Windows Vista build 3790.1232

5.2.3790.1232.winmain.040819-1629
	Build of Windows Vista
OS family	Windows NT
Version number	5.2
Build number	3790
Build revision	1232
Architecture	x86
Build lab	winmain
Compiled on	2004-08-19
Base build
	5.2.3790.1232.040817
Expiration date
Timebomb	2005-08-14 (+360 days)
Cert. expiry	2005-08-18 (+364 days)
SKUs
	Home Edition; Professional
Product key
	CKY24-Q8QRH-X3KMR-C6BCY-T847Y
About dialog

Windows Vista build 3790.1232 is one of the first builds of Windows Vista compiled after the development reset, and the first to be built by the new winmain build lab. It is essentially a recompile of a contemporary Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 build with the same number, and therefore not functionally a Longhorn build. However, as it was compiled from a branch that was only introduced within post-reset Longhorn and was distributed with the Longhorn EULA, it is still usually considered as one.

The build was first shown by Grabberslasher on his UX.Unleaked blog on 2 May 2008.^[1] The Professional SKU variant of this build was uploaded onto the BetaArchive FTP server on 14 August 2011,^[2] while the unmodified Professional copy and Home Edition versions of this build was shared by Grabberslasher in the second set of his 33 Longhorn/Vista builds on 25 January 2020.^[3]

Background[edit | edit source]

Microsoft faced numerous unsolvable fundamental problems throughout work on the original Longhorn project such as stability issues (e.g.: memory leaks and system crashes), organizational management problems (such as lack of team morale and an unworkable build lab system) and feature creep, additionally compounded by the significant lack of work done to optimize the operating system and the use of relatively new or otherwise unfinished technologies such as the .NET Framework, Avalon and Managed C++ - patterns of which would eventually allude to development hell. Because of this, the project's development was ultimately reset and its underlying codebase switched to the latest mainline compile of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, which was still in the works at the time. In addition, its planned feature set was reconsidered and a near-total ban on usage of .NET was instituted within the Windows source tree, with an exemption being applied against a very limited subset of system components. The build is virtually unchanged from its base code, aside from it being compiled in the new winmain branch.

From this build onwards, the Longhorn development team would set out to borrow, reintegrate and/or rewrite code from older Longhorn builds and adapt it to a stable codebase; examples of such functionality would be the User-Mode Driver Framework (introduced in build 5001) and the kernel-mode DirectX Graphics Interface (DXGI) system driver.

Leak[edit | edit source]

The Professional SKU variant of this build was released with the following notes from the original leaker. According to mrpijey, an administrator of the BetaArchive forum, it was provided by an anonymous source.^[2]

Build: Windows Server 2003 ".NET Server" (5.2.3790.1232 Professional Beta)
Compiled: 19th August 2004
This build is a pain in the neck. It should really be called 'Windows Server 2003 "We have no clue what this thing is called because Microsoft are lazy people and don't give proper names to a lot of their project reset builds" (5.2.3790.1232) (Professional Beta)'. This 3790.1232 can be considered a Windows Server 2003 Post-RTM but this particular build was built by the Winmain lab, odd for a server build. What really happened was the Winmain lab taking .NET Server 5.2.3790.1232 when Microsoft were resetting the Longhorn project and decided to toy around with it. You could call this pre-Longhorn Omega-13 if you really wanted, but there isn't really a name for this build, except for "Windows Pain in the neck". While the Longhorn EULA is in there, it isn't necessarily a Longhorn build. It was merely a test build for Microsoft to play with before they moved to Longhorn post-reset pre-beta.
Let's put this on a timeline to make it understandable.

Build 4094 declared a mess, Microsoft decide to reset the project

While Microsoft decide to reset the project, it just so happens 5.2.3790.1232 happens to be the latest code

Microsoft take it and tell the Winmain lab to compile it for the sole reason of playing with it

Microsoft decide to use this as base and move on to begin Longhorn development

I bet you did not understand a word of that whatsoever. Basically, this build is what Longhorn is based on, but it is not strictly Longhorn. It's basically a Server 2003 RTM with SP1 Release Candidate slipstreamed and given a Professional client SKU. This means all the server goodies were removed.

Another thread about the build containing an NFO alleging that the original leak was a "RELEASE BY "KiTTY"" was discussed on the aforementioned website,^[4] containing comments possibly directed at staff along with other unnamed individuals. A similar document containing a series of vulgar or otherwise obscene comments made directly against the forum's staff later appeared as part of an NFO included as part of the public upload for Windows 8 build 8888 (win8_gdr_soc_intel).

NFO contents

        ((((((((((()       |        |    |  MiCROSOFT WiNDOWS
       /  _____   /|       |        |    |  CODENAME "Longhorn"
      /  /____/  /-|       |        |    |  BUiLD 3790.winmain.040819-1629
     /          /--|       |        |    |  POST-RESET
    /          /---|       |        |----|  RELEASE BY "KiTTY"
   /__________/----|       |        |    |
       |-----------|       |        |    |
       |-----------|       |        |    |
       '-----------'        ------ 
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
===============================================================
| RELEASE iNFO ...                                            |
| ---                                                         |
| An old build of Windows Longhorn, this was the very first   |
| build to be compiled after the reset. It's the very same    |
| build that Grabberslasher documented at his great           |
| uxUnleaked blog. Similar to Windows Server 2003.            |
|_____________________________________________________________|
| PROTECTION ...                                              |
| ---                                                         |
| 1) Zero-Day Activation                                      |
| 2) Timebomb                                                 |
|_____________________________________________________________|
| iNSTRUCTIONS ...                                            |
| ---                                                         |
| 1) Change BIOS date to 2004-08-19.                          |
| 2) Use the following product key:                           |
|        CKY24-Q8QRH-X3KMR-C6BCY-T847Y                        |
| 3) Boot into Safe Mode WITHOUT Networking.                  |
| 4) Use included AntiWAT to crack activation.                |
| 5) Give hoarders hell for keeping this unleaked             |
|    for so long.                                             |
|_____________________________________________________________|
| MESSAGE FROM KiTTY                                          |
| ---                                                         |
| This release in honor of all those who have had to deal     |
| with the elitist jerks who keep their old as hell boring    |
| builds to themselves for little to no reason. I understand  |
| not wanting to share new builds.. that, of course, is risky.|
| But this is an old build that nobody, especially not MSFT,  |
| will care about. Those who have had this and other similar  |
| builds, get ready... this is just the beginning. There are  |
| more leaks on the way.                                      |
|_____________________________________________________________|
| Want to donate a build? You know where to find us.          |
|_____________________________________________________________|
 \___________________________________________________________/

Bugs and quirks[edit | edit source]

Zero-day activation[edit | edit source]

The build must be activated before log-on. Most versions online have a way to remove this activation method, although the copy on BetaArchive's FTP server has these methods removed. The only way to boot this build with the zero-day timebomb activated is to use Safe mode.

The available copies of this build had its PIDGEN.DLL replaced with the one from Windows Longhorn build 3718 by the original leaker, resulting in Windows failing to create an installation ID for activation.

Missing files in the original images[edit | edit source]

The original copies of this build lack a multitude of binaries that are expected to be copied during the installation process. The following files must be provided to setup in some way for it to finish correctly, either as stubs or real components from a period-correct build that has them.

File list

Blank.txt
Empty.txt
Sample1.jpg
Sample2.jpg
filters.xml
moviemk.chm
moviemk.exe
news.png
paint.png

WOW64-specific resources - a majority of the files below are present in the installation media, sans the "W" prefix

wWMalert.wav
wWMemail.wav
wWMonline.wav
wlogowin.gif
wlvback.gif
wmsgsc.dll
wmsgslang.dll
wmsmsgs.exe
wtype.wav
wxpmsgr.chm