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Microsoft used to release a "checked" build for each version of Windows on MSDN/Visual Studio Subscription downloads. [1] This was a build with the same compile
by hyperrail 5y ago
Microsoft used to release a "checked" build for each version of Windows on MSDN/Visual Studio Subscription downloads. [1] This was a build with the same compiler optimization settings as the release build, but with debug-build-only assertions and checks included. In the checked build kernel, the system uptime had 49 days artificially added to it [2], precisely to help developers find out problems like this.
At one point when I was on the Windows team at Microsoft, there was an internal push for us to selfhost (dogfood) checked builds of Windows, since they theoretically provided better bug telemetry than "free" builds (release builds, which are free of debug-only code). "Slows your dev box down by just half!" was the basic pitch of that campaign in a nutshell.
[1] I don't know if this was ever done for Windows 95. It was done for Windows XP up to Windows 10 version 1511, but it appears to have stopped since then, at least according to my quick search.
[2] https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/win32/api/sysinfoapi/nf-sysinfoapi-gettickcount https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/win32/api/sysinfoapi/nf-s...
- KindOne 5y agoWhat exactly do you search for? I've tried looking but I have no idea what to search for.
- SSLy 5y agohttps://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=windows%20checked%20build https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=windows%20checked%20bu... EDIT: if you want to get the actual build, I can't help. I only remember it being available through MSDN AA back in the day.
- hyperrail 5y agoIf you are a current Visual Studio subscriber with access to Windows downloads, chk builds are available on https://my.visualstudio.com/Downloads/Featured https://my.visualstudio.com/Downloads/Featured like regular builds. Search for "checked". I don't recommend chk builds for routine use by anyone outside the Windows teams because even if the regular Windows release still receives updates, the chk build typically doesn't. CDN disk space isn't cheap, and neither is CPU time on the build or test machines.
- exikyut 5y agoA quick poke over at https://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/ https://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/ suggests the following (there may be more checked builds hiding in the sea of Latin filenames :P): https://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%207/ https://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%207/ - en_windows_7_debug_checked_build_dvd_x64_398741.iso - en_windows_7_debug_checked_build_dvd_x86_398742.iso https://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20XP/ https://the-eye.eu/public/MSDN/Windows%20XP/ - en_windows_xp_professional_x64_chk.iso
- KindOne 5y agoThanks.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]