Windows XP x86 checked build?

Question

It seems that it is impossible to find an image of Windows XP Professional x86 checked build. But I still need to support the software and do my work for that system. :(

Yes, I know that I can install only the checked kernel on the free build, but I still want to have a checked system, not a mix of the two.

Solutions, anyone?

UPDATE: It appears it is not clear from the question itself that what I am looking for is the installation image itself (an ISO image), so I can have the full checked build of the OS installed. NOT the service packs. NOT x64 image.

UPDATE 2: Why calling MS won't help: see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/ff723773.aspx after "Products Unavailable due to Java-related Settlement".

UPDATE 3: See http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/wdk/thread/5fa40892-8207-425a-8866-0fcaebb0c343 -- someone suggests that "The only install disk of a checked XP was the release, i.e. no service packs. MSDN and Technet distributions had the disk as one of the set." Does anybody here have those disks? Seems that ours were lost in the sands of time.

UPDATE 4: Narrowed it down to a MSDN CD named "Windows® XP Professional Checked/Debug Build (English)", disc 1013, volume label X08-48914, dated October 2001. Anyone has that one?..

Memorable

Available through an MSDN subscription. – Seigneury

x64 is, but x86 isn't. Hence the question. – Memorable

I see it available when I look at my available downloads. File name is en_windows_xp_service_pack_3_checked_build_x86.exe – Seigneury

This is just a service pack, not the OS installation image. And it won't install on top of a free one. – Memorable

Pretty sure that is not a service pack. Call Microsoft for support. – Seigneury

@HansPassant, please see the link that I have edited into the post explaining why calling MS is of no use. – Memorable

Right, that's why SP2 is not available. So use SP3. If you don't like using a phone then use the email or chat urls. You seem very reluctant to help yourself, do you actually have an MSDN subscription? – Seigneury

The MS naming conventions often make it difficult to tell whether a particular download will just be a service pack or be an install image with the service pack integrated. But there will definitely be an install image (with the service pack integrated) available. – Virtues

Unless you actually mean for some reason that you need the RTM checked build of Windows XP, rather than the SP3 checked build? That really isn't (legally) available AFAIK. But why would you need it? – Virtues

"Windows XP (32bit) SR2 Checked/Debug Build" -- maybe "R" is a typographical error for "P" and "2" is a typographical error for "1A"? No wait, free build is available but only checked build is blocked? – Scarrow

Windows XP Check/Debug Build SP2 is available. If you search for "Checked" you get SP3, and if you search for "Check/Debug" you get SP2. I can't find RTM in Checked or Check/Debug. It looks like Microsoft removed the wrong download. – Scarrow

The SP2 and SP3 versions should be available, I think, the problematic version(s?) were earlier than that. SR2 != SP2. I'm not sure about the status of RTM. – Virtues

Okay. Guys. Would you please download what you suggest would be the image and try to install the OS from that? What I get is the service packs, not the images. The "exe" extension also points that it is not an ISO image. – Memorable

@HarryJohnston, I would appreciate ANY checked installation image, be it SP2 or SP3. I have the service packs so I can install these easily. The point is, I seem to fail to find the images itself. – Memorable

I don't see anything that looks promising. (My subscription level doesn't let me download the checked builds to find out.) I think this is the point at which you need to start talking to Microsoft. The odd thing is that the RTM release of XP shouldn't have been affected by the Java settlement; note that you can get the non-checked version of XP RTM from MSDN. – Virtues

Have you tried installing en_windows_xp_service_pack_3_checked_build_x86.exe over top of en_winxp_pro_x86_build2600_iso.img? – Virtues

A checked build SP will not install over a free build RTM. (Or if it does, the resulting frankensystem won't be worth anything.) It looks like Microsoft made a mistake by deleting the checked build RTM. Free build RTM is still available, along with many variations such as free build with SP or standalone free build SP for installation onto free build RTM. – Scarrow

MSDN has Windows XP Professional check/debug RTM for download -- in the 64-BIT VERSION, released in 2005. It really looks like Microsoft made a mistake by deleting the 32-bit version. – Scarrow

Answer 1

I bet that if you support your software to work in Windows Server 2003 then your software will also work in Windows XP, even though Microsoft's debugging symbols differ. You can install the checked build of Windows Server 2003 RTM, add the optional component for desktop experience, and it will be approximately the same as Windows XP with SP1 with some increased security. Checked build service packs are available for Windows Server 2003. So you can approximate every service pack version of Windows XP except for Windows XP RTM.

Checked versions are only available in English. You can install an MUI pack but the result is not identical to an actual Russian version of Windows. You'll have to test your software again in the actual version of Windows that your customers use, and that will not be a checked version.

These files are downloadable from MSDN:

en_windows_server_2003_enterprise_chk.iso
en_windows_server_2003_enterprise_x64_chk.iso

(The first paragraph was edited to mention that the Windows Server 2003 RTM download is also a checked build. Of course the download would be useless otherwise.)

Scarrow