Windows Me build 2348

Windows Me build 2348 is the second Developer Release build of Windows Me. According to Paul Thurrott, it was released to testers on 6 August 1999. This build was found on the fourth disc of the Crazybytes 42 warez CD compilation and was also scene leaked by the warez group GLoW.

This build incorporates the Automatic Updates feature which is included in subsequent versions of the operating system.

Installation
This is the first available build of Windows Me that recommends to the user to quit all Windows programs before continuing Setup. Setup also received various UI updates to mostly resemble the Wizard97 style. For example, the welcome dialog displayed when setup has been started has been shifted to after setup has been prepared.

Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player has been updated to a very early build of version 7.0. The UI has not been changed, and is still identical to its predecessor. Unlike later builds, this one replaces Windows Media Player 6.4 directly (as ) instead of being shipped alongside it (as  ).

Activity Centers
This is the first leaked build of Windows Me to include the Activity Centers and Microsoft Mars, though they are still in a very early stage of development and largely incomplete. They are located in the file. To install them, you must first create a new DWORD value named  in the registry key , then re-register the mentioned DLL with. Activity Center files will be placed in  and you can set the Start Page as your Active desktop page.

Music Center is called "Audio Center" in this build and is still largely a placeholder. Photo Center seems somewhat more complete, while the Game Center is completely absent.

System Restore
This build contains the System Restore executable and registry keys, although even if the key  is set to Y, opening   will only lead to a PCHealth error.

System File Protection
System File Protection is included but not enabled by default. The  registry key has to be set to Y in order to be enabled. After the registry key has been updated, the system must be rebooted for the System File Protection to become active. However, this can often lead to the system hanging upon logon due to an MS-DOS Prompt window opening on login that hangs.

Windows AutoUpdate
An early version of AutoUpdate is included in this build.

Other changes

 * A user interface for USB hot plugging has been added via, including the tray icon for safely ejecting devices.
 * The message stating that Windows cannot be installed due to the processor being less than 200MHz has been slightly reworded.

Bug fixes

 * Resolved dependencies on the Keyboard Controller. USB Keyboard is now functional in Windows on Legacy Free PC's.
 * Resolved problem with printer sharing not being enabled in the previous build.
 * Resolved a problem with ISA PnP detection in the previous build. Please ensure that your ISA PnP devices are correctly detected during Setup.
 * The uninstall issue from the previous build's notes has been resolved.
 * Resolved a problem with shutdown after file copy, and on other boots of Setup.

Installation

 * Setup may hang during the System Configuration stage of Setup. If this occurs, please restart your computer. Setup should finish normally.
 * Setup may need more space than it says it requires. Please install this build on a machine that has adequate disk space available (at least 600 MB recommended).

Power Management

 * To install your system in ACPI mode in this build, run Setup using the switch /p j. If it is able to detect ACPI it will attempt to install in this mode.
 * On systems that are APM 1.0 and APM 1.1, the Advanced Power Management device in Device Manager will be Code 11 (Disabled) or Code 2 (Failed to start). Only versions of APM 1.2 and ACPI are supported in this build.
 * If your system supports features such as Wake-On-LAN, Wake-On-Ring, or Wake-On-Timer they may not be functional in this release.
 * This build does not display an error message when the system fails to enter standby or hibernate. You may be able to check for an error log that is created called C:\Windows\Susfail.txt.
 * The power meter on the Power Management Control Panel is incorrectly reporting the estimated time remaining on batteries.
 * ACPI systems may have problems using standby mode. Run the Hctbeta.exe program from the \Betaonly\ACPI directory on the build 2332.2 CD. This will report any errors that are in your ACPI BIOS. If this tool reports any errors this could cause problems with power management functionality.

Legacy Free Testing

 * USB Mouse is not functional in Safe Mode or MiniWindows on Legacy Free PC's. Proposed changes for the ACPI flag, LEGACY_DEVICES, is not implemented in this release. Resolution is to extract Winboot.lf from PRECOPY2.CAB to IO.SYS in the root directory of your Windows boot drive.

Hibernation

 * A lot of progress has been made with Hibernation since the previous build. There are still issues with Hibernate in this build. It is highly recommended that you do a clean install or upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows 98 SE, and not upgrade over a previous build of Millennium if you plan to test hibernate. Older registry settings used in the previous build will conflict with this build.
 * It is no longer necessary to use the Video Repost Flag workaround. If you have set this flag, please follow these instructions on how to remove this flag from your system:
 * Open up REGEDIT, and open the My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Sytstem\CurrentControlSet\Services\Class\Display\ tab. You should see a key called 0000. If you have other keys like this (such as 0001, 0002) you need to remove the following key under each of the additional entries. We will use the example of 0000. To do this:
 * Expand the 0000 key.
 * Select the DEFAULT key.
 * Look for a string called "Repost".
 * If you see this string, select it and hit the DEL key.
 * When prompted, hit Yes to confirm the deletion of the Repost key.
 * Repeat from step 1 if you have additional keys such as 0002, 0003, etc.
 * Reboot your system, and attempt to hibernate again.
 * Certain systems may experience problems with Hibernate if the computer is using the Intel Pro/100 Management Adapter. This is a known issue. The workaround is to open Device Manager, expand the Network Adapters branch and open the Properties for the Intel Pro/100+ Management Adapter. If you have a tab for Power Management, select it and unselect the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". Close the properties dialog and reboot your system before trying to Hibernate again.
 * System hangs at "Switching to protect mode" when trying to resume from hibernate. Resume times can take up to 30 seconds or longer once you have reached the "Switching to protect mode" screen.
 * Systems that have SCSI CD-ROM's or SCSI Hard Disks fail to resume from Hibernate or Stand By. This build does not support power management for SCSI devices. Please do not attempt to enter Stand By or Hibernate if you have SCSI media on your system.

Docking

 * Docking is not implemented in this build. It is recommended that you use your computer in the undocked configuration. Creating or switching between different docked profiles (such as Docked and Undocked) may cause your system to become unusable. If you are upgrading your system to this build, it is recommended that you first undock your notebook and delete all other hardware profiles except for one you are using. To do this, in Control Panel, double-click System and then click the Hardware Profiles tab. If you plan on using hardware profiles, you should understand the following known issues.
 * Users who install this build on a laptop system with multiple hardware profiles (such as Docked and Undocked) may experience problems with their graphics cards not initializing correctly near the completion of setup and on subsequent reboots. Windows may report that there is a problem with the display settings or your graphics adapter, even though it is actually configured correctly. The workaround is to delete all but one hardware profile. That will, in most cases, require the user to be in an undocked state and remain undocked.
 * Users who install this build on a laptop system with three or more hardware profiles (such as Docked, Undocked, and Home) may be unable to start Windows. This problem will also occur when a user makes a copy of any existing hardware profile. Upon reboot, the user will be presented with an incorrectly formatted hardware profile selection menu that will not respond to any of the choices presented. The workaround is to boot your computer undocked and press and hold the F8 key to bring up the boot menu. Choose Safe Mode, and choose your undocked profile when prompted. Once your computer has booted, delete all hardware profiles except for the one you are currently using. To do this, in Control Panel, double-click System, and then click the Hardware Profiles tab.
 * Laptops may not create new hardware profiles if the system is booted in a different docked configuration. Your system may not be able to create new hardware profiles. Instead, Windows will start adding new devices to the existing profile you currently have. It is recommended that you keep your laptop in the undocked configuration and do not change hardware profiles.

Boot

 * If you hit an error on boot that reports "ASD File Found!", hit Enter key three times. Your system should continue to boot normally. Once you are in this build, you can run ASD.EXE from the Run line to view which driver has caused a problem. More information on ASD can be found here.

MS-DOS based applications trying to run in real-mode MS-DOS

 * MS-DOS-based applications that attempt to run in MS-DOS mode will fail. Some of these applications can be fixed by changing the MS-DOS .pif file to not force or suggest MS-DOS Mode. To do this, follow the procedure below:
 * Locate the associated MS-DOS .pif for the application.
 * Right-click, choose Properties, click the Program tab and then click the Advanced button.
 * If selected, clear both MS-DOS mode and Suggest MS-DOS mode as necessary.
 * Select the box which states Prevent MS-DOS based programs from detecting Windows.
 * Click OK and then click OK.
 * Run Program by double clicking the previously modified batch file.

Internet Connection Sharing

 * You should uninstall ICS before you upgrade from Windows 98 Second Edition to this build. ICS will not function correctly if you install this build over Windows 98SE with ICS installed. To work around this problem, follow the below procedure to uninstall and then reinstall ICS:
 * Click Start, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.
 * Click the Windows Setup tab, and then double-click Internet Tools.
 * Click to clear the Internet Connection Sharing check box, click OK, and then click OK.
 * Restart your computer when prompted.
 * Follow steps 1 and 2 above. Then click to select the Internet Connection Sharing check box, click OK, and then click OK.
 * Follow the instructions on your screen to complete ICS setup, and restart your computer when prompted.
 * An ICS client and host can't simultaneously play an external third party on the Zone with some games. This used to work with the old Zone software. The game hangs until the client machine is booted. The Zone software is upgraded automatically when logging on to the Zone, so using old Zone software is not an option. There is no workaround.
 * If you do a compact or custom install of this build and select ICS as a component, the machine will not be able to access the Internet and ICS does not function. To work around this problem, uninstall and then reinstall ICS using the above procedure to uninstall and then reinstall ICS.

APPSHLP does not display detail information

 * When attempting to install or run an application which has been appshelped you will not be able to display the details of the warning message. There is no fix or workaround in place for this build. You will notice an appshelp message being displayed when a dialog box appears with the options Don't Display this message, with an additional three buttons labeled Run Program, Cancel, and Details.
 * APPSHLP messages are only invoked upon setup or run of applications with known incompatibilities with the operating system. Often there are patches or later versions of these applications available from the vendor that are fully compatible.

Some applications will not install on this version of Windows

 * Due to Windows Me versions being revised upward to 4.90 from 4.10 some applications may not install as they interpret the version information incorrectly.

Within some applications you are unable to change folders

 * During installation or while using some applications you may not be able to change directories or drives.

Microsoft Wheel Mouse does not scroll in Excel 97 or Excel 2000

 * The scroll function of the Microsoft wheel mouse is not currently functioning in Excel 97 or Excel 2000.