Windows 7 build 6519

6.1.6519.1.winmain.071220-1525
	Build of Windows 7
Release name	Milestone 1
OS family	Windows NT
Version number	6.1
Build number	6519
Build revision	1
Architecture	x86, x64
Build lab	winmain
Compiled on	2007-12-20
Expiration date
Timebomb	2008-05-07 (+139 days)
SKUs
	Starter; Home Basic (N); Home Premium; Business (N); Ultimate
About dialog

Windows 7 build 6519 is the official Milestone 1 build of Windows 7, which was uploaded to the BetaArchive FTP server on 10 June 2008.^[1] It notably introduces a series of major underlying functionality and design changes, such as fixes made against CPU clock drifting, support for higher display modes in the boot process, internally-facing changes to the overall installation process (including the major addition of a new command-line image servicing tool), as well as the introduction of several new features in existing user applications. Additional changes towards the Windows shell, particularly improvements to search facilities, advancements in the Control Panel and the inclusion of several functionalities such as pinned application support in the Superbar, bugfixes and iconography additions to the Library system, and changes to window management were implemented.

Overhauled versions of existing applications were also introduced as part of the build such as minute improvements to the existing subset of accessibility tools as well as support for reading documents exported under the XPS format and viewing Terminal Services feeds over a network. Early foundational work for recovery disc creation and factory reset modes are also present, although the latter functionality does not properly function at this point in development.

Components from the x64 checked/debug flavor of this build were discovered on the Microsoft Symbol Server on 18 June 2022.

New features and changes[edit | edit source]

Hardware support[edit | edit source]

This build introduces a feature internally known as "drift correction", which resolves issues related to Intel CPUs' timestamp counter (TSC) circuit timing that could either potentially prevent services from starting up correctly, cause unexpected shutdowns and/or break the Windows component-based servicing stack entirely.

Windows Setup[edit | edit source]

The Windows Setup process has seen major changes to its underlying functionality. Most notably, the Deployment Image Servicing and Management Tool (DISM in short), a utility that allows individuals to create, capture and modify Windows image files using a subset of servicing commands (such as adding drivers, installing feature packages, enabling/disabling features on an existing Windows install and/or applying unattended installation datafiles), has been introduced to the operating system. The implementation in the build appears to be largely fleshed out, already bearing a majority of the essential features included in later revisions of the tool.

The setup process no longer disables the option to upgrade to a higher build and now allows the user to generate an upgrade compatibility report if applicable; this primarily affects upgrades started from an existing Windows installation. A dedicated "System Reserved"/boot partition is now created by the installation process and is used to store the boot manager (and its associated configuration data) as well as introducing support for installing a ramdisk image-based rescue environment onto the user's hard drive. The partition in question is sized at 500MB due to the inclusion of such image; subsequent builds would later move the environment over to a separate partition or on the user's main Windows installation and reduce the overall size of the boot partition by 100 megabytes.

A dedicated animation for starting subsequent phases of the installation process was implemented; this would later be iterated upon and would later form the basis of the animation seen when starting a setup phase if the system was generalized with the Sysprep utility or once the user reaches the out-of-box experience. In addition, the Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT) is now automatically invoked by the Windows Deployment Services framework before displaying the main OOBE user interface; behavior that was originally first exhibited in Windows Vista build 5456 and later altered - later development builds would remove the WinSAT check entirely. The user is now offered the choice to set up an ad hoc shared home network.

User interface[edit | edit source]

Shell[edit | edit source]

Further changes to the user interface have been introduced since the previous build - a pin button is now included next to frequented applications found in the start menu My Recently Used (MRU) list, and a wider search area has been implemented within the menu. The notification tray has been updated to allow the user to show or hide existing notification icons by utilizing a dialog found within the collapsed icons section. The Windows Sidebar has gradually been transformed into the Desktop Gadget Gallery, allowing gadgets to be placed at any place within the user's desktop - older references to the Sidebar such as its executable name, Start menu shortcuts and string resources pointing to the Gallery itself are still present.

Changes to existing search facilities are also present in the Windows Explorer application - the search box can now display history when focused and can also be additionally resized. The Explorer shell no longer overlays a watermark when running a Windows installation that features the base Starter edition, and Desktop Window Manager translucency effects are now supported whenever a window is maximized. An option to modify the current display settings is now present in the desktop context menu.

The feedback button now utilizes a different icon, showing the Windows logo on a black background.

The end-user license agreement, branding and the desktop watermark now identifies the operating system by its final name.

Applications[edit | edit source]

An overhauled version of the Calculator application which includes support for calculation history, unit conversion and dedicated calculator types for statistics measurement and programming has been implemented. In addition, a complete user interface overhaul of the Windows Easy Transfer application which uses a simplified method for data transfer in place of the older branching system found in previous builds (and in its predecessor); much of the options in the new user interface, including the ability to go back to the previous page, are placeholders or lack the appropriate functionality.

An early iteration of the Windows Media Player 12 user interface rework is present in the build; the address bar has been moved into the command bar, the "Now Playing" tab has been moved into a separate "Player" view, and the ability to directly rip audio CDs from within the media player application has been removed (likely due to legal concerns in relation to United States copyright law). Options for toggling the Favorites menu have been added to the bottom-right corner of the main user interface, and it is now possible to directly switch between different player modes through the use of a drop-down menu within the user interface. Inserted discs are now displayed at the left-hand playlist sidebar, and an additional sidebars for viewing the current playlist has been added to the command menu.

A toggleable ruler has been added to the Paint application and is enabled by default. In addition, a reworked On-Screen Keyboard design sporting a compact user interface is present and can be invoked by running osk2.exe; its functionality is not much different over its previous iteration. An application for viewing documents utilizing the Open XML Paper Specification (XPS) has been implemented, and users are now able to view XML feeds for Terminal Services clients over a network.

Minor localization changes have been made to the Windows Photo Gallery to allow the current user name to be displayed across existing Pictures and Videos folders.

Control Panel[edit | edit source]

Minor functionality updates and design changes have been added to the Control Panel. The main User Accounts category has been updated to include links for parental controls and its name appended to "User Accounts and Family Safety", and the Windows Firewall and Problem Reports and Solutions applets have been merged into their own separate pages. Applets for device management and sensor devices (albeit largely non-functional) have been implemented, although the latter is nearly visually identical to the Windows SideShow applet page; save for it utilizing a horizontal layout. The Display Settings applet has been moved into its own separate Control Panel page, and defaults to the DPI scaling page upon launch.

Options for creating a Windows Recovery Environment disc have been added. In addition, a Recovery Center page which allows users to launch the System Restore application or perform a system reset (either from a Complete PC Backup image or through original installation media) has been implemented, although the latter does not appear to function properly and will fail to properly reboot the machine as the operating system does not properly set up an appropriate boot entry or image for the Recovery Environment.

The Control Panel now sports a teal-colored aurora graphic on the left-hand options breadcrumb menu in place of the older strands branding graphic; this does not appear to persist across all options and may retain their older appearance.

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

The DirectWrite text rendering framework has been added to the operating system.

Redpill-specific functionality[edit | edit source]

Registry changes and enablement[edit | edit source]

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Nine additional library folders have been added to the existing Libraries system, and the invalid folder path bug that prevented the creation of new libraries has been fixed. A new icon design for libraries has also been introduced, depicting an assortment of folders neatly organized within a plastic divider.

Bugs and quirks[edit | edit source]

Installation[edit | edit source]

Initialization text displayed after the first setup phase may be truncated if setup is started at a resolution lower than 1024x768 pixels.
The first phase reboot countdown is not displayed properly and will draw over existing user interface elements.

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

The User Account Control icon is not displayed properly on applications that require administrative elevation.
Context menu elements may persist on the user's display area after selecting an item. The only way to work around this is to log out of the session and log back into the previously used user account.
Interacting with UI elements, dragging or resizing the Windows Media Player application may result in an application deadlock.