Windows NT 3.5 build 612

3.50.612.1
Build of Windows NT 3.5
Screenshot
Release nameBeta
OS familyWindows NT
Version number3.50
Build number612
Build revision1
Architecturex86, DEC Alpha, MIPS
Compiled on1994-04-15
SKUs
Workstation
Advanced Server
About dialog
WindowsNT35-3.5.612-About.png

Windows NT 3.5 build 612 is the official Beta release of Windows NT 3.5 and is the earliest available build of the operating system. It is available in the English and Japanese languages. Installation requires a creation of boot disks to install this build. Alternatively, upgrading from Windows NT 3.1 is possible.

NFO files[edit | edit source]

The following NFO files were included as part of the PWA and S.C.O.T.C.H. releases.

  • PWA

NFO contents

  • S.C.O.T.C.H.

NFO contents

New features and changes[edit | edit source]

  • Similar to many builds of Chicago, this build comes with the WinBug report utility. However, it does not have a program group entry unless the user chooses to set up applications on the disk in Setup.
  • WINNT.BMP now shows the Windows flag inside a real flag.
  • A new boot entry is available to boot the system with standard VGA graphics. This can be helpful if there are problems with graphics drivers or resolution settings.
  • winver.exe has been updated to be visually identical to what is seen when the user selects "Help" > "About" in most of the pre-installed programs. Also, the copyright date has been updated from 1985–1993 to 1985–1994.
  • This is the first build to include "Windows NT Diagnostics" (WINMSD.EXE).
  • Support for IDE/ATAPI CD-ROM drives has been introduced, as well as for following SCSI adapters and CD-ROM drives:
    • NCR 53c700, 710, 810, 815
    • Olivetti ESC-1/ESC-2
    • Panasonic CD-ROM
    • Sony CD-ROM
    • AMI Series 44/48
  • The S3 graphics driver has been updated to add support for the S3 86c928 PCI, Vision864, Vision964 and Trio32/64.
  • New bugcheck codes have been added.[1] Additionally, the 0x0A and 0x1E bugcheck values were given their final names.
    • DFS_FILE_SYSTEM (0x82)
    • OFS_FILE_SYSTEM (0x83)
    • RECOM_DRIVER (0x84)
    • SETUP_FAILURE (0x85)
    • Audit attempt has failed. (0x86, later renamed AUDIT_FAILURE)
      • In addition, the boot screen message has been changed to include the build number. Alongside, new message entries were added to the bugcheck message table for the boot screen, although they can be invoked in bugcheck screens by calling their bugcheck values:
        • 0x40000087 (WINDOWS_NT_CSD_STRING) is the string that displays if a Service Pack is installed. On Windows NT 3.1, the boot screen always reports the version without specifying the service pack.
        • 0x40000088 (WINDOWS_NT_INFO_STRING) is the string that displays the amount of processors and memory installed on the system. This is the first build to show the amount of installed processors.
        • 0x40000089 (WINDOWS_NT_MP_STRING) is the string that shows when a multiprocessor kernel is loaded. As setup is overhauled to use the multiprocessor kernel, it will always be seen when starting setup.

Logoff/Shutdown[edit | edit source]

  • An option to shut down or restart the computer has been added to the login prompt. Previously, the user needed to log in to the system to shut down or restart the computer. This only applies to computers who joined a workgroup and not a domain.
  • When closing Program Manager or selecting "Log off..." from the window menu, options to shut down and restart the computer have been added alongside to the logoff option. This will however not affect the "Log off..." option in the File menu, where it still uses the Windows 3.x-esque prompt.
  • The shut down prompt has been altered to have radio buttons for "Shutdown" and "Shutdown and Restart". Previously, there was a checkbox to restart the computer when the shut down is complete.

Setup[edit | edit source]

  • Text-mode setup runs under a minimal NT distribution (SETUPDD.SYS) rather than pure ARC firmware (SETUPAPP.EXE). As a result, setup uses 50 lines text mode during this stage of setup, and must load additional modules for the NT environment; thus three setup boot floppy disks are needed to boot into setup instead of a singular floppy.
  • This is the first known build to include the /I_am_TedM launch parameter in winnt.exe to allow installation inside NTVDM.
  • The installation media contains WINNT32.EXE for the first time to start setup from within Windows NT.
  • WINNT.EXE can no longer be started from within Windows NT, 386 Enhanced Windows 3.x, Windows/386 2.x and the DOS prompt of OS/2. Users now need to exit their OS and start setup from MS-DOS or IBM PC-DOS. However, the user can use the aforementioned launch parameter to use it inside of NTVDM. This can be helpful if WINNT32.EXE does not work or is non-existent.
  • When starting the text-mode part, it will warn about enhanced file system features for FAT and NTFS. When using these on Windows NT 3.1, a patch has to be applied. This patch is included on the installation media of this build and the final builds of Windows NT 3.5 and 3.51 in the FS31UPD subfolder. To continue, the user has to press the F7 key. As of today, this and build 683 are the only builds to display this warning.
  • Setup now allows the user to manually select needed SCSI adapters instead of detecting them automatically.
  • The minimum disk size for installing Windows NT has been increased from 70 to 78 MB.
  • When the text-mode part completes, the user simply needs to press ↲ Enter instead of Ctrl+Alt+Del after the floppy disk has been removed from the A: drive, if inserted.

Control Panel[edit | edit source]

  • The ability to save cursor schemes has been added.
  • A new Display applet has been added, allowing users to set display resolution without rebooting, as well as testing different video modes and changing other settings (refresh rate, font size, monitor and display driver). This replaces the display driver settings in the Windows NT Setup utility.
  • Ports applet now has an option to delete a port.


Added Exports[edit | edit source]

Compared to Windows NT 3.1 build 528

GDI32.DLL[edit | edit source]

ChoosePixelFormat CreateDIBSection DescribePixelFormat GdiSetServerAttr GetDIBColorTable GetETM GetFontResourceInfoW GetPixelFormat SelectBrushLocal SelectFontLocal SetDIBColorTable SetPixelFormat SwapBuffers pstackConnect

KERNEL32.DLL[edit | edit source]

CommConfigDialogA CommConfigDialogW CompareStringA ConvertDefaultLocale CreateIoCompletionPort DisableThreadLibraryCalls EnumCalendarInfoA EnumCalendarInfoW EnumDateFormatsA EnumDateFormatsW EnumSystemCodePagesA EnumSystemCodePagesW EnumSystemLocalesA EnumSystemLocalesW EnumTimeFormatsA EnumTimeFormatsW FoldStringA FreeEnvironmentStringsA FreeEnvironmentStringsW FreeLibraryAndExitThread GetBinaryTypeA GetBinaryTypeW GetCommConfig GetCompressedFileSizeA GetCompressedFileSizeW GetCurrencyFormatA GetCurrencyFormatW GetDateFormatA GetEnvironmentStringsA GetEnvironmentStringsW GetHandleInformation GetLocaleInfoA GetNumberFormatA GetNumberFormatW GetProcessAffinityMask GetProcessWorkingSetSize GetQueuedCompletionStatus GetShortPathNameA GetShortPathNameW GetStringTypeA GetStringTypeExA GetStringTypeExW GetSystemTimeAdjustment GetTimeFormatA GetVersionExA GetVersionExW HeapValidate IsValidLocale LCMapStringA RegisterWowExec SetCommConfig SetHandleInformation SetLocaleInfoA SetLocaleInfoW SetProcessWorkingSetSize SetSystemTimeAdjustment SetThreadAffinityMask SystemTimeToTzSpecificLocalTime lstrcpyn lstrcpynA lstrcpynW

USER32.DLL[edit | edit source]

ClientDrawText

ClientPSMTextOut

ClientTabTheTextOutForWimps

CloseWindowStation

CreateDesktopW

CreateWindowStationW

LoadRemoteFonts

OpenDesktopW

OpenWindowStationW

ServerSetFunctionPointers

UserRealizePalette

WowWaitForMsgAndEvent

_FChildVisible

_GetFirstLevelChild

_GetLastActivePopup

_GetNextDlgGroupItem

_GetNextDlgTabItem

_NextChild

_PhkNext

_PrevChild

NTDLL.DLL[edit | edit source]

File differences[edit | edit source]

The following files have been introduced or removed compared to the initial RTM release of Windows NT 3.1 Workstation:

Gallery[edit | edit source]

English language variant[edit | edit source]

PC/AT compatible version[edit | edit source]

Setup[edit | edit source]
  • File system warning

    File system warning

  • Insert Windows NT Setup disk #3

    Insert Windows NT Setup disk #3

  • Upgrade

    Upgrade

Interface[edit | edit source]
  • Boot screen

    Boot screen

  • Background

    Background

  • Safe to shutdown prompt

    Safe to shutdown prompt

MIPS R4x00 Jazz compatible version[edit | edit source]

  • Boot screen

    Boot screen

  • Demo

    Demo

Japanese language variant[edit | edit source]

Setup[edit | edit source]

  • Enter name and organisation

    Enter name and organisation

  • Copying files

    Copying files

  • Set administrator password

    Set administrator password

  • Set date and time

    Set date and time

  • End of setup

    End of setup

Interface[edit | edit source]

  • CAD prompt

    CAD prompt

  • Login screen

    Login screen

  • Desktop

    Desktop

  • About Program Manager

    About Program Manager

  • Safe to shutdown screen

    Safe to shutdown screen

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

  • English DDK CD

    English DDK CD

  • English SDK CD

    English SDK CD

  • Japanese CD (October 1994)

    Japanese CD (October 1994)

External links[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ https://www.geoffchappell.com/studies/windows/km/bugchecks/index.htm
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