Proto:Windows XP

This page details one or more prototype versions of Windows XP

Windows XP became the most popular version of Windows. It was built on top of Windows NT technology and forever moved Windows away from the DOS-based kernels of the 9x era. With this, there is a lot of interesting history behind how it got there.

Build 2211 (March 2000)

• A log-in screen leftover from Neptune is still present in the data.

• Some select features, like the control panel, are ported from prototype builds of Windows ME.

Build 2223 (April 2000)

• ClearType is now present.
• The Professional/Watercolor theme is present, but very unfinished.
• While an OOBE (Out Of Box Experience) setup is present, it's carried over from a prototype build of Windows ME.

Build 2250 (June 2000)

• The Professional/Watercolor theme is enabled by default in this build. Notably, there's a window state for windows blocked by a modal dialog. When this happens, the windows turn red.
• This is the first build to require the Pentium Pro, as a result of removing the emulation for the cmpxchg8b instruction from the kernel.
• It's also the first build to remove the drivers for the SGI Visual Workstation 320/540.
• The setup has the Whistler logo, but the setup window has "Windows 2000 Professional" on the top-left.
• An alternate start menu can be enabled by pressing Alt + D in the Taskbar Properties menu.
• The theme preview does not work in this build yet.
• When installing, the default directory is now set to C:\WINDOWS rather than C:\WINNT.
• A MIDI file for Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is present as BEETHO~2.RMI.

String 538 is different in explorer.exe

Builds 2250 to 2428?	? to Final
Windows is running in safe mode. This special diagnostic mode of Windows enables you to fix the problem that is keeping you from starting Windows normally. The problem could be caused by your network or hardware settings. Make sure these settings are correct in Control Panel, and then try starting Windows again.	Windows is running in safe mode. This special diagnostic mode of Windows enables you to fix a problem which may be caused by your network or hardware settings. Make sure these settings are correct in Control Panel, and then try starting Windows again. While in safe mode, some of your devices may not be available.

Build 2257 (August 2000)

The Windows 2000 boot screen is edited to say Whistler instead of 2000.

There's a mock-up for a UI present intside the Taskbar Properties menu, which would later be edited for the Chartreuse Mongoose and Blue Lagoon themes.

Builds 2257 to ?	Builds ? to Final
Where did all the icons go? They disappeared from the notification area because you hadn't used them in a while. You can click the '<<' icon to see all the items	Hiding your inactive notification icons... To see the hidden icons, click this button

Build 2267 (September 2000)

A new boot-up screen is included.

Along with it comes a new wallpaper, which would later be set as the default for 2410-2419.

As well as a new OOBE screen, containing the Whistler name.

Build 2257
Builds 2267 to ?

Despite already including temp art for the Remote Desktop Connection banner, 2267 changes it to a different banner.

• Windows Movie Maker is ported from Windows ME, thus officially incorporating it as a component of the OS.
• System Restore is also ported from Windows ME, but cannot be shown without changing the registry.

Build 2276 (September 2000)

• A new Whistler movie appears when starting the OOBE.
• When a user is logged, their name appears along the sidebar in the Start menu.
• The setup application now uses a theme similar to the Professional/Watercolor.
• DRM modules are first introduced in this build.

Build 2296 (December 2000)

• Apps pinned to the start menu cannot be removed.

Build 2410 (December 2000)

• The Professional theme is now called the Watercolor theme.

• This build introduces two deliberately mildly irritating themes - Chartreuse Mongoose and Blue Lagoon. These were decoy themes present until Luna was ready for usage.

• A person icon is used as a default profile icon on the login screen, but this was removed from the final version.
• Internet Explorer 6 is officially introduced.
• The Windows Product Activation prompts are included and a product key is now required to activate. Moreover, a grace period of 14 days is implemented.
• Paint can save files as PNGs and JPEGs.
• Windows now includes the built-in ZIP extractor
• MUSIC.WMA is a short 30 second loop of "Voices" by Intermix.
• The Microsoft sound has been removed and would no longer be present in Windows from this build on.
• The setup folder contains a copy of InoculateIT AntiVirus AVBoot.

• DVDs have a unique icon.

• The MS Agents have unique background graphic in BMP format that are not present in the final version.

• The search assistants are bigger.

Prototype	Final

• WINNT32U.DLL, used for setup programs, has the Windows Whistler logo on the side, as opposed to a generic installation icon.

EXPLORER.EXE

• "Undock Computer" is called "Eject PC".
• EXPLORER.EXE now contains its final icon, but its 16-color icon has not yet been updated to match.
• EXPLORER.EXE contains assets for a web-based shell, which can be re-enabled using RegEdit.

Builds 2410 to ?	Builds 2428 to Final

• The run icon is of a running man.

Builds 2410 to ?	Builds 2428 to Final

• The large folder graphic is very incomplete.

The shutdown/logoff buttons are styled differently from the final release.

Display Properties contains a mock-up image for a more polished start menu.

MSTSC.EXE

Builds 2267 to ?
Builds 2410 to ?

The banner for Remote Desktop Connection now has a Windows 2000/ME-esque banner.

Builds 2410 to ?	Builds ? to Final

The Remote Desktop Connection program has a unique icon.

Build 2416 (January 2001)

• The Zone.com Internet games are now included.
• The OOBE starts bearing some resemblance to the Luna theme that would appear in 2428.
• Merlin no longer speaks during the OOBE setup.

Build 2419 (January 2001)

Almost all Windows 2000 wallpapers are removed, leaving only the branding wallpaper. Select wallpapers that would make a proper appearance in the final version have been inserted.

Build 2428 (January 2001)

The boot logo is changed once more, this time including the four colors of the Windows flag that flash in and out.

Builds 2410 to 2463	Builds 2465 to Final

The Luna theme preview present in the Display Properties panel displays an even earlier iteration of Luna.

Builds 2428 to 2463	Builds 2465 to Final

Clouds can be noticed during the setup, log-on, and log-off screens. The final version replaced this with a plain gradient.

• The Watercolor and decoy themes are removed. In turn, the Luna theme is now included, but looks significantly different. One example being that the start button has a shine to it.

• Likewise, the Start menu's Windows logo now looks similar to the final release.

• Rover has been shrunk. Earl and Courtney are still big, however.

Build 2446 (February 2001)

• The CD player app is removed.

• The backgrounds for MS Agents are removed.

Build 2465 (April 2001)

Builds 2410 to 2463	Builds 2465 to Final

The Recycle Bin no longer has handles on the sides.

Windows 2000's branding wallpaper has finally been removed. In its place is an XP branding wallpaper that would later be replaced with a CG render of the Windows flag.

• The "Follow Me" wallpaper is now just called "Follow".

• Due to complaints that "Red Moon Desert" looked like butts, the famous "Bliss" wallpaper replaces that as the default wallpaper.

• MUSIC.WMA is now Like Humans Do (Radio Edit) by David Byrne.

• AUDIO1.WAV through AUDIO4.WAV are removed in this build. These were used for the ME version of Windows Movie Maker's tour music.

MSTSC.EXE

Builds 2410 to ?
Builds 2465 to Final

The banner is now finalized.

Build 2469 (April 2001)

• In the OOBE setup, Merlin is now replaced with the Question mark.

• The famous "Velkommen" track by Stan LePard is now included as part of the OOBE.

Build 2474 (May 2001)

• The logon screen has an animation for a wavering Windows XP logo. The final version replaced this with a static image due to the huge size of the animation (~200 kb, as a result of no compression).

• The boot screen is largely similar to the final version and now properly refers the OS as Windows XP, but there is a "Version 2002" string present.

Build 2481 (May 2001)

• The bootscreen now plays the final animation.
• The Windows XP sounds are present, but not played by default and have a higher bitrate.
• The Windows XP Tour is now completed.

Build 2485 (May 2001)

• The Windows XP sounds are finally enabled by default.
• The default wallpaper is changed to the Windows XP Professional/Home branding wallpaper.
• Instead of the MIDI file, a recorded performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is included instead.

Build 2494 (June 2001)

• The "safe to shutdown" screen now resembles that of the final version.

Build 2495 (June 2001)

• .NET Passport functionality is added.
• A copy of Sachs Marine Aquarium is inexplicably included as FISH.SCR. This would later be included in the XP Plus package as a demo.

Build 2520 (July 2001)

• The Personal version is now called the Home Edition.

Build 2535 (August 2001)

• The wallpaper is changed back to Bliss.

Build 2542 (August 2001)

• The grace period for product activation is raised from 14 days to 30 days.