Windows 95 build 73f

4.00.73f
	Build of Windows 95
OS family	Windows 9x
Version number	4.00
Build number	73
Build revision	f
Architecture	x86
Compiled on	1993-11-23
Product key
Beta Site ID	101907
Password	999b48e76
About dialog

Windows 95 build 73f is a Milestone 5 (Preliminary Development Kit 2) build of Windows 95. It was found by BetaArchive user sunnyblueman in July 2014 along with builds 99 and 116,^[1] then uploaded to their FTP server by the same user on 2 August 2014. It is nearly identical to build 73g. The main difference is that this is an internal build and thus includes an internal version of the WinBug utility, while build 73g was released to external testers and thus features a different WinBug. It is safe to assume earlier compiles of this build (73a through 73e) also exist.

There are notable changes in this build compared to build 58s. Many aspects of Windows were ported to 32-bit, including the Cabinet shell (as stated by the new filename, CAB32.EXE). The taskbar no longer functions as a folder by default. Instead, it now displays the running apps in a similar way to the modern taskbar. This build introduces the Briefcase special folder, which is meant to sync files between itself and another folder. It is also the first build to feature the "safe to shutdown" screen, serving as a reminder of when to turn off the PC without risk of possible data loss.

Since this build's installation media also comes with an SDK, it can be used to switch to a checked/debug compile of this build.

New features and changes[edit | edit source]

There are notable changes in this build compared to build 58s:

Shell features[edit | edit source]

Many aspects of Windows were ported to 32-bits. Most notably, the Cabinet shell is now 32-bit (as stated by its new filename, CAB32.EXE).
The taskbar no longer functions as a folder by default. Instead, it now displays the running apps in a similar way to the modern taskbar. However, the folder view can be re-enabled by setting the tray settings to "View as Folder".
There is now an option on the first start menu to change the tray settings. The options are to set the view as either folder (works the same way as in build 58s) or as task view. It also includes an option to keep the taskbar on top of the screen and the ability to auto-hide the taskbar.
The minimize/maximize effect present in the previous build has been removed.
The title bar font and window font have been inverted from the previous build, with the title bar text now correctly has bold while the window font is no longer in bold.
The network login screen now corrects the "Windows for Workgroups" mention in the login message to "Chicago".
The third start button disables the "Quick Tips" option and merges "Window Contents..." and "Search for Help On..." to "Help..."
This build introduces the Briefcase special folder, which is meant to sync files between itself and another folder. The Briefcase would remain in every Windows version until its removal in Windows 10 build 14942.
This build is the first 9x build to include a safe to shutdown screen, something that was previously present in the NT-branch of Windows during the time. Thus, the user does not have to wait at the shutdown screen before turning off the PC, and serves as a reminder of when to turn off the PC without risk of possible data loss.
The placeholder name for newly created folders has been changed from "fd0001" to "New Folder #1" (assuming this is the only new folder).

Login message in build 73f
Old login message in build 58s
Taskbar settings
Folder taskbar enabled, resembling the one in build 58s

Application features[edit | edit source]

Tracker and WARNING.EXE have been removed and no longer load on startup.
WritePad was introduced in this build, which would later become WordPad. This became the replacement of Write from previous versions of Windows.
The Phone Dialer debuts in this build.
Media Player has a slightly updated interface, with the button designs being altered.
Music Box has been removed in this build.
This is the first build to include Microsoft WinPad. The version for this build's WinPad is 1.1602.
The WinBug utility has been changed for internal testers, and at start only gives an option to enter an email.

Media Player in build 73f
Previous Media player in build 58s
WinBug in build 73f
Previous WinBug from build 58s

Control Panel features[edit | edit source]

The Sounds setting applet has been renamed to Multimedia and has been greatly redesigned. It also merges the MIDI Mapper and Sound Mapper setting applets that was present in previous versions of Windows.
The 386 Enhanced, Virtual Memory, and Window Metrics applets have been removed.
The Drivers setting applet has been merged with the Advanced System applet. The Advanced System applet has also been greatly simplified to just one tab.
Network Setup and Modems both have new icons.
The System applet has removed the System Settings tab and the incomplete Startup Configurations setting.
There are new applets for Telephony (which requires a modem), and for Remote Administration and Network Security.
The tabs in the Disks applet now states the type of drive instead of the label name. It also removes the "Backup" task in the maintenance status.

Remote Administration
Network Security
Build 73f disks applet
Build 58s disks applet in comparison
Build 73f multimedia applet
Build 58s multimedia applet in comparison
Build 73f system properties
Build 58s system properties in comparison
Build 73f advanced system applet
Build 58s advanced system applet in comparison

Setup features[edit | edit source]

Setup has been massively overhauled, and starts to see some aspects of the RTM. It includes a new background, the non-disclosure agreement when starting setup, and settings to choose components to install.
The "Help" and "Exit" buttons are moved to the upper right corner, and the installation background shows "Windows Setup".
A hardware detection step has introduced.
The customization options and hardware selection steps have been improved.
Setup now supports a choice between an upgrade installation and a clean installation.
The user can now add the user name and organization during setup. It also now requires a beta site ID and password, which would be the forerunner to product keys.
The message when setup is complete has been changed from "Setup must restart system." to "Setup is now complete."

Beta Site ID and Password[edit | edit source]

This build is the earliest known build to require a Beta Site ID and password to install. An exhibit from Comes vs. Microsoft mentions that this feature was added in response to the original warez scene leak of build 58s. The protection works by having the last four digits of the password be derived from an MD4 hash of the beta site ID, the first four digits of the password, and a string in SUWIN.EXE resources. The fifth digit of the password is a check digit; if this is valid, the setup appears to continue but if the password used is for another build, setup will error before copying files with the "General error 57", a red herring that fooled the warez scene at the time, OSBetaArchive members a decade later, and BetaArchive members a few years after that.

There is a backdoor in SUWIN.EXE; an encrypted resource contains a list of network shares. If one of these shares exist, the user is not required to enter a Beta Site ID or Password. This feature was added for internal Microsoft testers, and when found by reverse engineers, made the protection easier to crack.

This protection was removed in build 311, but was reused briefly for early Internet Explorer 4.0 and Windows 98 builds (removed in the latter sometime before build 1351, but its SUWIN.EXE changed the network share list and password derivation string).

Start button and menu[edit | edit source]

Although this build still has three separate Start buttons and menus like build 58s, it already contains the necessary resources to enable a single unified Start menu (but not the single button), similar to that in build 81. A tutorial on how to remove the two extra buttons and display only the unified menu is available on BetaArchive.^[2]

Boot screen[edit | edit source]

The red caption under the Chicago wordmark has been updated to say "Preliminary Release - November 1993". The font used for the caption was also changed.

Exit Windows[edit | edit source]

The "Exit Windows" window now reads Please wait. Windows is saving your changes to disk... Also, from this point onward, a safe to shutdown screen has been created (this time with an upside-down moon).

Findings[edit | edit source]

Switching from free to checked/debug compile[edit | edit source]

The login screen of a checked/debug compile, as evident by the presence of a watermark at the bottom-left corner.

The included SDK, which is located in the SDK folder on the installation media, contains an ability to switch this build into a checked/debug compile. On the components selection page, make sure that "Debug binaries" is selected. After installation, run "Debug Chicago" in the "Chicago PDK" program group and confirm that Windows is switching to Single DOS Application mode. After a restart, Windows will start with a watermark appears at the bottom right of the screen saying "Debug Windows 4.00.73f". This means that this build has switched to the checked/debug compile.

To switch back to the free compile, run "Non-Debug Chicago" from the same program group.

Bugs[edit | edit source]

CAB32 loading error[edit | edit source]

On faster CPUs, this build has a problem loading CAB32.EXE after setup. To allow the shell to load, edit CONFIG.SYS in the root of the system partition by changing the lines FILES=30 and BUFFERS=30 to FILES=90 and BUFFERS=90 respectively by preforming either of the following:

pressing F8 before the boot screen is displayed and confirming any line of CONFIG.SYS except for "Process Start-up command file?", which then answer it with N to prevent the shell from loading.
using a DOS or Windows 9x boot disk with a text editor on it, or
mounting the virtual hard disk image in Windows and editing the file there.

When using either of the former two options, enter edit C:\config.sys into the command prompt to edit the file.

Applications[edit | edit source]

Character Map does not work and crashes if the display type is set to XGA.

File differences[edit | edit source]

The following files have been introduced or removed compared to build 58s:

Added files
Name	Description	Version
acm.inf
acmcmprs.dll	Microsoft Standard audio compression DLL	1.1
adapter.inf
always.mpd
arrow.mpd
auxil.inf
avicap.dll	AVI Capture DLL	1.1
avifile.dll	Microsoft AVI File support library	1.1
buslogic.mpd
cab32.exe	Windows File Cabinet	4.00.73b
comctl32.dll	Custom Controls Library	4.00.73a
constrct.bmp
cp_1250.nls
cp_1251.nls
cp_1252.nls
cp_1253.nls
cp_1254.nls
cp_437.nls
deskjetc.drv	HP DeskJet 500 Series Printer Driver	1.0.0.0
djcolor1.hpm
dptscsi.mpd
e20nd.dos
e21nd.dos
enable.inf
forceios.inf
getwpx.dll
hpcolor.dll	Universal printer driver color printing support libary	3.10.068
hplanp.dos
hpviod01.dll	I/O Data Processor for the HP DeskJet Series 5XX Printer Driver	1.0.0.0
hpviol01.dll	I/O Language Processor for the HP DeskJet Series 5XX Printer Driver	1.0.0.0
hpvmon01.dll	Status Monitor for the HP DeskJet Series 5XX Printer Driver	1.0.0.0
hpvqpr01.dll	Queue Processor for the HP DeskJet Series 5XX Printer Driver	1.0.0.0
hpvres01.dll	English Text Library for the HP DeskJet Series 5XX Printer Driver	1.0.0.0
hpvui01.dll	User Interface for the HP DeskJet Series 5XX Printer Driver	1.0.0.0
hpvutl01.dll	Utilities for the HP DeskJet Series 5XX Printer Driver	1.0.0.0
icm.inf
indeov.drv	Intel Indeo(TM) Video
ir21_r.dll	Intel Indeo(TM) Video R2.1
keyboard.inf
langexc.nls
layout.inf
lmouse.386
lmouse.com
locale.inf
locale.nls
logos.sys
machine.inf
mci.inf
midi.inf
midiprop.dll	MIDI Property Sheet	4.00
minstall.exe
mixer.inf
mmdevldr.386
mmsys.cpl	Windows Multimedia Control Panel	4.00
mpr.dll
msacm.dll	Microsoft Audio Compression Manager	4.00
msadlib.pat
msdos.inf
msfdc.inf
mshdc.inf
msmini.386
msmpu401.drv	MIDI driver for MPU-401 compatibles	4.00
msnet.drv
msnet32.dll
msnp32.dll
msports.inf
mspp32.dll
msprint.inf
mspwl32.dll
mssblst.drv	MIDI and wave driver for Sound Blaster 1.5	4.00
ncc16.dos
ncdwx.dll
ncrsdms.mpd
net.inf
netbios.dll
netddex.exe	Windows for Workgroups Network DDE	4.00.73a
netlib32.dll
nls.dll
nls.inf
nw16.dll
nwnp32.dll
nwpp32.dll
pccard.386
pccard.cpl
pci.386
pcmcia.inf
pcmnic.dos
pe2ndis.dos
precopy.inf
pro4at.dos
prtupd.inf
router.dll	Microsoft Router for Windows for Workgroups	1.00.000
rundll32.exe	Run a DLL as an App	4.00.73b
scandisk.exe
sconfig.dll	Microsoft Workgroup Security	4.00.73a
scsi.inf
setcfg.exe
shell232.dll	Windows Shell Common Dll	4.00.73c
slcd32.mpd
socketsv.386
sort.exe
sparrow.mpd
spooler.386
spoolexe.exe
suexpand.dll	Windows file expansion library	3.10
sulogo.sys
suwin.exe
systhunk.dll
t128.mpd
t13b.mpd
t160.mpd
t338.mpd
t348.mpd
t358.mpd
ultra124.mpd
ultra14f.mpd
ultra24f.mpd
unicode.nls
vcdfsd.386
vcr.mci	MCI VCR Command Set	4.00
verx.dll	Version Checking and File Installation Libraries	4.00.73a
vgalogo.lgo
vgalogo.rle
wave.inf
winboot.sys
windows.cnt
winmm.dll	System APIs for Multimedia	4.00
winnet16.dll	Multinet Router Helper for 16-bit WinNet drivers	4.00.73a
winpopup.hlp
winsock.386
winver.exe	Windows-version utility	3.10
wnpp32.dll
work.bmp
wsipx.386
wsock32.dll

Removed files
Name	Description	Version
admincfg.exe
aha152x.mpd	AIC-6X60 SCSI Controller Driver	3.10
aic777x.mpd	Adaptec 777x series SCSI driver	3.10
cabinet.exe	Windows File Cabinet	4.00.58j
codepage.inf
combo.dll
control.exe	Control Panel	4.00.40
cpwin386.cpl	386 enhanced mode Control Panel extension	4.00.58j
debugcmd.386
defprtr.ppd
desktop.ini
dossetup.bat
drivers.cpl
e20ndis.dos
e21ndis.dos
enable.386
fakeide.386
indeo.drv	Intel Indeo(TM) Video
instalui.dll
intl.inf
io.sys
ir21_u.dll	Intel Indeo(TM) Video R2.1
metrics.cpl
midiprop.cpl
mouse.ini
mpr16.dll	Multinet Router	4.00.57
mpu401.drv	MIDI driver for MPU-401 compatibles	4.00
msdet.dll
msdos.sys
msnp.dll	Network provider for Microsoft networks	4.00.57
mspwlmgr.dll	Password list management library	4.00.57
musicbox.exe	Music Box	2.0a
network.wri
portthrd.exe
printman.exe	Windows for Workgroups Print Manager application file	4.00.58j
printman.hlp
progman.hlp
ps_enum.dup
pwledit.exe	Password Cache List Editor	4.00.57
readme.txt
run_enum.dup
security.dll	Microsoft Workgroup Security	4.00.058
setup.hlp
shell.dll	Windows Shell library	3.10
snd.cpl
sndblst.drv	MIDI and wave driver for Sound Blaster 1.5	4.00
sndcntrl.dll	Sound Controls	1.0a
soundrec.hlp
splstubs.dll
swapdos.exe
system.ini
tiga.drv	TIGA display driver	3.10
tigawin.rlm
trackdll.dll	Win Process Status
tracker.exe	Win Process Status
vcr16.mci	MCI VCR Command Set	4.00
vddtiga.386
vmconfig.exe
vserver.386
wdeb386.exe
winfile.hlp
wshell.386
_control.inf
_msnet.inf
_network.inf
_winnet.inf