Memphis is the codename for Windows 98, the successor of Windows 95. This version of Windows makes significant improvements to the underlying kernel, and supports a wider variety of emerging hardware standards. By themselves, these are welcomed changes to the operating system.

Unfortunately, Memphis is also the first version to require Internet Explorer and its corresponding shell to be installed at all times, which were notorious for eating a large chunk of system resources. This was done in a time when such resources were often sparse; a typical computer from 1998 had 16 to 32 MB of RAM. The anti-competitive nature of this browser integration prompted the United States Department of Justice to sue Microsoft.

The older Windows 95 Explorer shell can be added back in fairly easily and a few solutions have been built around this, most notably 98lite.

1351

Earliest leaked build of Memphis, contains a number of updated components and already supports multiple monitors, but no IE shell in place yet

1353, 1387

Still no IE shell, 1387 introduces gradient title bars

1400

First build to introduce an early incarnation of the IE shell

1410, 1411, 1415, 1423

Updated Setup program, added wizards for various settings. Build 1423 does not have the IE shell.

1434, 1488

Still no Active Desktop shell, new Setup billboard style

1500, 1511, 1513, 1518

Updated MSN installer and client, added Microsoft Chat, polished other components. Last builds without IE shell.

1525 (June 18th, 1997)

Compiled 6 days earlier than the more commonly known Build 1525

1525

As with its earlier variant, IE shell is reintroduced

1526

Briefly removes the My Documents folder

1532, 1538

Last builds to use the Memphis codename

1543

First known build to identify itself as Windows 98, though most portions still use Memphis

1544

More areas identify itself as Windows 98, RAM consumption on a clean boot doubles

1546

Official Beta 2 release, introduces the Channel Bar and updated splashes

1559

Enables the Active Desktop background (cut Entertainment Shell from builds 1511 to 1525 also mentioned here)

1569

Moves closer to RTM's form, includes a different welcome video, New list is missing from right click context menu, logon banner has Windows 95 branding

1577

Covers the hidden desktop shell from build 1500, very shaky display properties menus, goes in-depth with covering Disk Cleanup's history

1581

Mainly showcases the finalized CD sampler and some updated icons

1619

Referred to as Beta 2.1, support for USB devices is very unstable

1650

USB device support improved

1681

A build close to the final release

This version of Windows has not yet been fully covered on this website, so more build pages will be added or updated whenever any of us get around to them. Thanks for dropping by!

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