Windows Longhorn was the pre-release codename for Windows Vista and was the successor to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 (built from NT 5.2 codebase). Development on the OS started in May 2001 and went through two unique development cycles separated by a development reset in 2004. The reset occurred as Microsoft's development staff had lost focus on the project as a whole and what was required to be done in order to bring it to market. Features were being written into the OS at an alarming rate with a significant lack of QA or vision of true requirement. This combined with Microsoft's trustworthy computing initiatives caused the reset.
Several features of Longhorn planned that were actually shipped include the glass replicating Aero theme (which followed the Slate and Jade themes from earlier builds), along with the Windows Sidebar - although this was shipped as a standalone utility where as most builds (at least in pre-reset) shipped this as part of explorer.exe. Numerous improvements to the Windows Explorer, along with an updated Internet Explorer 7, Windows Media Player 11, instant search, new 3-d games and other items made it into the final version of Windows Vista.
Windows Longhorn existed as a continuation of the Windows 2003 codebase although after build 4094 development was reset; restarted from scratch as the original Longhorn builds were growing in complication (described as 'a mess') and Microsoft introduced a new focus on security. These are the post-reset builds.
Download name | Version | Language | Architecture | File size | Downloads |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5048.0) (beta1) | 6.0.5048 Prerelease | English | 841.68MB | 9 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5048.0) (x64 beta1) | 6.0.5048 Prerelease | English | 1.25GB | 2 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5112.0) (beta1) | 6.0.5112 Prerelease | English | 1.56GB | 3 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5112.0) (x64 beta1) | 6.0.5112 Prerelease | English | 1.65GB | 5 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5219.0) (beta2) | 6.0.5219 Prerelease | English | 1.89GB | 20 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5231.0) (beta2) | 6.0.5231 Prerelease | English | 2.02GB | 4 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5231.2) (x64 beta2) | 6.0.5231 Prerelease | English | 2.55GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5259.0) (beta2) | 6.0.5259 Prerelease | English | 1.61GB | 1 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5270.9) (beta2) | 6.0.5270.9 Prerelease | English | 1.97GB | 1 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5270.9) (x64 beta2) | 6.0.5270 Prerelease | English | 2.45GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5308.17) (beta2) | 6.0.5308.17 Prerelease | English | 2.73GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5308.17) (x64 beta2) | 6.0.5308.17 Prerelease | English | 3.58GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5308.60) (beta2) | 6.0.5308 Prerelease | English | 2.19GB | 1 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5342.2) (beta2) | 6.0.5342.2 Prerelease | English | 2.81GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5365.8) (beta2) | 6.0.5365.8 Prerelease | English | 3.05GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5381.1) (beta2) | 6.0.5381.1 Prerelease | English | 3.27GB | 2 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5384.4) (beta2) | 6.0.5384.4 Prerelease | English | 3.19GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5384.4) (x64 beta2) | 6.0.5384.4 Prerelease | English | 4.05GB | 19 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5456.5) (beta2) | 6.0.5456.5 Prerelease | English | 2.53GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5456.5) (x64 beta2) | 6.0.5456 Prerelease | English | 3.28GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5472.5) (beta2) | 6.0.5472 Prerelease | English | 2.59GB | 8 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5536.16385) (rc1) | 6.0.5536.16385 Prerelease | English | 2.59GB | 2 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5552.16384) (rc1) | 6.0.5552.16384 Prerelease | English | 2.6GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5600.16384) (rc1) | 6.0.5600.16384 Prerelease | English | 2.53GB | 2 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5600.16384) (x64 rc1) | 6.0.5600 Prerelease | English | 3.59GB | 3 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5728.16387) (rc1) | 6.0.5728 Prerelease | English | 2.58GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5728.16387) (x64 rc1) | 6.0.5728 Prerelease | English | 3.58GB | 1 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5744.16384) (rc2) | 6.0.5744 Prerelease | English | 2.5GB | 0 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5744.16384) (x64 rc2) | 6.0.5744.13684 Prerelease | English | 3.56GB | 1 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5754.1) (rc2) | 6.0.5754 Prerelease | English | 2.5GB | 1 | |
Windows Longhorn (6.0.5840.16384) (rc2) | 6.0.5840.16384 Prerelease | English | 2.51GB | 15 |