Windows 98 build 1593

Windows 98 build 1593 is a build of Windows 98 belonging to the Beta 2/2.1/3 branch. This build was scene leaked by a warez group in late September 1997.

New features and changes

 * This build features a major overhaul of the Windows 98 branding. Most "Beta 2" references are now replaced with "Beta 3", and it features an early version of the Beta 3 bootscreen with thinner lines, a different background and a "With Microsoft Internet Explorer" tag. This was replaced by the more common version of the Beta 3 boot screen in 1629 when Windows 98 switched back to the "Beta 3" branding.
 * The 'Welcome To Windows 98' application is completely different from the versions found in 1581 and earlier. It features the Windows 98 logo sliding in with the left pane before the links in it are displayed. After that, the text on the right is displayed, and the application becomes interactive. When closing it, you get an option to automatically start it on the next startup.
 * Internet Explorer and Outlook Express have been updated from versions 4.72.0103 to 4.72.0118. There are no major changes to either of them here.
 * This build introduces the setup parameters /ie for skipping the Emergency Boot Disk and /ih for skipping the registry consistence check. It also removes the note about the deprecated /n and /a parameters when starting setup with the /? argument.

Bugs and quirks

 * There have been differing opinions on whether this build is a Beta 2, Beta 2.1 or Beta 3 build, due to its unique branding, and the fact that four later builds refer to themselves as Beta 2.1 builds.
 * The Setup program throws up a lot of errors during system configuration, most of them being related to Internet Explorer's components. You will have to ignore them to continue. Emulators like 86Box will run through the system configuration without error.
 * Several items use wrong icons.
 * The default Active Desktop wallpaper remains broken should you encounter errors in the system configuration.
 * If you create a new user in the build, the default login client will automatically switch to the "Microsoft Family Logon" client, even if the new user in the only one in the system. This was changed in later builds, where you had to install it manually and have two or more users in the system for it to work properly.

Installation notes
This build is relatively easy to install, and you can do it in most hypervisors and emulators (86Box is recommended), provided that you follow these guidelines:

If you want a better display driver in VirtualBox or VMware, you can use the 1 June 2010 version of the VBEMP 9x driver, or the Scitech Display Doctor 7 driver, as they are the latest VESA drivers that work well with this build. 86Box should correctly install all drivers on first boot and have working sound.
 * In VirtualBox, you have to disable the USB port to avoid a crash during installation.
 * Disable APM and ACPI in all hypervisors/emulators that support it, as its APM and ACPI support is buggy and cause crashes.
 * In VMware, you will get a crash during the hardware detection and installation stage of setup. Once it comes up, reset the VM to get past this.
 * It is recommended to clean install this build, as the hardware detection may crash on upgrades.
 * If you get a Windows Protection Error from CONFIGMG, boot into safe mode and remove the ACPI and the APM system driver.
 * Sound Blaster audio devices may not work. On 86Box, if you encounter this problem, use the Crystal CS4236B or anither device.