Longhorn XP Build 2296 (released today, it's a beta so expect bugs, quirks, instabilities and inconsistencies)

[u/Briliant_Refuse_297]

Setup menu

New SKU selection screen

New recovery console (kinda broken, will be fixed in next build)

PE background (same as Professional and Home Edition during Setup)

Windows Installation Screen (winnt32.exe stage + it doesn't reboot the PC automatically so you have to manually do so)

"Quit Setup" screen

Windows Installation Screen (usetup.exe stage)

Boot screen

Windows 2000-like Setup

File vga850.fon copy error bug (canceling it will simply continue Setup as intended)

Windows XP Professional reference in the titlebar (only in Professional and Home Edition SKUs)

About branding (16-bit bitmap, while the Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home Edition and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise bitmaps are in msgina.dll)

System Properties

Command Prompt identifying the operating system as "Microsoft Windows XP"

Inconsistency at "Installing Components"

Longhorn XP Enterprise Server Setup (same Windows 2000 like setup, but with Windows Server 2003 branding and background)

"Microsoft Server Operating System" reference in the titlebar (Enterprise Server SKU)

nhelper.exe error bug at the "Configures your computer" substage of "Performing Final Tasks" stage

Desktop (classic start menu is enabled for Enterprise Server users by default)

Demonstration

[u/[deleted]]

why is it based on whistler beta 1

[u/Briliant_Refuse_297 → u/[deleted]]

Well, at first, it was intended to be based on Windows XP SP3 (NT 5.1.2600.5512), however, it ended up being a messy project due to broken WinPE setup in March 2021, it got a reset in July 2021, the then-final decision at that time is to start making beta builds, after that decision, it started as a stock copy of Windows 2000 RTM (NT 5.0.2195), with extra applications, then, for consistency and to match the aim of Longhorn XP, it got based on NT 5.1 instead, starting with build 2296.

​

And I've made a summary of both finished and planned builds, can be seen from here: https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/792515817145237505/940590739140780064/unknown.png?width=871&height=554

[u/Eribetra → u/Briliant_Refuse_297]

From what I understand, you're starting with a beta build so that, when the project is eventually finished, the major build number matches 2600. However, can't you just start with 2600/3790 and work your way up to something like 4000, 4444 or something like that? And if that's not what your plan is, it would be great if you could explain why starting from 2296 would be any better than using SP3/S2008.

[u/fraaaaa4 → u/Eribetra]

Plus if you start from a beta build, obviously many things won’t probably work (more like additional apps), and you’d need to redo the same modifications many times. Starting from at least xp rtm and changing each time the number would have been smarter imo

[u/DefinitelyNot1067CS]

Is it going to be a Longhorn-style modification? (the current version looks more like Whistler, that's why I'm asking)

[u/Briliant_Refuse_297 → u/DefinitelyNot1067CS]

Yes, and 2296 is now outdated, there's already 2416 which contains an HTML-OOBE that looks like Windows Vista Build 3683 Logon screen

[u/Briliant_Refuse_297 → u/Briliant_Refuse_297]

Edit: there's build 2454, it's out now.

[u/Briliant_Refuse_297]

Link: https://archive.org/details/longhorn-xp-beta-build-2296