Microsoft Ships Vista Beta 2 Preview to Testers

[Joe Gronlund]

A number of beta testers reported to me this morning that Microsoft has issued 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista build 5381.1, which is a preview of the Beta 2 version of Vista the company intends to ship later this month to millions of users worldwide. I first reported that Microsoft would ship a variant of build 5381 as Beta 2 earlier this week when rumors surfaced that the software giant would delay Vista further into 2007.

Windows users who are eager to test Windows Vista don't have much longer to wait: Microsoft will ship Beta 2 to millions of consumers sometime in late May. Currently, the company still plans to ship Beta 2 on May 22.

Source


P.S - I am just about to install it

[Dean C]

I think i'll throw it on my laptop when it comes out Only if RedAlert2 plays on it though. Have you had any chance to test networking between an XP box and a Vista box Joe?

[Joe Gronlund]

I think i'll throw it on my laptop when it comes out Only if RedAlert2 plays on it though. Have you had any chance to test networking between an XP box and a Vista box Joe?

Yes the last internal release i tested 5342, wouldnt see the XP systems i have, but the XP Systems could see my Vista machine.. I am hoping that is resolved in this build, it really should be.. Its build 5381.1,, 3.26 GB , VISTA_5381.1_32bit_Main_Client-Staged_DVD_EN.iso

[AWS]

Dang. I just installed 5365 a couple weeks ago. Got a new laptop, Intel Core Duo with ati 1600 graphics so I'll install on it as well as the test box.

[Joe Gronlund]

Dang. I just installed 5365 a couple weeks ago. Got a new laptop, Intel Core Duo with ati 1600 graphics so I'll install on it as well as the test box.

Yaa me too, i was in the hospital last week, so i missed build 5365, but there is alot of ATI support, so it should run great on that laptop..

[Joe Gronlund]

Dang. I just installed 5365 a couple weeks ago. Got a new laptop, Intel Core Duo with ati 1600 graphics so I'll install on it as well as the test box.

Wait till you see all the nice new graphics in 5381.1,, very nice. Smooth running too, alot of debugging code has been removed.

[AWS]

In the early builds, the pre-beta ctp builds, glass ran fine on my test box. Now the only box that supports glass is my shuttle x64 with nvidea chipset. The others have the Intel 865 and 895 chipsets and Intel has said their will be no drivers for Vista for those. Kinda makes me mad that a box less than 1 1/2 years old is considered outdated and won't be supported on Vista.

Good thing I have a dual layer dvd burner. That x64 iso is huge.

[Joe Gronlund]

Good thing I have a dual layer dvd burner. That x64 iso is huge.

So is the x86, it only took me 45 mins to download though.. I grabbed it around 4pm

VISTA_5381.1_32bit_Main_Client-Staged_DVD_EN.iso, 3,347.84 MB

VISTA_5381.1_64bit_Main_Client_Staged_DVD_EN.iso, 4,834.25 MB

Im still having problems seeing my XP systems, from the Vista machine though.

[Zachery]

Whats required for "glass" to work?

[Joe Gronlund]

Whats required for "glass" to work?

Theres a list of GPU's on this page with the requirements for glass "AERO" Zack.. At the bottom i think..

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/win...guid.mspx#EBAA

You wouldnt believe the graphics, its amazing

[Zachery]

Awsome, X800 and an AMD 64 2800+

looks like im ready.. too bad I've got no way to preview it.

[Joe Gronlund]

Awsome, X800 and an AMD 64 2800+

looks like im ready.. too bad I've got no way to preview it.

When i get my public beta 2 DVD, you can have it zack..

[AWS]

You need the graphics card manufacturer to supply wddm drivers. If they don't you miss out on all the new effects. Intel has said they will not provide drivers for the integrated controllers that came with chipsets prior to the 945. This means any Intel chipset more than 6 momths old will not support glass. You can still run Vista you just miss out on the good parts.
I have 5 Shuttles, all Intel with 3.0 GHz or higher processors. Not one of them will give me the full effect of Vista. Vista without the new graphics layer is nothing more than XP with a sidebar. What sucks about it is all of those boxes could run Vista to it's full potential if drivers were supplied.

[Zachery]

When i get my public beta 2 DVD, you can have it zack..

Huzzah

Think I'll dig out my extra hard drive and do a clean install if thats possible?

[Floris]

So, how does one get this beta? It appears everybody has these free copies because their companies or schools are in beta programs?