BetaWiki:Community portal


adding language parameter to the infobox windows build[edit source]

it will become easier to know the languages. 51.15.78.38 10:38, 24 June 2023 (UTC)

Support[edit source]

  1. per myself. 51.15.78.38 10:38, 24 June 2023 (UTC)
  2. I support this. Same feature is available for TheCollectionBook. But I doubt it's going to be accepted. This was requested a few times, and it was ignored. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.121.82.195 (talkcontribs)
  3. I support this, but only for releases preceding the introduction of the Multilingual User Interface (MUI) in Windows 2000. Ahernandez094

Oppose[edit source]

  1. Unnecessary - Most internal beta builds are only available in a single language and if other languages are available, they will be mentioned on the respective build page. Public beta builds are available in basically every single language supported by Microsoft, so mentioning available languages on the respective build page is also unnecessary. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 12:12, 24 June 2023 (UTC)
    Also, most non-English builds of Windows, especially before Windows 8, are only official Beta/CTP/Preview/RTM builds and not internal ones. - Windows logo (2003).svg Bob2204 Arrow.png Click here to begin. Or here. Arrow2.png Talk - 16:18, 24 June 2023 (UTC)
    This https://betawiki.net/wiki/Windows_10_build_18327.1, it's not an official build. However it's available for many languages. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.121.82.195 (talkcontribs)
    Do you seriously think that everyone who visit this wiki like reading long paragraphs? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.121.82.195 (talkcontribs)
    Read again. I only have said "most, especially before Windows 8". The Technical/Insider Preview thing changed many things, as they no longer release Preview/Beta/Alpha builds, but only multiple "Insider Previews", which can reach up to around 30 Insider Previews per version before a new version becomes released. - Windows logo (2003).svg Bob2204 Arrow.png Click here to begin. Or here. Arrow2.png Talk - 14:38, 25 June 2023 (UTC)
    Understood. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.121.82.195 (talkcontribs)
  2. That's not how it works. Every build is compiled in all of the 23 base languages and all available SKUs. I oppose this simply because it would clutter the infobox, especially on Insider previews because they are indeed released in those base languages. --217.131.99.140 07:44, 29 June 2023 (UTC)
    Not every is compiled in all languages. Some builds are only compiled for specific languages. Also what will you say about unleaked, shared or betas before Windows 7? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.120.197.130 (talkcontribs)
    Simple: We never know what Microsoft did to their builds and if they're compiled in all languages or not. New languages were gradually added over time, so we need to remind ourselves of the past. Also, don't use {{Unsigned}} to sign your comments, use ~~~~. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 14:21, 4 July 2023 (UTC)
    It's already impossible to know which languages are available in builds. But he said Every build is compiled in all of the 23 base languages, which is definitely false. Otherwise we would have the builds 4074 in German or 5048 in French. The list goes on. 94.120.197.130 (talk) 14:29, 4 July 2023 (UTC)
  3. Putting information to the infobox is a double-edged sword, it might make the information more discoverable but it also makes it more cluttered that it needs to be. Not to mention the relationship between SKUs, architectures and languages, since builds rarely are available in all listed combinations. A better approach would be a table like done for Windows 11 build 22000.1. --Ryuzaki (talk | contribs) 07:39, 29 June 2023 (UTC)
    Like in 2296.1 page? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.120.197.130 (talkcontribs)

Changing recommended resolution images to 1,920 × 1,080[edit source]

Literally every single build of Windows 11 use it for some reason, so I guess why not do it on other builds. 37.120.213.238 11:36, 2 July 2023 (UTC)

I guess 1366 x 768 or 1400 x 900 would be better. 1920 x 1080 is too large. —— Preceding SIGNED comment added by A150.png Someone200 {{Ic fluent person 12 filled.svg talk Ic fluent list 20 filled.svg contribs Ic fluent mail 20 filled.svg email me }} | 23:36, 3 July 2023 (UTC)
The guidelines don't actually recommend a single resolution, they only say it should be period appropriate but at least 1024x768, unless the OS doesn't support that resolution. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ryuzaki (talkcontribs)

Support[edit source]

  1. 37.120.213.238 11:36, 2 July 2023 (UTC)

Oppose[edit source]

  1. Most old hardware and older versions of Windows do not support such a ridiculously high resolution. Due to DPI scaling being a hit-or-miss on older OSes, the contents of the screenshots will also be too small, requiring the reader to click on the image to better view the screenshot. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 11:40, 2 July 2023 (UTC)
    Then why do Windows 11 builds do it then? I only requested this all because of Windows 11 images. 37.120.213.238 11:43, 2 July 2023 (UTC)
    Newer versions of Windows are better suited for high-resolution displays, also blame the uploader for using that resolution. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 11:46, 2 July 2023 (UTC)
    OH okay. Anyways, does 1,366 × 768 count as a "ridiculously" higher resolution? This is the alternative to 1,920 × 1,080, I guess. 37.120.213.238 11:52, 2 July 2023 (UTC)
    I don't think it counts, since it's basically 1024 × 768, but wider. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 12:18, 2 July 2023 (UTC)
    I think we should only use 1920x1080 for win10 and win11 builds, and the problem is that there are a lot of Windows 10 builds that currently use 1024x768, which for Windows 10's time period is rather low. - Upseguest (talk)

winmain in 2009/2010[edit source]

There is a very odd thing I found out about winmain in the time period between builds 7232 (Win7) and 7700 (Win8). While 7232 already features the final Harmony wallpaper, 7700 oddly reused the betta fish one. The 7700 page said that it can be implied that this build was formed from a Win7 RC build. I really doubt this, because it's also possible that they just reverted this wallpaper thing for Win8/future winmain development. (At least the betta fish was used until Microsoft started the Technical Preview/Insider Program.) - Windows logo (2003).svg Bob2204 Arrow.png Click here to begin. Or here. Arrow2.png Talk - 23:29, 3 July 2023 (UTC)

Page Previews[edit source]

This wiki needs page previews feature. —— This newly signed comment was added by Windows logo (2012).svg Lazytown Sportacus (LazytownSpo4015)Talk page 14:03, 4 July 2023 (UTC)

Support[edit source]

  1. Per myself. —— This newly signed comment was added by Windows logo (2012).svg Lazytown Sportacus (LazytownSpo4015)Talk page 14:03, 4 July 2023 (UTC)
  2. I was so used to this exact feature on Wikipedia and it allows you to view pages without actually navigating to the specific page. When I first joined this wiki, I actually wondered why page previews aren't supported. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 14:12, 4 July 2023 (UTC)
  3. This is a really convenient feature. I also wonder why they haven't been implemented yet. BetaReporter (talk) 17:27, 4 July 2023 (UTC)

Oppose[edit source]

  1. You could use Visual Editor instead PikaaxYT (talk) 12:04, 22 October 2023 (UTC)

Move Insider Preview update pages to their respective build pages[edit source]

This is a (probably abandoned) proposal made by Xeno. I reopened this because the final decision hasn't been made, and I feel like the servicing pipelines updates are cluttering up the pages.

If this reach 15+ support, I'll do it. It will take a long time though. (as always, please consider providing a reason if support/oppose as it helps me understand your opinion.)

—— Preceding SIGNED comment added by A150.png Someone200 {{Ic fluent person 12 filled.svg talk Ic fluent list 20 filled.svg contribs Ic fluent mail 20 filled.svg email me }} | 14:23, 3 August 2023 (UTC)

The consensus was to carry that out, not sure why this needs another vote. --Ryuzaki (talk | contribs) 14:33, 3 August 2023 (UTC)

Purge all non-Windows related content (reopen)[edit source]

This is a reopen of my version of a proposal by orbitron that was abandoned, because apparently the aforementioned proposals aren't being passed through.

Basically, most non-Windows stuff on the wiki, except macOS, iOS, DOS, and OS/2, gets literally no activity besides one or two users. Most pages covering Linux are too short and hardly contain any notable information (and no, bugs don't count as notable). The new features and changes present in each distro version are also not covered properly and the pages only contain the image of the desktop or the home screen, which is not enough for a good article.

While the original proposal focused on all non-Windows content, I wanted to only focus on free-and-open-source OSes (such as Linux, BSD, and Haiku), Android, non-preinstalled web browsers (such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Netscape) and other less important OSes. For free-and-open source OSes and Android, they have been moved to a dedicated wiki that focused on these OSes. For non-preinstalled web browsers, there are already Wikipedia pages for these browsers. I hope this makes BetaWiki a much cleaner site and live up to its name. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 14:40, 3 August 2023 (UTC)

The proposal was archived because it was dead with no clear consensus. Not sure what makes you think reopening it immediately after it got archived will reach a different result. --Ryuzaki (talk | contribs) 16:48, 3 August 2023 (UTC)
OK, I understand. I did not know that proposals would be archived if it was dead with no clear consensus. I first thought reopening my proposal would bring up attention to the two proposals I mentioned above, so I'm sorry for the mistake I made. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 23:11, 3 August 2023 (UTC)

Moving all GitHub issue related builds to a separate page[edit source]

I think that most of the Windows 10/11 pages are being cluttered with GitHub issue pages. Since these builds doesn't have a proper buildtag (only build number), I think they should be moved to a separate instead of being purged. Some of them could cause confusions because its build number is identical to another one.

—— Preceding SIGNED comment added by A150.png Someone200 {{Ic fluent person 12 filled.svg talk Ic fluent list 20 filled.svg contribs Ic fluent mail 20 filled.svg email me }} | 03:15, 6 August 2023 (UTC)

Support[edit source]

  1. Per myself. —— Preceding SIGNED comment added by A150.png Someone200 {{Ic fluent person 12 filled.svg talk Ic fluent list 20 filled.svg contribs Ic fluent mail 20 filled.svg email me }} | 03:15, 6 August 2023 (UTC)
  2. Welp, this should also be done for servicing pipeline update builds. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 03:21, 6 August 2023 (UTC)
  3. We should also do that for builds mentionned in SSUComp_KB*******.xml and Desktop_neutral_Forward_*****.****.***************.******-****.CompDB.xml files PikaaxYT (talk) 10:27, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

Oppose[edit source]

Adding downloads of the builds in their infoboxes (CLOSED)[edit source]

Or at least adding an information on where to download the builds — Preceding unsigned comment added by PikaaxYT (talkcontribs)

I closed the request because download links would violate the guidelines — Preceding unsigned comment added by PikaaxYT (talkcontribs)

Support[edit source]

1. PikaaxYT

Oppose[edit source]

  1. See BW:Guidelines § Legal. Jurta (talkcontribs) 19:52, 10 August 2023 (UTC)
  2. We are most certainly NOT providing download links to these builds on the wiki. The wiki is intended to be a knowledge base for these builds. Find the builds yourself. The Windows build FAQ page points out that archive.org and WinWorld are good starting points to find most builds. Although, be careful as there are fake builds out there. It is very easy to find these builds anyways. Windows Orb logo (2006).png WindowsGuy2021 2:59, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

Purge Linux and Android content[edit source]

here we go again...

Most Linux distributions in BetaWiki are not notable, and by "not notable" I mean most of the articles talking about a Linux distro are too short, low quality, and hardly contain any useful or notable information. The Android articles are a good example of this, since they are made of an infobox, a lead sentence, a list of changes (or builds), and that's it. The information necessary for a knowledge base, such as the development history, features, and the overall aspects of a Linux distro, is also missing from the aforementioned articles. Other websites did a much better job at documenting these distros since they are not Windows-centric, unlike BetaWiki. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 09:10, 22 August 2023 (UTC)

I agree for purging Linux articles but not for purging Android articles because if they are deleted we should also purge iOS articles since most builds doesn’t even have an article and the few builds that have an article only have an infobox and a smaller sentence than Android articles PikaaxYT (talk) 12:03, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
now that DistroWiki got closed, following with the stepdown of Nara and GT610, I think that never ending purging discussion finally reached a dead end, at least for now.
Yes, there are still better wikis and pages for operating systems other than windows, but that discussion didn't really help us to make steps forward. At the end, the consequence was another wiki for just that reason, which failed to gain any reputation in their scene like betawiki does and thus failing overall. No one came out from there as winner.
The best thing that we can do for now is just continuing our work here. - Windows logo (2003).svg Bob2204 Arrow.png Click here to begin. Or here. Arrow2.png Talk - 23:00, 30 November 2023 (UTC)
Nara here. Yes, BetaWiki should've stayed the same and the DistroWiki effort, in my opinion, was just a waste of time. Despite having 99% of its focus on Windows, there are still people who do Linux stuff here and we should respect them. I'll say the discussion is finally over, like you said. 139.192.153.112 03:53, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

discord server invite link[edit source]

i'm trying to rejoin the BW discord, but it says the link is expired. Has the server been deleted or is it a dead invite? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Grafality (talkcontribs)

It's a dead invite. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 05:33, 16 September 2023 (UTC)
if it is a dead invite, then why wouldn't I rejoin BW Discord server? Also I'm sorry for my past actions while I'm in the server. —— This newly signed comment was added by Windows logo (2012).svg Lazytown Sportacus (LazytownSpo4015)Talk page 08:57, 16 September 2023 (UTC)
I hate to tell you this, but you have been banned from the BW Discord server. NaraInsider1694 (talk) 08:59, 16 September 2023 (UTC)
I know but, I'm very sorry for my past actions when i was there. How am i going to appeal a ban from the BW discord server? —— This newly signed comment was added by Windows logo (2012).svg Lazytown Sportacus (LazytownSpo4015)Talk page 09:13, 11 October 2023 (UTC)
"if it is a dead invite, then why wouldn't I rejoin BW Discord server?" Precisely because it was a dead invite? It is fixed now though. --Ryuzaki (talk | contribs) 09:46, 16 September 2023 (UTC)

8297.0.fbl_fun_embedded_xos.120311-1700[edit source]

Please make a page for Xbox One OS build 8297. It's availible, so it should be possible. I'm not experienced enough to get the OS and run it in some sort of emulator. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.212.161.185 (talkcontribs)

You literally put the same thing in here and in Talk:Main Page. Windows logo (2006).svg 763004 (TalkSandbox) 17:27, 10 October 2023 (UTC)

Cleaning up Bugs and quirks section[edit source]

After some deep review about a few additions within these sections lately, it's been seen that we're getting a lot of hardware/VM-only related problems that seems to be extremely niche to encounter, and in several cases, results from using a config that is way above what was the norm/available at the time. Most of these bugs tend to be of sensitive/setup-specific, and often are just encountered by one user due to a bad config.

As a result of this, I'm going to start suggesting that any compatibility bugs are heavily stripped down, since adding these bugs aren't necessarily of "meaningful" edits and ends up being more disruptive for the flow of the page. This would mean that the following changes will be made, with some examples of what we don't want:

  • Any bugs that mention "this build won't install in modern versions of <program>" will no longer be allowed and will be removed. This is a setup-specific problem, and also this wiki is not a compatibility checklist.
  • Any bugs that mention "this driver doesn't work" will also no longer be allowed and will be removed. Generally a setup-specific problem or incomplete driver support; again betas aren't meant to be complete.
  • A lot of VM compatibility bugs will be stripped down. I'd prefer they'd be removed completely, but that's not necessarily going to be favorable for certain builds that need an abnormally early compatibility. But then again, it's preferable to use the version that was closest to when that build was compiled. For reference, VMware 5.0 released around 2005, while VMware 6.0 released around 2007. So it would not make sense to install say build 5231 on modern versions, and vise versa. This is also largely a setup-related problem, usually.

Most of the bugs that are intended to be removed will usually be of that hardware related, unless they are a widespread problem and often well-known by Microsoft in documentation, such as the Windows NT 3.x processor setup bug. But for singular builds, these bugs would have to go, and don't contribute as a "meaningful" edit and more of a way to inflate the page with niche setups.

Also to note adding "persists until build" isn't necessarily a meaningful edit, as well. We do not need to document every little bug you see, as again beta builds are often unstable and prone to bugs and inconveniences. Bugs are to only be documented usually when they often affect real hardware too and is major enough that it often impacts the usability of the build even in the most general scenario. Subsequently reverting/adding these oft-unnecessary bugs is means of disruptive editing, and warnings will be handed out.

BF10 (talk) 13:35, 4 December 2023 (UTC)

We also have to remove "this build has some stabillity issues" edits, because these are beta builds, of course theyre gonna be unstable. 37.231.130.49 21:52, 4 December 2023 (UTC)
Just a question, does 3rd party app compatibility bugs notable? —— Preceding SIGNED comment added by A150.png Someone200 {{Ic fluent person 12 filled.svg talk Ic fluent list 20 filled.svg contribs Ic fluent mail 20 filled.svg email me }} | 14:19, 6 December 2023 (UTC)
no. Pre-release builds aren't designed at first place to run third-party apps, maybe at most those ones from the era of the specific build. For example, imagine you were one of the testers of Vista Beta 2 or RC in 2006, you would've likely tested out how the back then latest versions of Firefox, 1.5 or 2.0, would perform. The builds weren't designed to run way newer versions like 38. Still, bugs and quirks with 3rd-party apps wouldn't really that useful for that wiki, per bf10. - Windows logo (2003).svg Bob2204 Arrow.png Click here to begin. Or here. Arrow2.png Talk - 14:31, 6 December 2023 (UTC)

Creating new user warning templates[edit source]

I think there should be more user warning templates, since there is only one set of user warning templates. Who agrees with me? Windows logo (2006).svg 763004 (TalkSandbox) 13:25, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

Well then create them. No need to bother with voting... --Ryuzaki (talk | contribs) 13:29, 20 December 2023 (UTC)
Alrighty then. (I'll test these in the sandbox first, or on Template:Test) Windows logo (2006).svg 763004 (TalkSandbox) 13:32, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

Support[edit source]

  1. Per above. Windows logo (2006).svg 763004 (TalkSandbox) 13:25, 20 December 2023 (UTC)

Oppose[edit source]

Make pages also about unofficial builds[edit source]

There are also a lot of interesting things among them, I personally haven’t found any pages about them, but I plan to add them myself. I just decided to make sure if there are like-minded people here about such builds. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ManikManik2011 (talkcontribs)

There are no pages about unofficial builds because we don't cover unofficial builds and we don't plan to start. --Ryuzaki (talk | contribs) 17:46, 21 January 2024 (UTC)
Well, why? After all, you can at least create pages about some popular builds, such as Windows 9 Edition. As I understand it, for example, there are already about 30 builds of Windows XP made by XtremeWS, taking into account the fact that they stopped making builds after June 4, 2014 and they can simply clog up the entire BetaWiki without noticing it. But you can make a couple of pages about popular builds. The rest can be covered in general pages, for example “Windows XP XtremeWS builds”. --User:ManikManik2011 20:06, 21 January 2024 (GMT+2)
For those, visit the Crusty Windows wiki. They document these pretty nicely. We won't cover these. Main3782 (talk) 18:40, 21 January 2024 (UTC)
The fact I have never heard of any of the builds you mentioned tells a lot about how popular they really are. Sorry, but we have our own guidelines on what builds we are interested in, and these simply don't make the cut by far. --Ryuzaki (talk | contribs) 00:11, 22 January 2024 (UTC)

Implementing the Tabs extension[edit source]

You see, some pages have the build list section almost completely filled half of the page. While this seems to not be an issue for desktop users, on mobile, it's a completely different story. So, using tabs instead of sections will make the page less cluttered, and also easier to navigate. Here's the extension page.

—— Preceding SIGNED comment added by A150.png Someone200 {{Ic fluent person 12 filled.svg talk Ic fluent list 20 filled.svg contribs Ic fluent mail 20 filled.svg email me }} | 00:56, 25 February 2024 (UTC)

Support[edit source]

  1. Per myself. —— Preceding SIGNED comment added by A150.png Someone200 {{Ic fluent person 12 filled.svg talk Ic fluent list 20 filled.svg contribs Ic fluent mail 20 filled.svg email me }} | 00:56, 25 February 2024 (UTC)

Oppose[edit source]

  1. I personally think this change would make it harder to read stuff, not easier
    • It's easier for me to read the build number list in a straight list, not a grouped list by tabs
    • There's no important info after the build list, so there isn't a big concern about mobile users potentially losing out on the info
    • The build lists are the main points of an given build page, so them filling half of the page is kinda to be expected
    • This will also make it more difficult to find a specific build if an user knows the build number, but doesn't know the category it is in (for example, insider preview, pre-insider preview, etc)
    • This will just depend on the implementation, but depending on the build page, it will just look ugly to have tabs for like 3 builds each
    • If the user is looking for a specific build, they can use either their browser's search function or BetaWiki's search function
    Jevil7452 (talk) 07:24, 25 February 2024 (UTC)
  2. Degrader (talk) 13:11, 25 February 2024 (UTC)

How do you guys find Windows/Mac builds?[edit source]

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Benthewindowsfan (talkcontribs)

We find them in BetaArchive and other. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mobitelijas (talkcontribs)

Server 2008 and 2008 R2 support[edit source]

In the talk pages of Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, I created a topic where I pointed out how these two versions still get updates through ESU (the normal way). Given this, do we need to remove the support end date of ESU for Azure customers, or just leave it there as it is the officially declared one? — Preceding unsigned comment added by AlfCraft07 (talkcontribs)