Windows 98 build 1593

4.10.1593
	Build of Windows 98
OS family	Windows 9x
Version number	4.10
Build number	1593
Architecture	x86
Compiled on	1997-09-22
Expiration date
Timebomb	1998-01-31 (+131 days)
About dialog

Windows 98 build 1593 is a build of Windows 98 belonging to the Beta 2/2.1/3 branch. This is the last build to have Windows 95 startup, shutdown, and error sounds before being replaced in build 1602 with the RTM sounds from Windows 98 except for the Tada and shutdown sounds. This build was scene leaked by a warez group in late September 1997.

New features and changes[edit | edit source]

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 will 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.
This build introduces the final design of the IE 4.0 easter egg. It is stored in res://shdocvw.dll/wcee.htm.

Bugs and quirks[edit | edit source]

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 builds 1602 through 1624 use Beta 2.1 branding.
The Setup program throws up a lot of errors during system configuration, most of them being related to Internet Explorer's components. They have to be ignored to continue. Emulators like 86Box will run through the system configuration without any errors.
Setup has a WINSETUP.BIN that is not recognized by setup at all times and causes setup to crash on most virtualizers except Microsoft Virtual PC, 86Box, VARCem, and some versions of VMware, due to incorrect emulation of the segment limits of the CPU core. To patch this build to run on any virtualizer, use a WINSETUP.BIN from an earlier build or the RTM. This is the last build to contain this bug.
Several items use wrong icons.
The default Active Desktop wallpaper remains broken if errors are encountered during system configuration.
If a new user is created in this build, the default login client will automatically switch to the "Microsoft Family Logon" client, even if the new user is the only one in the system. This was changed in later builds, where it needed to be installed manually and have two or more users in the system for it to work properly.
The volume control flyout is called "Master Out".

Installation notes[edit | edit source]

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:

In VirtualBox, you have to disable the USB port to avoid a crash during installation.
Disable APM and ACPI on 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.
The Sound Blaster 16, AWE32 and AWE64 PnP audio devices may not work. On 86Box, if you encounter this problem, use the non-PnP Sound Blaster 16 or AWE32 or another device.

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, given that a proper configuration is set for the system.