Windows 2000 build 1515

5.0.1515.1
Build of Windows 2000
Screenshot
OS familyWindows NT
Version number5.0
Build number1515
Build revision1
Architecturex86
Compiled on1997-03-17
SKUs
Workstation
About dialog
Windows-2000-5.0.1515.1-About.png
TCB.png TCBGallery.png BA.png

Windows 2000 build 1515 is the earliest available build of Windows 2000. This build is listed on the Crazybytes 15 warez CD list.[1] Two warez groups shared the Workstation SKU of this build, though one mislabeled it as build 1516.1. This build introduces many features originally found in the Microsoft Cairo project, most notably Distributed File System, CairOLE (OLE) and CSCRIPT.EXE, a new user interface provided by the Windows Desktop Update as well as many user accessibility improvements which have been a key part of Windows 2000's development.

NFO files[edit | edit source]

The following NFO files were included as part of the PWA and BOOM releases[2].

  • PWA

NFO contents

  • BOOM

NFO contents

New features and changes[edit | edit source]

This build updates most references to Windows NT 4.0 to 5.0, with many parts of the interface left unchanged though. Alongside of that, many features previously seen in Windows 95 have been ported to this build, such as FAT32 support, as well as Plug-and-Play capability. In conjunction with latter, a new hardware installation wizard has been added, which includes the ability to search for drivers for newly identified devices. The dialogs are present in SYSSETUP.DLL.

The login prompt has been extended by advanced logon options, with the protocols in this build being added being NTLM and Kerberos.

Many applications seen in later Windows versions have been added, such as Active Directory Browser (ADSVW.EXE), Windows Scripting Host (CSCRIPT.EXE, version 5.0 build 1376256, from the Microsoft Cairo project), Microsoft Exchange Server Database utilities (ESEUTIL.EXE), IEXPRESS.EXE (version 2.0) and the Microsoft Java Runtime.

This build marks the first appearance of the Windows Installer, then known as Microsoft Install Server, although no MSI files known to work in this build have been found so far. In addition, unlike the final version, it does not launch unless a parameter like /? is specified.

A new wizard to share folders and files over the network (shrpubw.exe) has been added, which it is not installed by default though. It resides in the I386 directory of the installation media.

  • Advanced logon options

    Advanced logon options

  • Plug and Play

    Plug and Play

  • Active Directory Browser

    Active Directory Browser

  • CSCRIPT

    CSCRIPT

  • ESEUTIL

    ESEUTIL

  • IEXPRESS 2.0

    IEXPRESS 2.0

  • Wizard to share a folder over the network

    Wizard to share a folder over the network

  • 1515 share publish wizard 2.png
  • 1515 share publish wizard 3.png
  • 1515 share publish wizard 4.png
  • 1515 share publish wizard 5.png

Setup[edit | edit source]

The text-mode stage now allows the target installation partition being directly formatted to NTFS, as opposed to being formatted to FAT at first, then being converted to NTFS at first boot. This also now makes creating partitions above 4 GB possible.

Further refinements include moving the line break for the second line of the note on the emergency repair disk page of the graphical stage from after by to after time and the addition of a new progress bar during disk verification in the text-mode stage.

  • Previous implementation of disk verification in build 1381.1

    Previous implementation of disk verification in build 1381.1

  • 1515.1 implementation of disk verification

    1515.1 implementation of disk verification

  • Previous implementation of GUI setup file copy in build 1381.1

    Previous implementation of GUI setup file copy in build 1381.1

  • 1515.1 implementation of GUI setup file copy

    1515.1 implementation of GUI setup file copy

Control Panel[edit | edit source]

Power Management Properties Control Panel applet

A new Power Management Properties applet (powercfg.cpl) has been added, although it is not attached to the user interface by default and resides in the i386 directory of the installation media. It can be launched using control D:\i386\powercfg.cpl (assuning D: is the drive where the installation media is inserted). Due to the early nature of this applet, it is not functional, as the buttons do not feature any actions. This applet is supposed to be launched by clicking the Configure... button in the Display Properties applet, which does not work by default for aforementioned reasons unless the file is copied manually to C:\Windows\system32.

Accessibility[edit | edit source]

The Mouse Control Panel applet now includes settings to control speed, acceleration and dialog button behavior of the mouse pointer. Also, new settings for high contrast themes have been added. At that time, only Brick and Rose are available as themes, which additionally have multiple replicas (17 of Brick, 10 of Rose) in the drop-down menu.

  • Mouse acceleration settings

    Mouse acceleration settings

  • Accessibility settings for Display

    Accessibility settings for Display

  • Advanced High Contrast settings

    Advanced High Contrast settings

  • Brick High Contrast Scheme

    Brick High Contrast Scheme

  • Rose High Contrast Scheme

    Rose High Contrast Scheme

Display Properties[edit | edit source]

  • A pre-release energy saving settings section has been added to the Display Control Panel, however pressing the Configure button does nothing by default.
  • The screen saver dropdown menu in this build has been updated to mention the architecture and file version of some screen savers.
  • An option to use a gradient on window title bars has been added to the Appearance section of Display Properties.
  • A Desktop tab has been added allowing the user to set a web page as the Desktop background.
  • 1515 energy saving settings.png
  • 1515 screen savers.png
  • 1515 titlebar gradient option.png
  • 1515 Desktop settings.png

Shell features[edit | edit source]

  • Internet Explorer has been updated from 2.0 to 4.0 Beta 1 (4.71.0603.0). It includes an early version of the Windows Desktop Update which is very similar to the version found in Memphis build 1415.
  • This build has a show desktop button at the end of the taskbar, which is similar to the one found in the early 14xx Memphis builds. This feature was removed by build 1575, then briefly reintroduced with an additional menu in build 1773 only to be removed again. This feature remained absent for ten years, until Windows 7 build 6568 reintroduced it for the second time, with the same functions as this build's button along with a new feature called Aero Peek. The Windows 7 reincarnation is still present today (although Aero Peek is disabled by default on later versions of Windows).
  • The system font was changed from Microsoft Sans Serif to Tahoma, which remained as default up to build 1592 and returned in build 1946.
  • WELCOME.EXE does not start by default anymore in this build.
  • Sound options have been added for "Default Sound", "Complete Navigation", "Move Menu Item", "Start Navigation", Power Configuration (Critical Battery Alarm and Low Battery Alarm), "Select", "Show Toolbar Band". Options for "Incoming Call", "New Mail Notification", "Outgoing Call" have been removed. Windows references in the Sounds Properties applet have been renamed to Windows NT.
  • The inactive title bar foreground text color for the Windows Standard themes has been updated from white to black.
  • A new wizard to create a HTML page for folders has been added into this build. It can be accessed by right clicking in a folder and selecting Customize This Folder.... However, in most cases, it is not attached to the user interface and IESHWIZ.EXE needs to be launched instead.
  • This build introduces the My Documents folder on the desktop. However, it does not feature a dedicated icon yet.
  • Folders can now be docked on the side edges of the desktop by dragging an icon on any side. This feature is called DeskBar and is part of the Windows Desktop Update of Internet Explorer 4.
  • A hidden DeskBar Options tab has been added to the taskbar properties dialog. In order to access it, right click the taskbar, press the CTRL key, and while keeping it pressed, click on Taskbar properties. The tab will then appear in the dialog but clicking on it will make the shell hang. This tab is meant to show docked folders on the side of the desktop when working.
  • The Start menu has been updated with a new log off option in this build, along with extra find options for the new Directory feature, and Internet Explorer 4 search.
  • A new Thumbnail view is present in Windows Explorer. In order to enable it per folder, go to Folder Properties, tick the checkbox for Thumbnail view and apply. Then go to the folder, change the view to Thumbnail.
  • The security tab of the Windows Explorer Properties dialog has been redesigned in this build.
  • A new section has been added to the Folder Options of Windows Explorer for Web View. Due to the early nature of this addition is looks very simple compared to later builds.
  • This build features as part of the Internet Explorer's Windows Desktop Update a new tidy start menu wizard. However, it's not installed by default. To start it, run smtidy.exe in the i386 folder.
  • In most window schemes, the title bar now received a gradient, with the first color set to dark blue. This change would be reverted in build 1575.
  • The file copy dialog has been redesigned. This change would later be backported to Windows NT 4.0 SP3.
  • winver.exe's copyright has been updated from 1981–1996 to 1981–1997.
    • The copyright date in the Command Prompt has also been updated from 1985–1996 to 1985–1997.
  • Code to display text below the version number in System Properties using the Plus! VersionNumber string in HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion, first added with the introduction of the applet to the NT line in Windows NT 4.0 build 1264, has been removed.
  • The DeskBar option tab shown, albeit not working.

    The DeskBar option tab shown, albeit not working.

  • DeskBar options when working

    DeskBar options when working

  • DeskBar

    DeskBar

  • Previous implementation of the Start menu in build 1381.1

    Previous implementation of the Start menu in build 1381.1

  • 1515.1 implementation of the Start menu

    1515.1 implementation of the Start menu

  • Logging off

    Logging off

  • Option to enable the thumbnail view in the properties dialog

    Option to enable the thumbnail view in the properties dialog

  • Thumbnail view.

    Thumbnail view.

  • Customize This Folder wizard

    Customize This Folder wizard

  • New Security Settings

    New Security Settings

  • 1515 security settings details 1.png
  • 1515 security settings details 2.png
  • 1515 security settings details 3.png
  • Folder Options

    Folder Options

  • Tidy Start menu wizard

    Tidy Start menu wizard

Directory shell extension[edit | edit source]

A desktop shortcut to a new shell extension named Directory has been added. While the purpose of this shell extension is not known, it allows viewing Windows NT objects using Windows Explorer. This was perhaps used for testing shell extension functionality. Search capabilities have also been added in the Start menu.

  • 1515 Directory ShellExt 1.png
  • 1515 Directory ShellExt 2.png
  • 1515 Directory ShellExt 3.png
  • 1515 Directory ShellExt 4.png

Microsoft Management Console[edit | edit source]

This build includes an early version of Microsoft Management Console (mmc.exe) as well as early versions of a few snap-ins. Due to the early nature of MMC in this build, most snap-ins and MMC itself are barely functional. This build by default includes the following snap-ins:

  • Device Manager (DEVMGR.DLL) (Not registered by default; in order to register it, run the following command: REGSVR32 DEVMGR.DLL)
  • Microsoft Directory Service Manager (DSADMIN.DLL) (Leftover from the Server SKU, only present on the installation media)
  • File Service Management (FILEMGMT.DLL)
  • System Services Management (FILEMGMT.DLL)

At start, MMC displays various tips to the user, including a reference to a similar Word 6.0 tip:

Please don't run with scissors!!! Didn't you learn anything from our Word Product!

Another tip describes the Microsoft Management Console codename:

The Slate code name for Microsoft Management Console is based on the trend of using stone-related names for system management projects at Microsoft. Slate was selected for its having the shared meaning of being a writing tablet and the activity designated for action.

  • Tip mentioning the Microsoft Word product

    Tip mentioning the Microsoft Word product

  • Tip mentioning Slate as MMC codename

    Tip mentioning Slate as MMC codename

  • Available Snap-ins

    Available Snap-ins

Bugcheck codes[edit | edit source]

New bugcheck codes have been added:[3]

  • DEVICE_DELETE_WITH_POWER_IRPS (0x9F, later renamed DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE)
  • INTERNAL_POWER_ERROR (0xA0)
  • Inconsistency detected in the PCI Bus driver's internal structures. (0xA1, later renamed PCI_BUS_DRIVER_INTERNAL)

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

SETUPDS.EXE on the installation media includes this humorous image:

Distributed Services Installer bitmap resource number 122

File differences[edit | edit source]

The following files have been introduced compared to the initial RTM release of Windows NT 4.0 Workstation:

  • One can note the addition of the Windows NT Distributed File System into this build, a feature that made its debut in Microsoft Cairo and came back only two years after.
  • This build is the last known build of Windows to feature code to load Microsoft Cairo configuration files during setup (namely CAIRO.INF, a file defining all Cairo changes compared to the base Windows NT build) as well as checking the presence of the CairoSystem registry value in the registry.
  • Some server components are present on this build's installation media, along with the build binary output logging files (SYNTHGM.SBK, SYNTHGS.SBK and SYNTHMT.SBK). The latter tells one that this build was leaked directly from the build machine output folder at Microsoft and explains the presence of left over server files.

Bugs and quirks[edit | edit source]

  • ACPI support is in very early development and crashes easily. ACPI should be disabled or setup can crash or encounter increased instability.
  • Setup crashes during the text-mode stage if no switch is used to make the setup program copy files to hard drive.
  • At least one Windows NT string is replaced with Internet Explorer in this build, due to the inclusion of the early Windows Desktop Update.
  • Windows Messaging cannot be installed in this build, installing it during setup will fail with an access denied error on accessing msmail.inf.
  • The gradient on title bars has rendering issues with ATI graphics adapters.
  • Explorer is quite unstable and can crash during basic tasks due to the early version of Windows Desktop Update.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • Setup

    Setup

  • Boot screen

    Boot screen

  • Default non-Active-Desktop theme

    Default non-Active-Desktop theme

  • System Properties

    System Properties

  • My Computer

    My Computer

  • Control Panel

    Control Panel

  • Settings wizards

    Settings wizards

  • Recycle Bin

    Recycle Bin

  • Demo

    Demo

  • Safe to shutdown screen

    Safe to shutdown screen

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ https://archive.org/details/crazybytes-cd15
  2. ↑ https://www.krnl386.com/leakdb/?query=1515
  3. ↑ https://www.geoffchappell.com/studies/windows/km/bugchecks/index.htm
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