as you can't install any of the missing components such as the Volume Control (even though this is present on the AlphaBetas i386 directory, expanding the file onto the system32 directory is a way to get it at all).


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
<gallery>
AlphaBetas_Ir50Error.png | "ir50_32.dll" file copy error
AlphaBetas_WinverError.png | "winver.exe" file copy error
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 Setup.png | Setup in the graphical phase
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 Setup - Digital Signature Error.png | Setup - digital signature error
AlphaBetas_Copying.png | Setup while it's installing
AlphaBetas_Boot.png | Boot screen
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 Login.png | Login screen
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 DesktopFB.png | Desktop on first boot
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 Desktop.png | Empty desktop
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 StartMenu.png | Start menu
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 Demo.png | System Properties, Run and About Windows
AlphaBetas_Autorun.png | Autorun
</gallery>


=== Extracted resources ===
<gallery>
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 CD Extras 905Preview.jpg | 905Preview.jpg
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 CD Extras APHS - Homecoming Band Float 2005.jpg | APHS - Homecoming Band Float 2005.jpg
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 CD Extras Bliss.jpg | Bliss.jpg
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 CD Extras Death Before DOS.gif | Death Before DOS.gif
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 CD Extras Setup.jpg | Setup.jpg
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 CD Extras msdn Collection.jpg | msdn Collection.jpg
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 CD Extras WINNT BMP.png | WINNT.BMP
W2K AlphaBetas Build 905 CD Extras nature bmp.png | nature.bmp
</gallery>
</gallery>


[[Category:Bootlegs originating from North America]]
[[Category:Bootlegs based on Windows 2000]]
[[Category:Bootlegs based on Windows 2000]]
[[Category:Partially lost bootlegs]]
[[Category:Bootlegs]]
[[Category:Bootlegs]]

Latest revision as of 13:51, 22 September 2024

Windows AlphaBetas
Crusty Windows bootleg
The desktop of Windows AlphaBetas
The desktop of Windows AlphaBetas
Original OSWindows 2000 SP4
Release dateSeptember 27, 2005
Authorddrmaxromance of Troy's Work
CountryUnited States
Language(s)English
Architecture(s)x86 (32-bit)
File size232.2 MiB
Download linkWindows AlphaBetas Build 905.iso
Date addedDecember 5, 2022

Windows AlphaBetas Build 905 is a bootleg Windows 2000 SP4 edition, which was created by ddrmaxromance of Troy's Work. It released to OSBetaArchive on September 27, 2005, and was added to the archive on December 5, 2022.

Description

The bootleg is a modified Windows 2000 SP4 ISO. The bootleg is mostly intended to be an enhancement to Windows 2000 by adding unused/beta content from various Windows releases, as per the name. It has some software bundled with it, which you can install from the CD itself.

The ISO was made using nLite 1.0 beta 6 on Windows 2000, making it one of the earliest known bootlegs to use nLite.

Changes from Windows 2000 SP4

Minor changes

  • New branding on the autorun, Winver banner and in a few other places
  • The Run dialog's buttons are now resized to be more like Windows NT 4.0's ones, and have also been rearranged.
  • The Command Prompt header text is now "Microsoft Windows AlphaBetas [Version 5.05: Build 905]" and "(C) Copyright 1985-2005 Microsoft Corp. & [troy's work] Online Network".

Changes in pre-desktop procedures

  • New setup background
  • New boot graphics. The boot screen has been edited to have a green and black progress bar with the author's branding on it. The logo is changed to a Windows Neptune style logo, and a Watercolor-themed window is added, with nine of the major Windows betas and releases with their corresponding Windows default shell icons
  • New login graphics. Login banner is changed

Look and feel

  • New icon set. The "My Computer" and "Network Neighborhood" icons have been changed. The start menu icons have been changed to their original icons from different angles in various background colors.
  • Nearly every sound has been removed from the system. There have been some new sounds added though, like the Windows 95 startup sound which has been made the default startup sound, and a low quality version of the Windows NT 5.0 beta startup sound which is now the logon sound

Software

Software on the CD

  • CursorXP
  • Mozilla Firefox 1.0.7
  • Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack
  • Trillian 3.1
  • Unknown Device Identifier 4.0
  • Windows Messenger 5.1

Notes

Bootleg quirks

  • When the Setup is copying files, two files (ir50_32.dll (Intel Indeo 5.0 32-bit codec) and winver.exe) will "fail" to install. This is a bug in the TXTSETUP.SIF file, both files are present on the CD and the latter is clearly demonstrated as clear as day in the Gallery.
  • When you get an empty directory listing in the Command Prompt, it will return a message with missing message text. This is because message number 0x2711, where the "File Not Found" string is, has no message text assigned to it.
  • The default drivers for sound, video and game controllers don't have a digital signature, and you will be asked about it during Setup.
  • The icon for "My Computer" in this build is taken from Windows 95 build 189.
  • The start button has no text and uses the 16 color Windows XP start button icon, making the taskbar resemble Windows CE 5.0.
  • The taskbar is unlocked by default, and the Quick Launch toolbar is shown with nothing in it.
  • The shortcut arrow is now a big gray arrow pointing to the top right.
  • The Windows directory is titled "WINABCS" instead of the usual "WINNT".
  • The Documents and Settings directory has been renamed to "Users".

CD contents and other info

  • There are some additional images in the Extras folder.

Bugs

  • The Add/Remove Programs Control Panel applet doesn't work.
  • The Windows Components Wizard doesn't work due to the file comsetup.dll not being present in this bootleg. The workaround is to expand the file from the original Windows 2000 install CD onto the system32 directory, then the wizard can be accessed through the autorun setup.exe program. However it's not very useful, as you can't install any of the missing components such as the Volume Control (even though this is present on the AlphaBetas i386 directory, expanding the file onto the system32 directory is a way to get it at all).

Gallery

Extracted resources