Windows for Workgroups 3.1 Beta 1

Beta 1
	Build of Windows for Workgroups 3.1
Release name	Beta 1
OS family	16-bit Windows
Version number	3.1
Architecture	x86 16-bit
Compiled on	1992-04-02
About dialog

Windows for Workgroups 3.1 Beta 1 is the earliest available build of Windows for Workgroups 3.1, which was shared on 26 March 2021.^[1]

This build calls itself both Winball and Sparta, the codenames of Windows for Workgroups 3.1.

Changes[edit | edit source]

Compared to Windows 3.1 RTM, the following changes can be absorbed:

During the setup, multiple references to Windows 3.1 have been replaced with Sparta and Winball.
A new stage for selecting the Network Card model has been added to the setup.
By default, the operating system now installs the new "Microsoft Winball (Beta 1)" network driver, contained in the WINBALL.DRV file.
Three new applications have been added: Mail, Chat and System Meter. The latter of them does not launch, with an error about a missing VSERVER.386 file.

"Windows 3.2" references[edit | edit source]

The main network driver WINBALL.DRV in this build has a version number of 3.2.026. It also contains a dialog claiming to identify the build as "Microsoft Windows Sparta Pre-beta release 3.2.026". It's possible 3.2 was the originally planned product version of Windows for Workgroups, before it was changed back to 3.1. Long file name support also appears to be implemented in this driver; there is significantly more code and functions for this support than in later builds.