Windows Vista build 5284 (vbl_media_ehome)

6.0.5284.0.vbl_media_ehome.051218-1800
	Build of Windows Vista
Architecture	x86
Compiled on	2005-12-18
Expiration date
Timebomb	2006-06-14 (+178 days)
About dialog

Windows Vista build 5284 (vbl_media_ehome) is the earliest available Media Center Diamond Take Home build of Windows Vista. It was shared by BetaArchive user marcoguy on 19 December 2016.^[1] It is notable for including features and functionality changes intended for Windows Media Center development branches (primarily vbl_media_ehome) within the existing operating system installation media, which are discussed later in the article.

It is the last available build of Windows Vista to include at least one Longhorn reference (other than the boot screen) across all consumer editions (excluding Starter, which still utilized placeholder branding up through build 5310), although its server counterpart would retain the "Longhorn" codename until build 6001.16648.

Editions and keys[edit | edit source]

Edition / SKU Name	Key
Home Premium	BCW2J-22CC9-MKGJY-KYJHG-QK64G
Ultimate	GQ67D-7XFV7-CFYXT-6FM72-PJHY6

New features and changes[edit | edit source]

Media Center Diamond Take Home effort specifics[edit | edit source]

As the build media originates from an internal effort intended for testing the overhauled Windows Media Center user interface (codenamed Diamond) on a daily basis (otherwise known as "dogfooding"), there are distinct differences present in the operating system that do not exist in builds sourced from other branches. Most notably, internal development tools and work-in-progress drivers for digital video recorders and an altered Windows Setup experience (replacing the standard setup autorun binary with a simplified "DVD launcher") have been included within the installation media, offering the user a choice to either install the operating system with the supplementary drivers and tools in an unattended fashion or run the setup process manually, with the additional option of toggling between invoking the out-of-box experience as needed.

User interface[edit | edit source]

Additional changes have been introduced across the user interface; a radical departure stemming from complete design and functionality reworks of existing built-in Windows applications. The Windows Photo Gallery application has been updated to bear a cleaner layout and align with the existing design principles laid out within Windows Vista, bringing with it an overhauled toolbar and several updated icon designs; in addition, images are now sorted by date created/modified rather than being alphabetically sorted by folder names from within the hard drive, and an option to directly open the Photo Gallery has been introduced within the Gallery Viewer.

Design updates to the Windows Media Player application, namely the removal of the older menu bar from within the main user interface (the options of which were moved into a separate right-hand drop-down menu), small layout changes, a font change to Segoe UI (from Arial) and iconography improvements have also been introduced; active tabs are now also highlighted in a bright blue color rather than a less-noticeable glow.

The option to add an existing webpage over to a specified category has been moved next to the left-hand Favorites button within the Internet Explorer application, in addition to further iconography improvements that replace several icon designs introduced as part of versions 5 and 6.

The Windows Sidebar application has been reintroduced, albeit in a non-functional state; the application itself would be fixed in later builds. The taskbar volume flyout has been updated to utilize a flat tray icon design as well as implementing an icon that shows the current speaker type. The volume flyout's tray icon will now additionally persist even in the absence of sound drivers. An updated design for the date and time mouse-over flyout has also been introduced, now reporting the full calendar day, month and year. A new start menu shortcut linking to an informational webpage for the Windows Genuine Advantage verification process has been added.

Aspects of the Control Panel have also been changed - the ability to configure file transfers using infrared devices through the Control Panel has been removed. It is now possible to directly install a new language pack with a new wizard dubbed the Language Pack Setup Wizard (lpksetup.exe), as well as allowing the user to view startup programs from the Programs and Features applet. The Windows Firewall feature now includes a new icon design. The Task Scheduler MMC snap-in has also been redesigned to align with existing principles.

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

A new inbox game dubbed Windows Poker (later renamed to Hold'Em) was added to the operating system, aiming to replicate the overall gameplay of real-world Texas hold'em poker games; it would shortly be pulled from mainline consumer editions and redistributed as an Ultimate Extra on 29 January 2007 (a day before Vista's general availability release) due to the overall nature of its gambling-focused themes. Prior to its addition, the game had only been referenced in Help and Support documentation within earlier builds of Windows Vista.

The duplicate Windows logo screen saver has been removed.

File differences[edit | edit source]

The following files have been introduced, renamed or removed compared to the Ultimate SKU variant for build 5270:

Added files
Name	Description	Version
fastopen.exe
ftlx041e.dll	Thai Wordbreaker	6.0.5284.0
ftlx0411.dll	Microsoft(R) Japanese Word Breaker	4.0.0.4550
ftsearch.dll	Microsoft® Full Search	4.0.0.4553
FXSEXT32.DLL	Microsoft Fax Exchange Command Extension	6.0.5284.0
iac25_32.ax		1.10.0.12
icardie.dll	Microsoft Information Card IE Helper	7.0.5284.0
iccvid.dll	Cinepak® Codec
idwlog.exe	Build and Setup Tally Program	6.0.5284.0
iedw.exe	IE Crash Detector	6.0.5284.0
iedw.exe.mui
ieuser.exe.mui
ImagingDevices.exe	Imaging Devices Control Panel	6.0.5284.0
ImagingDevices.exe.mui
lpksetup.exe	Language Pack Installer	6.0.5284.0
winpoker.env
winpoker.exe	poker	5.2.3668.0
winpoker.exe.mui

Renamed files
Old filename	Old description	New filename	New description	Version
FileSharingPart.dll	File Sharing for Spaces	WinCollabFile.dll	Windows Collaboration File Sharing	6.0.5284.0
SpacesContainer.exe	Code Name: Windows Collaboration	WinCollab.exe	(same description)	6.0.5284.0

Removed files
Name	Description	Version
fvetool.exe	Windows Full Volume Encryption Tool	6.0.5270.9

Bugs and quirks[edit | edit source]

Windows Setup[edit | edit source]

On some machines, this build cannot be upgraded to due to a bug in the setup component file copy process.
Upgrade installations may cause setup to revert the previously set wallpaper back to the default "Longhorn" background image.
The hard drive must be partitioned through the Diskpart utility (and the system restarted) first before this build can be installed.
The $OEM$ folder (containing eHome-specific customizations) found within the sources directory must be removed from the image before installation due to a bug in the way Setup handles directory paths with special characters, resulting in an invalid parameter error.

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

Help and Support Center will not launch properly and will either crash Windows Explorer or itself.
Text-to-speech settings will crash on startup.
Missing language pack resources are present in the Blank screen saver.
The shutdown sound is cut off during playback.