Windows Vista Build 5384 Beta 2 Download: What You Need to Know Before You Try It

In terms of names, what Microsoft referred to as Vista Beta 2 was build 5384. Build 5456 is an improved version of Beta 2 that fixes the bugs discovered in 5384. One further point, Microsoft say that Build 5456 will be the first version that can be upgraded to Windows Vista RC1 (Release Candidate).

Whether you have build 5384, 5456 or 5472, I now recommend you switch to this page Vista Beta 2 Build 5472. I also have instructions for older Vista builds, they are probably obsolete, but just in case that is the only version you have, here are the references: 5308,5270 and 5112.

Windows Vista Build 5384 Beta 2 download

DOWNLOAD: https://cinurl.com/2vDSZB

What lulled me was the fact that build 5456 had good graphics from the start and silly me thought the slow performance was down to a checked beta version, the reality was the slow performance was down to lack of Virtual Machine Additions.

In terms of names, what Microsoft referred to as Vista Beta 2 was build 5384. Build 5536 is an improved version of Beta 2 that fixes the bugs discovered in 5384. One further point, Microsoft say that Build 5536 is a pre-release of Vista RC1 (Release Candidate), moreover, you will be able to upgrade from Build 5536 to future versions.

Whether you have build 5384 or 5536 then this page should help you with the Virtual PC install, I also have instructions for older Vista builds, they are probably obsolete, but just in case that is the only version you have, here are the references:5472, 5456, 5308,5270 and 5112.

What lulled me was the fact that build 5456 (and 5672) had good graphics from the start and silly me thought the slow performance was down to a checked beta version, the reality was the slow performance was down to lack of Virtual Machine Additions.

This build also contained an updated version of Internet Explorer with a version number of 6.05. New features noted by reviewers included a Download Manager, pop-up blocker, add-on manager and a tool to clear browsing history.[10] With the exception of the download manager, which was eventually discarded, these features all appeared in builds of Internet Explorer included with preview builds of Windows XP Service Pack 2 a few months later. It also did not have the classic Start Button with "Start" written on it - a development used later in Windows Vista.

Build 5219 (build date of August 30, 2005), Microsoft started releasing regular Community Technical Previews (CTP) to beta testers, with less stability work made to them than actual betas.Build 5219, also known as CTP1 and September CTP, was distributed among 2005 PDC attendees on September 13, 2005, and has been released to Microsoft Beta testers and MSDN subscribers. This was the first public "Ultimate Edition" build, and included Super Fetch. Although not enabled by default, this refresh saw the return of the Windows Sidebar, which had been removed as part of the development reset, and the introduction of Desktop Gadgets, both of which are part of Microsoft gadgets line of mini-applications. Microsoft stated that they intended to make additional gadgets available for download from a web site over time. This build also supported a new version of Windows Media Center code-named "Diamond".

February CTP Refresh (built on March 21, 2006 with a build number of 5342) was released March 24, 2006. This build was shipped to technical beta testers and some corporate customers by Microsoft and was being used as a testing board for the extensive feedback they got from the February CTP. They described this release as an "External Developer Workstation", with the intent of providing an interim build between CTPs. Microsoft claimed it was still on track to deliver the next CTP in the second quarter, the build that will be the last in the Beta 2 fork. The build included minor UI changes, most notably improvements to the Media Center, new Aero and Aurora effects, a faster setup process, some new Sidebar gadgets, and slight improvements in overall performance and stability. Paint was also slightly improved, there's a new screenshot snapping/saving tool included, and a slightly redesigned Network Center. This build did not meet CTP quality measurements, and was available only in Ultimate Edition, for both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) systems.

April EDW (built on April 19, 2006 with a build number of 5365), which was released on April 21, 2006, introduced more changes to visual user interface elements, and to the behavior of User Account Control. A number of new backgrounds were also introduced, and two new screensavers were added as well. The Sidebar was enabled by default, as was automatic defragmentation of the hard drive. Hold'em, a game that shipped with some previous CTPs, was dropped due to apparent "political sensitivity" issues; Microsoft now offers it as a separate web download for Windows Vista Ultimate users.[30]

Windows Vista Beta 2 Preview (built on May 1, 2006 with a build number of 5381) leaked on May 3, 2006 and was officially released on May 6, 2006 to Microsoft's technical beta testers. It featured mostly performance tweaks and only a few minor changes compared to build 5365. With this build, Microsoft entered Beta 2 "escrow".

Windows Vista Beta 2 (built on May 18, 2006 with a build number of 5384), was released to Microsoft Developer Network subscribers (the first since 5308) and Microsoft Connect testers on May 23, 2006 in conjunction with Bill Gates's keynote presentation at the WinHEC 2006 conference. On June 6, Microsoft extended the availability of Beta 2 to all users, making Vista available as a free download in several languages from their web site. Some technology web sites described this release as "the largest download event in software history".[31]

Build 5456 (build date of June 20, 2006) was released on June 24, 2006. Some of the new features included a revamped Aero subsystem, and a completely overhauled and significantly less obtrusive User Account Control interface. "List view" in Windows Explorer was brought back, after having been removed in Beta 1. Microsoft developer Ben Betz later explained in a blog entry that, while they felt that removing List mode made sense based on usability research and its inability to support Windows Explorer's new "grouping" feature, the feature was restored based on a great deal of feedback from beta testers.[36]

Build 5536 (build date of August 21, 2006) was released on August 24, 2006, and between August 29 and August 31 to the first 100,000 users who downloaded it from the Microsoft site. Among notable changes, it featured new ties to the Windows Live online services by new icons in the Welcome Center, minor updates to the Aero appearance with a slightly more bluish tint to the glass effect, big speed improvements (including setup speed), many bug fixes and further tweaked anti-aliasing in the Flip 3D feature. It was released publicly on August 29, 2006.[44]

Release Candidate 1 (RC1) (built on August 29, 2006 with a build number of 5600.16384) was released to a select group of beta testers on September 1, 2006.[45] On September 6, RC1 was released to MSDN and Technet subscribers, as well as registered Customer Preview Program (CPP) members with Beta 2 PID's. On September 14, Microsoft re-opened the CPP to new members. The CPP ended on November 26, 2006.

Build 5728 (build date of September 17, 2006) was released on September 22, 2006 to technical beta participants. The following day, Microsoft released a 32-bit version of the build to the public, with a 64-bit version arriving on September 25. On October 1, Microsoft reached its goals for program participation and no longer offered the build to the public. In response to a significant amount of feedback from RC1 testers, 5728 contained many improvements, one of which was the inclusion of a check box in the Sound properties that allowed the user to disable the Windows Vista startup sound.[51] The Welcome Center was also improved with new icons, eliminating the use of one icon for several different items, and all of the old icons in the User folder were replaced. With this build, Microsoft neared its goal of Vista installing in 15 minutes,[52] with some reviewers reporting that 5728 took as little as 16 minutes to do a clean install.[53] However, performing an upgrade installation from Windows XP was still slow, sometimes taking more than an hour to complete.[54]

Release Candidate 2 (RC2) (built on October 3, 2006 with a build number of 5744.16384), was released to CPP members, TAP testers, MSDN/Technet subscribers, and other technical beta testers on Friday, October 6, 2006, and was available for download until October 9. Because of an aggressive development schedule, this was the final build that would be officially released to the general public for testing. Nevertheless, all pre-release product keys will work until the final RTM build. Several testers reported that RC2 was faster and more stable than build 5728.[55] However, because RC2, which was a regular interim build, and not a major milestone as the name suggests, was not as rigorously tested as RC1, RC1 may have been more stable in certain situations. This build fixed many compatibility issues that plagued previous builds. Vista's GUI, which continued to be improved, contained some minor tweaks, one of the more prominent of which was the new ability to customize the color, but not the transparency, of maximized windows. In previous builds, windows became predominantly black when maximized, an effect that could not be altered by users.[56] A Control Panel icon for Windows Sideshow was also added.

Service Pack 1 Beta was only released on Microsoft Connect to selected testers on 2007-09-24. This build was offered optionally through Windows Update through a registry key installed by the tester. This key was later leaked to the net resulting in its deactivation by Microsoft. With this release the build number for Vista jumped to 6001.16659.070916-1443. This build also removed the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) from client computers, to be replaced by a downloadable version at a later date. Also removed was the "Search" menu option from the right hand bar of the start menu (including the option to re-add it from the Start Menu customization list). This build broke the "HP Touch smart" family of applications, and also caused bugs with resuming from sleep, and in some cases rendered some 64-bit PCs with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chips unable to finish booting. This build also contained unspecified improvements in Speed and responsiveness of the OS. 2ff7e9595c