Windows Longhorn build 4042 (Lab06 n)

Windows Longhorn build 4042.Lab06_n.030909-1709, is probably the first Milestone 7 "Longhorn" build. It was first described by Grabberslasher in his UX.Unleaked blog on 2008-07-07.

This build was compiled 2003-09-09 and hides an interesting surprise; While the setup is the same as in M6 builds, the desktop brings to us a new theme known as Slate, which seems to be the forerunner to Windows Vista's Aero theme. It features a black theming (as opposed to Plex's Blue, Plex was never intended as a complete theme, but rather as a placeholder) and a background reminiscent of the one from the M3 builds.

In the Start Menu, some folder locations have had the 'My' dropped from their names, although not all: the 'My Documents' folder goes to the traditional shell location, whereas the 'Documents' folder goes to the library system similar to that found in Windows 7.

Please note: There are in fact two builds that carry the number 4042. This one (developed by the user interface-oriented build lab 6) and a second one (developed by the main build lab and compile dated 2003-09-05). This second build, while technically a Milestone 7 build, features many characteristics of Milestone 6 builds; it still has the M6 background, the Plex theme, etc. Do not confuse the two! The one which introduced new features has 'lab06' in its build string.

Features

 * This build marks the debut of the Slate theme, which was first seen publicly in the 4050 builds during PDC 2003, and the official PDC build, 4051.idx02.031001-1340.
 * a new boot screen and welcome/secure desktop screen
 * a complete upgrade to the shell, bringing a much cleaner UI and better access to new features.
 * M6 Aero Glass


 * Only the most important Sidebar tiles are present, possibly the same tiles that are present in 4051.
 * The "3D View" option in Explorer is missing, making the Panorama and Carousel view styles inaccessible.
 * StickyNotes - This application is hidden at the Windows\WinSxS folder. Unlike in the WinHEC 2004 build 4074.idx02.040425-1535, Stickies work by simply dragging an empty text file onto the StickyNote icon.