Windows NT 3.1 build 438

3.1.438.1
Build of Windows NT 3.1
Screenshot
OS familyWindows NT
Version number3.1
Build number438
Build revision1
Architecturex86, MIPS, Alpha AXP
Compiled on1993-04-22
SKUs
Workstation
About dialog
WindowsNT3.1-3.1.438-About.png
TCB.png TCBGallery.png

Windows NT 3.1 build 438 is the April 1993 beta of Windows NT 3.1. It is not much different from the previous build, which was released a month earlier. A version of the build in the Alpha AXP architecture was shared on 4 August 2020.

This build was mentioned in an internal Microsoft e-mail from August 1993[1] where it states that it was delivered to Novell in order to test their NetWare Client for the then-upcoming NT operating system, highlighting the issue that further recompilations of the aforementioned software had failed to work properly. The e-mail also states that Novell had received the June 1993 beta three weeks later than what was originally promised by Microsoft.

NFO file[edit | edit source]

NFO contents

                     ┌─────────────────────────────────┐
               ───═══╡     High Voltage Crew 1993      ╞═══───
                    └└─────────────────────────────────┘┘

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ─═H═V═C═─          HIGH VOLTAGE CREW PROUDLY PRESENTS          ─═H═V═C═─  │
│                           MicroSoft Windows NT                             │
├═══════════════════════════════════╤════════════════════════════════════════┤
│ CRACKED BY   : -                  │ SUPPLIED BY  : TAIPAN                  │
│ SERIAL #.    : -                  │ COMPANY/BY   : Microsoft               │
│ RELEASE DATE : 05-24-93           │ OVERALL      : GOOD                    │
│ DISKS        : 21                 │ PACKAGER     : PHONESTUD               │
└═══════════════════════════════════╧════════════════════════════════════════┘
┌════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════┐
│ Release Notes : Less Bugs..                                                │
│                                                                            │ 
│                                                                            │ 
│ Special Thanks To : Mustang, for all the great accounts !!                 │        
│                                                                            │
└════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════┘
┌════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════┐
│                                                                            │
│      φ HVC IS CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE φ      │
│       ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────       │
│                                                                            │
│ HigH Voltage Crew is growing quickly, and we are only accepting new member │
│ for a short period of time.  So send your application in now!              │                         
│                                                                            │                                                                             
│ PROGRAMMERS: If you have the experience to Code and Crack Software (mainly │
│              Windows software) post an example of your work on the HVC WHQ │
│                                                                            │                                                                             
│ DIST. SITES: If you feel your board can meet HVC's high standards, then    │     
│              post your application on the HVC World H.Q.                   │
│                                                                            │
│ Dist Site Qualifications: 2+ Nodes (USrobotic Duals), 1 gigabyte storage   │
│                           and a good reputation.                           │
│                                                                            │
│                                                                            │
│ -φ If You are interested in joining then Contact:  R¡pWave                 │
│                                                    Phonestud               │      
└════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════┘
   ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ 
   │   Name               Location       Number       Nodes    Sysop      │ 
   ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ 
   │Sancutary             WORLD HQ      708·PRI·VATE    5   Speed Master  │ 
   │Alpha 2010            USA HQ        210·PRI·VATE    2   Silas Guardian│ 
   │Fantastic Voyage      EURO HQ       +49·PRI·VATE    4   Michelangelo  │ 
   ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ 
   │                    Member Board    ············    ·                 │ 
   │                    Member Board    ············    ·                 │ 
   │                    Member Board    ············    ·                 │ 
   │                    Member Board    ············    ·                 │ 
   ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ 
   │                     Dist. Site     ············    ·                 │ 
   │                     Dist. Site     ············    ·                 │ 
   │                     Dist. Site     ············    ·                 │ 
   └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  
   
 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                
 - GREETINGS .. PUBLIC ENEMY, TDT, TRSI, RAZOR, SKiLLioN, UNT                                       
                UTG, NTA, DEAD MEMORY & ECR .......
                                                                  
 - PERSONAL .. Hawk, Toyman, Speed Master, Major Theft, Silas Guardian                      
               Hard Core, MichelAngelo, Killer/MAGiCAL .....                                                                
                
 - TO PWA .. Pirates Without Anything Origional, so we have an Attitude      
              
 - TO NTA .. You can have all the beta's you want, HVC will keep the releases!          
 
 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

New features and changes[edit | edit source]

  • The Control Panel and Windows NT Setup icons are now updated to match the ones in Windows 3.1.
  • NTLDR has been updated to version 3.1 as seen in the RTM and it no longer shows a list of loaded drivers unless the user adds the /SOS switch to BOOT.INI.
  • When changing the display type in Setup, a warning message will appear, as selecting a display type incompatible with the current installed one will make Windows NT unusable, necessitating reinstallation. Setup recommends to select the proper display type after Windows NT has been fully installed, as the user still has access to the Last Known Good Configuration to recover the previous hardware state.
  • ATi, generic VESA 800x600 and S3 1280x1024 display drivers have been added.
  • Most of the bugcheck messages have been renamed to their modern names, being in all caps and spaced with an underscore. When a bugcheck also occurs, it will now print addresses of several drivers before the crash occurred. Alongside, a new bugcheck code has been added.[2]
    • INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE (0x7B)
      • In addition, this build adds a set of instructions to the end of each bugcheck, stating "Restart your computer. If this message reappears, do not restart. Contact your system administrator or technical support group, and/or peripheral device vendor." This is actually a STOP error itself, being 0x7C (BUGCODE_PSS_MESSAGE), but it is invoked every time the bugcheck finishes printing details of the crash. It was removed during Windows Server 2003's development, where it was then replaced with a valid STOP error, BUGCODE_NDIS_DRIVER.

File differences[edit | edit source]

The following files have been introduced or removed compared to build 404:

Added files
Name Description Version
AFD.SYS
APPSTART.ANI
CGA40WOA.FON Non-Windows application font for 386 enhanced mode (USA code page 437) 3.10
CGA80WOA.FON Non-Windows application font for 386 enhanced mode (USA code page 437) 3.10
DRIVERS.DLL Control Panel Drivers applet 3.10
DRWATSON.EXE Windows Fault detection utility 3.10
HALFTONE.HLP
LOGON.SCR
MIDIMAP.DLL Control Panel MIDI Mapper Applet 3.10
MSCDEXNT.EXE
MULTIMED.CPL Control Panel Multimedia applet 3.10
MUP.SYS Multiple UNC Provider Driver 3.10
MUSRMGR.IND
NTLMINST.INF
OEMNADLM.INF
OEMNADLT.INF
OEMNADNP.INF
OEMNSVFT.INF
OEMNXPIP.INF
PAX.EXE
PRNSETUP.INF
REPAIR.INF
SNDVOL32.HLP
SOUND.DLL Control Panel Sound 3.10
VCDEX.DLL
VIRTUAL.INF
WFWNET.DRV
Removed files
Name Description Version
CONFIG.SYS
DRIVERS.CPL Control Panel Drivers applet 3.10
FATBOOT.BIN
HPFSBOOT.BIN
KRNL386.MAP
KRNL386.SYM
MCIHWND.EXE
MIDIMAP.CPL Control Panel MIDI Mapper Applet 3.10
NINSTALL.EXE
RESOLVER.DLL Sockets Resolver DLL 3.10
SIMBAD.SYS
SNDBLST.DLL MIDI and wave driver for Sound Blaster 1.5 3.10
SNDBLST.SYS
SOCKUTIL.DLL Sockets Utilities DLL 3.10
SOUND.CPL Control Panel Sound 3.10
SYNTH.DLL Synthsizer driver for Ad Lib and OPL3 3.10
SYNTH.PAT
SYNTH.SYS
SYS08CGA.FNT
SYS08X12.FNT
VIEWER.INI

Gallery[edit | edit source]

PC/AT compatible version[edit | edit source]

MIPS R4x00 Jazz compatible version[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]