Windows 8 build 8118

Windows 8 build 8118 (fbl_grfx_dev1) is a build of Windows 8, which was shared on 31 October 2024.

New features and changes[edit | edit source]

Setup[edit | edit source]

If launching SysPrep whilst the system is redpilled, a few screens similar to when install.wim was manually deployed would appear — such as the EULA.

User interface[edit | edit source]

The Start Task Manager option in the taskbar context menu has been renamed to Open Task Manager.

Bugs and quirks[edit | edit source]

Running in VMware[edit | edit source]

To install or run this build in VMware Workstation, the hardware compatibility version must be set to versions 8.x/9.x/10.x; otherwise, a bugcheck will occur.

OOBE background[edit | edit source]

Like any previous build since 8032, this build’s Windows 7 OOBE background is distorted in that the image got squished in monochrome on the left, with a black space being left on the right. This bug was never fixed, as the legacy OOBE was removed with the integration of Redpill features to the main codebase of Windows in build 8128.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

• Boot screen

Notes

This build leaked on 25/12/2020 and it includes the Metro style features (Start/OOBE/Immersive Control Panel) but you need Redpill to unlock it.
It also only includes three applications, Internet Explorer, Remote Desktop and the Control Panel, no other demonstration apps are included.

Screenshots (235)

There are more images available in the gallery.

From Windows Wallpaper Wiki

An article about pre-release versions of Windows 8, including alpha, Developer Preview, Consumer Preview, and Release Preview builds.

Wallpapers

Builds 8110 and earlier

Build 7700 uses the Windows 7 RC default wallpaper, likely due to being forked from an RC build of Windows 7. Builds 7746 to 7758 changed the default wallpaper back to the one featured in Windows 7’s RTM release. By build 7762, this would be replaced with an infamous blue-green gradient wallpaper with the text «shhh… let’s not leak our hard work» at the top. Between builds 7927 and 8064, the wallpaper changed several times, each featuring a fractured wordoku puzzle that says «Start me up», with more letters being added in each revision of the wallpaper.^[1][2] By build 8064, Windows 7’s leftover wallpapers (except for the regional wallpapers) were removed. By build 8066, the puzzle is no longer present, with the default wallpaper being set to Windows 7’s logon background. Build 8069 added a panoramic lake wallpaper (which was the first Windows panoramic wallpaper; at 3840×1200) and removed all of the Windows 7 regional wallpapers.

Builds 8112 to 8142

With the Windows 7 wallpapers being removed, new themes were added, consisting of photography taken by an unknown Microsoft employee. img0 and img1 from previous builds remained. The display names of the themes remain the same as the original Windows 7 themes despite many not correlating anymore, although there is no Nature theme, so as a result the new wallpapers start at img7. These wallpapers were not cropped, so most of them remain at 4:3 aspect ratios at 2189×1642 resolution rather than 16:10 at 1920×1200.

Builds 8143 to 8167

By build 8143, the number of themes went down to just two and they were changed up; 17 wallpapers were removed (including panoramic lake wallpaper), while 4 new ones were added (1 panoramic and 3 at 4:3 aspect ratio, at 2144×1608).

Builds 8171 to 8441, 8520, and 9200.0.fbl_eeap

TODO: investigate builds 8186 and 8431

By build 8171, Theme1 was removed and replaced with a new Nature theme. The default wallpaper was replaced with a Metro version of the Windows 7 Beta wallpaper in builds 8186 to 8191 and 8250, although builds 8277 to 8305, 8432 to 8441, 8520, and 9200.0.fbl_eeap feature the previous wallpaper. By build 8195 (fbl_dnt3_wireless), Theme2 was also removed, although not replaced with another theme yet, however this theme still appears in many internal builds up to 9200.0.fbl_eeap along with the previous default wallpaper, so they aren’t listed here. The default wallpaper was changed to one consisting of gray eights by build 8330, and one featuring a field of red tulips by build 8375 (the color temperature and saturation are slightly lower by build 8382).

Builds 8520 and 9200.0.fbl_eeap reverted the set of wallpapers to the ones included in earlier builds but retains the display names of themes/wallpaper categories as in build 8513 as well as the final release (Theme1 as Earth and Theme2 as Flowers). This made the display names of themes/wallpaper categories and the actual wallpapers not correlated, similarly to build 8112 to 8140.

Builds 8513 onwards

RTM stabilization branches such as WIN8_GDR_SOC and WIN8_RTM include the final wallpaper set. It is not used in builds 8520 and 9200.0.fbl_eeap, which use the previous wallpapers.

Lock screen wallpapers

TODO: identify build ranges

Lock screen wallpapers were added by build 7997. None of these appear in the final release. Much like the other wallpapers, they are highly likely to have been taken by Microsoft themselves.

Builds 7927 to 8064

This wallpaper is used for the lock screen when logged off.

Builds 7997 to 8064

Build 7997 added six lock screen wallpapers to choose from. All of them are in 2189×1642 resolution (4:3 aspect ratio) and they’re created by an unknown Microsoft employee. The previous system lock screen wallpaper first included in build 7927 remained as the default background image.

Builds 8102 to 8441, 8520, and 9200.0.fbl_eeap

Build 8513

Most of the placeholder wallpapers were replaced with the wallpapers that appears in the final release; a new img105 was added.

Builds 8888 onwards

By build 8888, img100 and img105 were replaced with the ones that appear in the final release. However, this was only applied to RTM stabilization branches such as WIN8_GDR_SOC and WIN8_RTM. It is not applied build 9200.0.fbl_eeap, which use the previous wallpapers.

User account pictures

Windows 8 came with the same selection of pre-loaded user account pictures as Windows 7 up to build 80xx (the new default user account picture was added by build 7899). By build 80xx, the number of user account pictures went down to just two; with the exception of guest, all of Windows 7’s user account pictures were removed. By build 8158, 2 absolutely identical user account pictures were used for default accounts and guest account respectively. By build 8186, the default user account picture was replaced with the one that appears in the final release.

OOBE and logon backgrounds

Redpill was introduced in build 7779 and is disabled by default up to build 8056 and in build 8118, which locks features such as the Metro UI and ribbon File Explorer.^{[Notes 2]} While the unredpilled OOBE and logon screen in builds 8118 and earlier used the same backgrounds as Windows 7, a new background was introduced for both:

• Metro OOBE in builds 7899 to 7963;
• Metro logon screen in builds 7899 to 8002.

The Metro OOBE and logon background were replaced by a gradient of the accent color in builds 7973 to 8045 and in builds 8008 to 8045 respectively, and the solid accent color for both from build 8056 onwards.

Build 8128 onwards no longer use Redpill; all the Metro features are now available out of the box.

Setup backgrounds

All builds of Windows 8 prior to build 8040 use the same setup background as Windows 7, although builds 8002 through 8014 also include an unused WinPE background image merely consisting of a simple teal-green gradient. Builds 8040 through 8162 use simply consists of #2D5980 color, and builds 8167 to 8438 use simply consists of #004050 color. By build 8441, the setup background was changed to a purple background (#180052), which is identical to the default Metro accent color in the final release.

• Default WinPE background in builds 8002 to 8014

• The setup background in builds 8040 to 8162.

• The setup background in builds 8167 to 8438.

Picture Password

Picture Password was introduced in build 8xxx.

You can see these images in the Picture Password setup tutorial when setting it for the first time:

By build 8438, the default Picture Password image was replaced with the one that appears in the final release.

Notes

References