Windows 7 Build 695x revealed at WinHEC 2008 China


Recommended Posts

i disabled ACHI in the BIOS (apparently the OS wasn't installed with ACHI enabled onw hatever machine they got it from (i'm guessing) so turning it off allows the system to boot. As a result i got the full boot up screen (on video) instead of just 2 seconds then BSOD. I still however get a BSOD after changing the BIOS to standard IDE mode. I am now getting error 0x00000012F or something like that.

(will post video shortly)

yeah, safemode and all. I have one more idea though so i'll test that in the morning. Copying all the data from the VHD to the partition then edit the boot tables to point there and then repair the instalation and go from there.

(zip file with 2 videos from my AT&T Fuze. LOL Sorry it's not better quality. The first one is when i had AHCI enabled then the second is without)

VIDEO0001.zip

Your video 2 is pretty much what happens to me, It goes through the full video and then blue screens. I can't get it to but into safemode, the only options are start windows or boot into the recovery partition for 6801. I guess I will just wait until beta 1 in mid january unless something better gets out their.

Right, everyone, I'm pleased to tell you all that I got it working, with no problems whatsoever. haha!

I must be the lucky few. But all I did was mount the image via Disk Management, copy all the files except the 'System Volume Information' folder. To my second hard drive (I guess a separate partition would be completely fine). After that, I booted straight into my 6801 DVD and did a 'Start Up Repair'. It found that something was wrong, and asked to reboot. I let it. I then booted back into the DVD again and ran 'Start Up Repair' again, and I could see the 'Windows 7 (Recovered)' and my normal Windows 7 (6801) installation was two of the options I could select. So I selected the 'Windows 7 (Recovered)' and it did some repairs. I restarted, select 'Windows 7 (Recovered)' and I booted into Windows normally. I didn't need to go into safe mode or anything like that. It picked up most of my drivers and asked to restart. I did that, and I'm posting within the latest build. And I must say, there is some definate speed improvements.

Aero peak works. The WEI takes longer (At least for me), nearly 5 minutes. But my CPU score went from 5.3 (from build 6801) to 5.8, so it looks like Microsoft are changing the rating scores.

If anyone has any questions about 6956, don't hesitate to ask.

Right, everyone, I'm pleased to tell you all that I got it working, with no problems whatsoever. haha!

I must be the lucky few. But all I did was mount the image via Disk Management, copy all the files except the 'System Volume Information' folder. To my second hard drive (I guess a separate partition would be completely fine). After that, I booted straight into my 6801 DVD and did a 'Start Up Repair'. It found that something was wrong, and asked to reboot. I let it. I then booted back into the DVD again and ran 'Start Up Repair' again, and I could see the 'Windows 7 (Recovered)' and my normal Windows 7 (6801) installation was two of the options I could select. So I selected the 'Windows 7 (Recovered)' and it did some repairs. I restarted, select 'Windows 7 (Recovered)' and I booted into Windows normally. I didn't need to go into safe mode or anything like that. It picked up most of my drivers and asked to restart. I did that, and I'm posting within the latest build. And I must say, there is some definate speed improvements.

Aero peak works. The WEI takes longer (At least for me), nearly 5 minutes. But my CPU score went from 5.3 (from build 6801) to 5.8, so it looks like Microsoft are changing the rating scores.

If anyone has any questions about 6956, don't hesitate to ask.

just liked to point it out if you clicked F8 before windows boot screen , you get the option to repair the computer

you don't need the disc for diagnostic/repairing the boot

just liked to point it out if you clicked F8 before windows boot screen , you get the option to repair the computer

you don't need the disc for diagnostic/repairing the boot

I was loosely following a guide on another forum. That method probably works, some other methods don't with others. It seems to be a mixed bag.

- Start Menu button has been changed.

- Windows Media Centre has had a bit of an update. Though, these updates are pretty much in 6801, there is just less bugs.

- Task Bar yet again has had a small UI change. When you are viewing a window, you get a proper highlight on the task bar. It's nothing major, just something noticeably better.

- Notepad is still the same.

- When you right click on a Task Bar item, you get the old standard right click context menu. This has been removed and replaced with the 'Up Arrow' menu which was in 6801. The Arrow menu next to the Task Bar Item which it's related to. It's a little bugged. For example. When I click to 'Close' a window, I would expect it to close the menu, but it doesn't. And I need to click off onto something else to force it to hide again.

- Library functions have changed slightly, how it's layed out is different, but I don't like how they've done it. They have improved the speed of the Library itself. But rather than combine all the folders (like multiple download folders as an example), it puts them in sub categories. While I guess that's useful for others, I preferred it how it just combined everything together so I could view it as one big folder.

At the moment, I'm just browsing around, I'll try and write down any more changes. But so far, the only real difference is that it 'feels' faster. For example. I was tested Counter-Striker Source before, and closed it etc. Browsed a few websites and so on, then I decided I wanted to play a bit of Counter-Strike online. As soon as I double clicked 'Counter-Strike' in the Steam window. I waited literally a second or just after and Counter-Strike was loaded. So it looks like they've improved the Superfetch feature. :)

Just to add-on. My method of installing meant I couldn't have the new Boot Screen, I still have the old Vista one. So I tried the 'No GUI' boot option, and as we all know from Vista, it gave a different boot screen. But Microsoft literally meant 'No GUI' with this option. Completely black.

Also, they've removed the 'Aero' boot screen for when Windows starts up. So it looks like the new GUI boot screen is going to be an actual boot screen this time and not some stupid progress bar and then the 'Aero' boot screen.

Some of you will be wondering what the resource usage is like with the latest build. Currently, just before I opened up this Firefox window. Windows was using 29% of my 2GB RAM, with Windows Live Messenger 8.5 running and uTorrent. Not bad! :)

Just to add-on. My method of installing meant I couldn't have the new Boot Screen, I still have the old Vista one. So I tried the 'No GUI' boot option, and as we all know from Vista, it gave a different boot screen. But Microsoft literally meant 'No GUI' with this option. Completely black.

the change has been there in 6801 . i tried it , it give the same result ==> black screen

29% with 2 programs running, not bad, and still not fully optimized/tweaked I bet. Probably have to wait for the first RC to get a true indication of resource usage. But how does that compare to 6801?

Someone posted before me that Aero feels 'lighter', I agree with that assessment, it is feeling pretty much perfect. Compared to 6801, I find that speed has increased, but there are some bugs to be worked out. We'll have to see how it goes over the next week or so. :)

Any more questions?

Also to add-on, Windows Live Messenger 9 (can't remember the build number, but it's one of the latest ones) doesn't work properly. Keeps saying that the service is unavailable. I've installed 8.5 and it's working fine. Even though they are both alpha/beta products, I'm not going to start complaining.

We're not allowed to link or talk about it really here on neowin but i'll say the usual places.

There is to be NO talk, discussion, hints, or links to warez of any kind.

Community Rule #2- No Warez (links) & Cracks.

Help, requests or posts that discuss circumvention. This includes linking to illegally obtained software, movies & music files - posting about it, and suggesting obtaining it.

Thank you!

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • NetSpeedTray 1.3.3 by Razvan Serea NetSpeedTray is a lightweight, open-source Windows network monitor that shows live upload and download speeds directly on the Taskbar. Designed for efficiency, it quietly sits in the system tray, conserving CPU and battery with dynamic updates. It blends seamlessly with Windows 10/11, adapts to light/dark themes, and auto-positions to avoid overlaps. Features include accurate interface detection, customizable display, optional mini-graph, color coding, granular font and unit control, detailed per-interface history graphs, safe data management, and easy CSV export—bringing the network monitoring Windows forgot. NetSpeedTray key features: Lightweight & Efficient Runs quietly in your system tray without consuming resources. Features a "Dynamic Update Rate" that lowers refresh frequency when the network is idle to save CPU and battery life. Native Look & Feel Blends seamlessly with Windows 10/11 UI. Smart detection for light and dark taskbar themes ensures text is always visible. Intelligent & Adaptive Positioning Automatically finds empty space next to your system tray and shifts to make room for new icons, preventing overlaps. Seamless OS Integration Behaves like a native Windows component. Hides instantly with auto-hiding taskbar Hides when a fullscreen app is active Smart Network Monitoring Accurate by Default: Auto mode identifies your main internet connection and ignores noise from VPNs or virtual adapters. Easy Interface Selection: Switch effortlessly between Auto, All, or Selected network interfaces via intuitive radio buttons. Total Visual Customization Free Move Mode: Unlock and place the widget anywhere on your screen. Optional Mini-Graph: Real-time graph of recent network activity with adjustable opacity. Color Coding: Customize colors and speed thresholds to quickly see network status. Granular Display Control Text & Font: Adjust font family, size, weight, and alignment. Units: Automatic (B/s, KB/s, MB/s) or fixed Mbps display. Precision: Set decimal places and always show them for uniform appearance. Detailed & Intelligent History Graph Smart Scale: Logarithmic scale shows low-level traffic and large spikes clearly. Per-Interface Filtering: View speed history for specific adapters (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VPN). Safe & Efficient Data Management: Adjustable retention, automatic cleanup, optimized database. Easy Data Export: Export raw data to .csv or save high-quality graphs for reports. NetSpeedTray v1.3.3: The Updater Fix A stabilization release that repairs a critical regression in v1.3.2: the app shipped without OpenSSL, which silently broke every HTTPS request — including the built-in update checker (the "Could not check for updates" error many of you hit). This release restores it, hardens the build so it can't happen again, and fixes a startup crash plus four other reported bugs. Changes: Fixed update checking — Resolved a critical issue that prevented the app from checking for updates ("Could not check for updates"). Fixed startup crash with Auto-Cycling — The app no longer crashes on launch after enabling Cycle display mode. Fixed incorrect network speeds on 10GbE adapters — Multi-gigabit network cards now display speeds correctly instead of being stuck at 0. Improved color coding — Default color is shown when idle, and color/threshold changes now apply immediately without restarting. Fullscreen visibility fix — The widget now correctly stays visible over fullscreen apps when Keep Visible is enabled. Improved AMD Ryzen temperature detection — More reliable CPU temperature monitoring for Ryzen processors. Cleaner upgrades — Installer now removes outdated application files during upgrades, preventing DLL/version conflicts while preserving user settings. Improved stability — Fixed potential DLL loading issues by excluding critical OpenSSL and NumPy components from UPX compression. Better settings window — Scrollbars removed and layout improved for a cleaner experience. Localization improvements — Updated translations and completed missing UI text across all supported languages. More reliable releases — Added regression tests covering recent critical fixes, bringing the test suite to 196 passing tests. [full release notes] Download: NetSpeedTray 1.3.3 | 87.9 MB (Open Source) Download: NetSpeedTray Portable | 101.0 MB View: NetSpeedTray Home Page | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Why Delta Chat is the best decentralized messenger you have probably never tried by Paul Hill There is no shortage of messaging apps out there; we have WhatsApp, Messenger, and Telegram, just to name a few. While Meta has taken steps to incorporate encryption into Messenger and WhatsApp, they still leave a lot to be desired. If you are in the market for a messaging app that promotes security, privacy, and optional anonymity, you'll want to read what I have to say about Delta Chat. For those not familiar with Delta Chat, rather than relying on centralized servers as you do with Facebook Messenger, it relies on email. Essentially, it is a chat interface that feels like a messaging app, but secretly in the background, it is firing off emails. In the past, you used to have to sign in with your email account. When you sent messages to people, it would just be sending encrypted messages to their inbox, which their Delta Chat client would decrypt. When I first learned about Delta Chat, it required users to sign in with an email account, but I was pleasantly surprised upon trying it in 2026 that this is no longer a requirement, or the preferred method was to use the app. Recently, I’ve tried UAD-ng on my old Nokia 3.4 to disable most of the Google apps because the bootloader is locked, and this is the next best option. While finding replacement apps in F-Droid, I came across Delta Chat again, and it has undergone quite a big change since I last used it, with its new chatmail relays, which no longer require you to sign in to your own email account, providing anonymity, and they offer greater security. Android and Desktop Delta Chat apps. Not only does it run on my de-googled phone, but it also works on desktop computers and iOS, making it truly ubiquitous. For me, Delta Chat is a wonderful alternative messenger because it gives you more control. It supports switching between different profiles, which you can set up super quickly; you don’t register a username, you don’t register a password. The only thing you do have is a random string email address on a chatmail relay (which you don’t have to memorize). To maintain access to your profile, you just need to add a second device to your account via QR code or make a backup of your account, which you can restore later. Fail to do these, your account is gone - as it should be if you don’t want to leave accounts that could get hacked later on. My decision to block Google stuff on my Nokia was done for practical reasons; the device sucked when it launched, and it sucks even more now. The nice thing about F-Droid and the apps within is that they’re usually lightweight, free of bloat, and work well on that device. What was inconvenient for me was that it was hard to send messages from that device, say if I wanted to copy a code over to my main phone or send family members a link from that device. That’s when I decided to look at the available chat apps and saw Delta Chat. Another nice thing about Delta Chat is its notifications. Some messaging apps rely on Google’s ecosystem for notification transport on Android; however, with Delta Chat, it can use Google’s solutions if you have Play Services or MicroG installed. Otherwise, it is able to keep a background connection to the chatmail relay server so that you can get notified when you receive a message. As free software, the code of Delta Chat is open for all who want to take it and build upon it. In the future, if the developers of Delta Chat make a catastrophically bad decision and take the app in an undesirable direction, users can take the code and fork the project. This contrasts with closed-source apps from corporations that can take their products in any direction they like. By relying on free software instead of closed-source programs, you actually control your computing. I’ve spoken at length about how running this type of software is like owning your own home rather than renting it. The same applies here; if you use Delta Chat, you don’t need to worry about it going away in the future. Whether it is Telegram, WhatsApp, or Messenger, you are required to register a username and password to use these services. A major flaw in this design is that anyone can try various passwords and potentially break into your account with your complete chat history intact. Sure, there is encryption in Messenger, where you need a second PIN and two-factor authentication in Telegram, but breaches happen all the time. Unlike before, when you used to sign in to your email account to send and receive messages, the primary way to do it now is to create an account on a chatmail relay. The resulting email address is a random string followed by the name of the relay you pick. This means you can start and begin adding contacts Without a username and password, you either need to ensure you have a backup or at least one device running your Delta Chat profile. The primary way to log in on another device is to go to the settings and add a second device. Then, you’ll just scan a QR code with your new device, and it’ll log in to your account and sync all your chat history and contacts. To end users, Delta Chat just looks like any instant messenger; however, it is really sending your messages as encrypted emails to your contact. This is pretty cool from a censorship perspective, as it makes the service more difficult to block. Previously, the main way to use the app was by logging in with email, but nowadays, it’s recommended that you use chatmail relays. Chatmail relays temporarily hold messages in case your device is offline. They are cheap, simple servers that don’t store data as group states. Other information, like your name and avatar, only exists on your device and the devices of those you share your contact information with. The relays are also decentralized and operated by various groups and individuals. It is even possible to set up your own chatmail relay, but most people will want to use one hosted elsewhere. To keep your messages secure, Delta Chat uses a secure subset of the OpenPGP standard that gives you automatic end-to-end encryption. It also uses Secure-Join to exchange encryption setup information through QR-code scanning or invite links. Autocrypt is also used to automatically establish end-to-end encryption between contacts and all members of group chat, but sometime this year Autocrypt v2 will be rolled out, bringing post-quantum resistant encryption and forward secrecy. The Delta Chat FAQ is an interesting read that explains many more details about the app. Credit: Pexels Delta Chat is unique among messaging apps because it is built on email, a technology that’s decades old and isn’t going anywhere soon. What’s more is that email is not centralized either, so it’s far more difficult for any authoritarian regime to disrupt the Delta Chat app. I haven’t spoken too much about features yet, so I will do that now. Delta Chat allows you to do one-on-one chats, group chats, and create channels. It also supports file sharing and making audio and video calls when chatting one-to-one, but it’s not available for group chats right now. At the time of writing, the calling functionality is disabled and can be enabled in Settings > Advanced > Debug Calls. I have used the video calling feature, and the quality is excellent. It works over WebRTC, another open standard. The app also lets you send voice notes, enables disappearing messages, and has its own app ecosystem. I did try playing chess one time there, but it was a bit spotty; though, we did manage to complete the game with a victory for me. To add people to Delta Chat, you can either give them your Delta Chat link or your QR code to scan. These are the only ways to add users, so you won't have any spam bots bothering you. If the people you want to chat with don't have the app yet, just send them your link, and it will take them to a webpage where they can install the app and then add you. It's really quick for them to install it and get started, which is nice. Credit: Microsoft. The Majorana 2 quantum chip unveiled in 2026. I do not think quantum computers are too far out now, and I do hope that Delta Chat is able to push out Autocrypt v2 sooner, rather than later, so bad actors do not attempt to collect encrypted communications and then decrypt them in the future using quantum computers. By getting people’s messages post-quantum-safe now, users won’t have to worry when quantum computers start cracking legacy encryption. Overall, I would recommend this app to people who are already past WhatsApp and Messenger and have perhaps begun using apps like Telegram or Session. It shares a lot of characteristics with these apps and goes a lot further than Telegram in terms of security. By being based on email, it is also resistant to censorship, and the lack of a username and password makes you anonymous (if you want to be) and safe from brute force password cracking attempts. Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried Delta Chat recently. Do you think it's a good bulwark against governments that are tightening their grip on the internet?
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      bernmeister earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Week One Done
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      tuben earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • First Post
      OffsetAbs earned a badge
      First Post
    • Reacting Well
      OffsetAbs earned a badge
      Reacting Well
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      471
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      217
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      156
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      73
    5. 5
      FloatingFatMan
      71
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!