Windows XP build 2481 (main)

Windows XP build 2481 (main) is a pre-RC1 build of Windows XP released internally on 1 June 2001 and to testers on 6 June.Thurrott, Paul. Windows XP: The Road to Gold (Part Three), Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows. 24 August 2001. Archived from the original on 7 June 2002.
==New features and changes==
===Boot screen===
The boot screen was updated to its final animation, which replaces the breathing loading... text animation with three progressing blue bars. Along with this, the Copyright and Microsoft Corporation text were moved from the middle to the bottom left corner.
The safe to shutdown screen has been updated to include a black background instead of a light purple one. The background of the Windows banner is now also white instead of black.
The alternative AUTOCHK boot screen (which can be invoked by adding /SOS to BOOT.INI) has also had the XP recolored from white to orange.
===Windows Setup ===
The text welcoming the user to Windows XP RC1 was removed at the beginning of the GUI setup.
==== Out-of-box experience ====
The Monitor Settings window has had it's text modified to include more information about the monitor resolution change.
The pre-OOBE loading screen has been modified to include the previously mentioned updated boot screen.
===Startup===
In case of a startup failure, the system now shows a screen where the user can start Windows with either Safe mode or last known good configuration options.
In relation to this, the option for the timer to display these recovery options in the System applet under Startup and Recovery is now available after being grayed out since its introduction in build 2469.
=== User interface===
====Look and feel====
Almost all Windows Whistler references in the Setup and user interface were replaced with Windows XP. Alongside this, the "Comments?" link located on titlebar windows was removed. It would later reappear in Windows Server 2003 build 3590 and in Windows 7 build 6931. 
This build is currently the earliest available build to include the Olive Green and Silver Luna theme variations, under the names of Homestead and Metallic respectively.
====Login screen====
The Windows flag animation on the login screen was replaced with a static Windows logo. The turn off computer option has also had the "computer" text replaced with the computer name.
==== Sounds and Music====
The Windows XP sound scheme has been introduced. This sound scheme, unlike later builds, contains a higher bitrate compared to builds after 2481, making it the only available build to have the higher quality version of the Windows XP sounds. Additionally, they are outputted in stereo at a 44.1 kHz sampling rate. On first boot, these sounds are used; however this ends up being reverted back to the Windows 2000 sounds upon reaching the desktop as the Luna theme file was unchanged.
Due to the addition of the Windows XP sound scheme, the Utopia sound scheme was removed from the installed system with the exception of the Close Program sound (clickerx.wav). The files for this sound scheme would however remain on the installation media up until build 2600.5512.
A Sample Music subdirectory was added to the My Music folder. This subdirectory includes the Beethoven Symphony No.9 (Scherzo), New Stories (Highway Blues), Flourish, OneStop, Town and Drumkit Test sample music files.
====Start menu====
Several programs have been added to the default recently used programs list. These include MSN Explorer, Windows Movie Maker, Tour Windows XP and the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.
A new "Printers and Faxes" option was added to the start menu, while a "Windows Catalog" link was added to the classic start menu. The log off and shutdown options of the classic start menu have also received new icons.
===Windows XP Tour===
The Windows XP Tour has been updated to its RTM counterpart and is now fully complete and functional. As such, a new "Tour Windows XP" program was added, which launches a menu where the user can select whether to use the Flash version or the HTML version of the tour.
===Miscellaneous===
* The STOP error code was moved below the troubleshooting text on the system crash screen. A "Technical information:" tag was also added before the code, which is stored in the message table as 0x40000083 (BUGCODE_TECH_INFO).https://www.geoffchappell.com/studies/windows/km/bugchecks/index.htm
* Slightly simplified instructions for bugcheck code 0xEA, removing the reference to VGA Mode.
== Bugs and quirks ==
* The files IEXPLORE.CHM and IGMPAGNT.DLL files are corrupted in current copies of the build. This makes Internet Explorer's help file unavailable.
* Due to a bug, Windows XP sound scheme is not used by default, although is supposed to.
==File differences==
==Gallery==
Windows-XP-5.1.2481-Boot.png|Boot screen
WindowsXP-5.1.2481-OOBELoad.png|"Please wait" screen
WindowsXP-5.1.2481-StartupRecovery.png|Startup recovery options
WindowsXP-5.1.2481prerc1-blstartmenu.png|Default Luna theme
WindowsXP-5.1.2481prerc1-oglstartmenu.png|Homestead Luna theme
WindowsXP-5.1.2481prerc1-slstartmenu.png|Metallic Luna theme
WindowsXP-5.1.2481prerc1-cwstartmenu.png|Windows Classic theme
WIXPBETA2481-Upgradesetup.png|Upgrade setup
WindowsXP7BSOD.png|System crash
WindowsXP-5.1.2481-Hibernation.png|Hibernating in progress
WindowsXP-5.1.2481-Safe.png|Safe to shutdown screen
=== Tour===
Wx-2481-tour-window-welcome.png|Format selection
====Adobe Flash-based tour ====
Wx-tour-intro.png|Introduction
Wx-2481-tour-business.png|Main menu
Wx-2481-tour-business2.png|Best for Business
Wx-safe.png|Safe and Easy Personal Computing
Wx-2481-media.png|Unlock the World of Digital Media
Wx-2481-tour-connection.png|The Connected Home and Office
Wx-2481-tour-basics.png|Windows XP Basics
====HTML-based tour====
2481-tourhtml-begin.png|Main menu
2481-tourhtml-basics.png|Start here
2481-tourhtml-safe.png|Safe and Easy Personal Computing
2481-tourhtml-media.png|Unlock the World of Digital Media
2481-tourhtml-connection.png|The Connected Home and Office
2481-tourhtml-business.png|Best for Business
==References==
Category:Windows XP builds