Posts Tagged ‘7’

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

The Windows 7 build that PDC attendees will be given is M3 Pre-Beta build 6801. The exact build string is yet to be determined, but after doing some digging around, I think I’ve found it: Build 6801.winmain_win7m3.081020-1655

Now, just where in the world did I pull that build string from? The back of a milk carton? My butt? The Windows dev building in Redmond (I wish, lol)? Nawwwww. Microsoft threw some security updates on their site for Windows 7 a few days ago, so I downloaded them and checked out the build version of the DLL the updates replace (netutils.dll). This is the version as it exists in the DLL: 6.1.6801.4107 (winmain_win7m3.081020-1655)

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Microsoft’s build string terminology, the string reads as follows: Windows 7 M3 (Milestone 3) Build 6801 compiled in the WinMain lab on October 20, 2008 at 4:55 PM (081020-1655)

Even more interesting is that they provided a security update for three versions of the Windows 7 Pre-Beta (click each one to be taken to the download pages):

Windows 7 Pre-Beta (x86)
Windows 7 Pre-Beta x64 Edition
Windows 7 Pre-Beta for Itanium-based Systems

So, does that mean that PDC attendees will be receiving all of those versions? Perhaps! Something else left to be determined is if build 6801 will contain all SKUs or just Enterprise.

Now, something else worth noting is the following: Build 6919.fbl_fun_diag_dev(gaurava).080118-1456

That build was compiled 9 months prior to this 6801 build and is over 100 builds higher!!! This is no surprise to those of us who are familiar with the fact that not all the build labs follow the same build time line but it’s interesting to know that builds were compiled in January with that high of a build string. Oh yeah, I pulled that one out of my butt. lol. Only kidding. Seriously, though, I pulled that build string from another DLL provided by Microsoft for Windows 7 in relation to printing issues (DiagPackage.dll). You can find it here: “This troubleshooting pack detects and fixes the printer problems on Windows 7″

Well, that’s all for now! Off to pack for PDC and make last-minute preperations prior to flying out tomorrow. Don’t forget to keep up with my PDC 2008 Blog! Much, much more to come very, very soon. =)

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

Keeping it “short ‘n sweet,” WinFuture has posted some screenshots of build 6801. Check out the image below with the spiffy new wallpaper, then go visit WinFuture via the reference link below the screenshot to see the rest of them!

Reference: WinFuture.de

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

Being a firm believer of following through and in an effort to once and for all clear the air with the whole “Windows 7 Server was always planned to be Windows Server 2008 R2,” I’ve decided to cook up a timeline of screenshots in chronological order from presentations found right on Microsoft’s servers. This basically shows the shift in timing where Windows 7 Server went from being planned as a major release to an update release (or R2, if you will). A few of these shots are new and a couple of them are already being used in a couple of previous Windows 7 Server posts of mine. If you’re a fairly new reader and haven’t seen those previous posts, then get up out of your chair, stand in it, and (very carefully) proceed to jump up ‘n down for joy while saying, “sinOFsky!” as if you’ve sneezed until someone says “gesundheit!” and asks you why you’re jumping up ‘n down. Show them my site and tell them to spread the word using the exact same method above. hehehe. Anyway, check it out:

What Was: Windows Server 2008 (Codename Longhorn Server) -> Windows Server 2008 R2 (Codename Longhorn Server R2) -> Codename Windows Blackcomb Server (Blackcomb became Vienna and Vienna became 7, so it was thought Windows 7 Server would indeed be what was to be Windows Blackcomb Server)

What Is: Windows Server 2008 (Codename Longhorn Server) -> Windows Server 2008 R2 (Codename: Windows 7 Server) -> Codename Windows 8 Server

2004 – 2005 (Windows Blackcomb Server): In presentations related to Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2, these roadmaps had Blackcomb Server coming after Longhorn R2. (Codename Longhorn Server became Windows Server 2008, so, Longhorn R2 would have been Windows Server 2008 R2 by these roadmaps).

2006 – Part of 2007 (Windows Vienna Server): In this release cycle/roadmap, Windows Server 2008 R2 is no longer defined as its codename (Longhorn Server) and is absolutely differentiated from Vienna Server (which was previously codenamed Blackcomb).

Part of 2007 – Present (Windows 8 Server): As we see here, the shift was made back in 2007 where the codename for Windows Server 2008 R2 becomes Windows Server 7 and officially breaks off from the traditional codename relationship between client and server and aligns both the major and minor server releases with the client release cycle.

If you think about it, this shift makes sense. With major client releases scheduled to happen alongside both major and minor server releases, the codenames for both server and client will constantly be one in the same. So, basically, instead of them working on Windows 7 Client and Windows Longhorn Server R2 (with the next server codename being Windows 7 Server), they’re now working on Windows 7 Client and Server. When they release both, if Sinofsky (aka Anti-Codename Guy) is still running the Windows show, then we’ll have Windows 8 Client and Server and so on and so forth.

While the stereotypical apologetic view of “well, things change internally” certainly applies, as was the case in my previous related posts, my main point is to show even furthermore why many people around the community were quite confused when it was announced that “Windows 7 Server” was in fact scheduled to be an updated server release as opposed to a major release (which, as you can see by the timeline above, we all weren’t crazy for thinking as such).

To all who cared, there ya go. To everyone who thinks this is pointless, I probably would, too, if I were you, so… lol. Until next time…

-Stephen