Windows Longhorn build 4074

Windows Longhorn Build 4074 is an official WinHEC 2004 preview build, which leaked in 2004-05.

It was among the first to include the (then-new) Jade visual style, and the Segoe UI font. Many icons from Windows XP were replaced with new, high-resolution versions.

There are three different architecture compilations of this build. These are x86, amd64, and IA-64; all of which have been leaked and are available on the BetaArchive FTP server.

Compiled on 2004-04-25, this build is a Milestone 7 build and the most famous build of Longhorn as it was distributed publicly. The Slate theme is still present, but with a new wallpaper known as Leaves. It also has a 64-bit build with i386, similar to 4051.

4074 also has a new theme called Jade, this theme slightly changes the appearance of the taskbar and enables native Aero transparency, which has not been seen since 4042. (Actually, full transparency will require you to put on the DCE and have the window small; if the window is maximized, then it will be opaque). On how to enable Aero transparency go here.

Features
Many features that were present in other builds have been removed or hidden in this build. As a result, the features that remained were improved, which include:


 * Complete DWM Aero Effects - This build, unlike many other leaked builds, is the first build to have complete Aero effects in Explorer and Internet Explorer. However, a registry modification is required to extend the effect into the full UI of Explorer and Internet Explorer. The green translucent effect is used natively in this build instead of transparent "Glass".


 * Aero Stars - An animated desktop which shows stars bouncing around the screen.


 * Improved Preview and Filter Panes - This build has these panes improved, especially the Preview Pane, which is more functional than its leaked server counterpart, build 4066


 * Animated Preview Pane Aurora - This build contains an Animated Preview Pane Aurora, but requires some modification to enable it.

Only the x86 version has these features.

Bugs
There are some bugs/issues present in this build, some of which are:


 * No Mouse Driver in WinPE - Since the mouse does not work in the WinPE for this build and subsequent builds, you must use the keyboard to navigate the WinPE.


 * Folder Creation Bug - There is a bug present in this build that prevents the occasional creation of folders in Explorer. However, several unofficial patches have been created to address this issue. Also, folder creation may be enabled by applying the following registry key:


 * Memory leak in explorer.exe - Turning off the sidebar remedies this issue.


 * Faulty File Browse UI - The main File Browse UI has two noticeable bugs. The first being that the Navigation Bar only allows for navigation by clicking on parent directories in the bar. The second being that the Filter and Preview panes may occasionally appear black or show parts of content behind the window.


 * Broken Safe Mode - This build has a glitch with the Explorer Safe Mode desktop prompt. The prompt will appear titled "Desktop" and will ask to proceed to work in safe mode or to System Recovery. Clicking either button will hardly perform any action and will bring up another exact prompt. The desktop will not appear with the prompt and Explorer may not launch. This makes any work in Safe Mode almost impossible.

Product Key
See BuildInfo, key can be used to install the x86, amd64, and Itanium versions of this build.