Windows 8 Build 8005 compiled?

Despite our earlier speculation that build 8000 would signify the beginning of Beta for Windows 8, we have unconfirmed reports that Build 8005 has been compiled.  Further adding to the mystery, we're unsure if this build is a continuation of the milestone three train, or possibly part of the pre-beta phase.
According to a tweet by user MSFTtm on May 13th,

[the] "Last Windows 8 build: 6.2.8005.winmain.110512-1726"

Given the date string within the build number, it would appear that this build was compiled on May 12th.  Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference is fast approaching (July 10th-14th), which would seem to indicate Microsoft may be stepping up to showcase a more polished build, according to windows8beta.com.  It's unlikely that we'll see a leaked build on torrents soon, following news that two MS employees where allegedly terminated for leaking Windows 8 Builds.  This would indicate that Microsoft is serious about keeping these builds under wrap until a nearly finished product is ready.
Other builds that have been leaked are 7850, and 7955.  Exercise care when downloading newer advertised builds, as they may not be authentic, and could contain malicious software.

Two employees fired over Windows 8 leaks

When a build of Windows 8 leaks, most enthusiasts are overwhelmed at getting their hands on the build that was supposed to remain inside the walls of Microsoft. But to get that information out, an employee must leak the information, putting their job on the line.
It is being reported over at MDL and across the web that two employees from Microsoft were fired over the leaks. Forum user canouna reported that two employees, one from Russia and the other from Redmond, have both been fired from the company for their participation in the leaks of Windows 8.
Windows 8 has been leaked in three different builds, 7850, 7955 and 7959. If Microsoft did fire two employees over the leaks, it shows that Microsoft is not only serious about protecting its property, but is also using the removal of the employees as a deterrent to prevent future leaks.
But despite all of this, there are rumors that build 7971 is out in the wild. At this time, Neowin cannot confirm the authenticity of these rumors.
Windows 8 is far off from public availability and it is rumored that a public beta may be announced at PDC later this year. It is expected that Microsoft will launch Windows 8 in late 2012 with the latest rumors suggesting that retail availability will happen in early 2013.

New Windows 8 installer surfaces in updated 7955 leak

It has been two weeks since Windows 8 build 7955 leaked to the Internet. The particular image that leaked that day was an extracted install.wim combined with the Windows 7 installer, so the new installer graphics which were first revealed here were not present. Since that day, we also had a leak of build 7959, but now it's time to pay another visit to build 7955 as an updated build with the new installer surfaces. As a reminder, build 7955 is considered a pre-M3 build.
The updated build originated from BetaArchive and was reposted by a MyDigitalLife member. This build contains "installprep.exe" in the "sources" folder, which was missing from the first leaked build of 7955. Currently only the Windows-based installer is accessible via this build; the new Metro-styled boot-from-disc installer is not present.

The notes from this leak are as follows:

I know you all waited to download it from BA but their FTP is so slow now that you don't want to use it again, hehe, so I made a torrent with the iso. The key only bypasses the installation, you need a Beta or RC key from Windows 7 to activate this build! This is not as original as we would like it to be (because doesn't have Digital Signature - thanks to canouna for noticing that) but at least it has the new installation process!

Microsoft Windows 8 (''Windows 8'' 6.2.7955.0) (Ultimate) (m2) (alt)
ISO Size: 2.62GB (2.821.873.664 bytes)
ISO MD5: E5A1A4A431C25A1D8B2428066487FC45

You can unlock the following:
- Ribbon UI
- Application Folder
- Full DWM (no blur)

The following requires the red pill, bluepill, bluepoison, or whatever you want:
- Webcam
- Lock Screen
- TaskUI
- PDF Reader
- Immersive Browser

Besides the new installer, this build contains no new additions or features. There are whispers of another leak to happen in the next few days, according to a few sources. Neowin will cover the new leak when it hits the Internet. In the meantime, the prospects of further leaks down the line before Windows 8's rumoured public beta this coming fall remain in doubt, as employees face termination over leaked Windows 8 builds.

Windows 8 Enterprise M3 6.2.7959 has leaked

It was just last week that build 7955 leaked to the Internet, but now, according to BetaArchive, build 7959 has been leaked. This build represents the first M3 build to be leaked but is said to be quite buggy. It should be noted that this is a server build, unlike the previous leak, 7955, which was of the Ultimate variety. This build weighs in at 2.87GB and is said to be an X64 build.

Previously, Neowin has covered information that leaked out from previous Windows 8 leaks which can be viewed here. As this is a later build, it is expected that users will be able to unlock features that have previously not been seen. 

Windows 8 is far off from public availability and it is rumored that a public beta may be announced at PDC later this year. It is expected that Microsoft will launch Windows 8 in late 2012 with the latest rumors suggesting that retail availability will happen in early 2013.

Windows 8 gets a nice Explorer feature

Sometimes, small features can make a huge difference in the overall workflow of an OS.
According to tech-exclusive, the newest feature to be uncovered in leaked builds of Windows 8 is a very nifty drag and drop function in Windows Explorer. If you’re familiar with the Vista and 7 implementations of the Explorer address bar, you’ll recognize the separated format of the address. Each step in the path is its own clickable link, making for easy navigation upwards in a directory tree. Windows 8 is implementing a feature that allows you to drag a file or folder onto any one of those links, moving the object into that folder. Currently, you have to cut and paste the object, hope that the destination folder is viewable in the sidebar, or open another Explorer window to get the job done (and we’re well aware that there may be other arcane and obscure shortcuts to accomplish this).

Image credit: tech-exclusive
It may seem inconsequential, but it’s small touches like this, small improvements to tasks that many of us do multiple times a day, that help make an OS easier to use overall.
As Windows 8 features continue to be uncovered, we’ll hopefully see more of this kind of streamlining. Windows Explorer is an integral part of the Windows experience, and we’d hate to see it ignored relative to other improvements.

Windows 8 could ditch notorious Blue Screen of Death

It seems that even Microsoft may be growing weary of the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) associated with its Windows operating system.
I know I am, because my first encounter with the nefarious BSoD was on an Intel 80286 running Windows 3.1 on top of DOS.
Although way too many years have obviously passed since then, the BSoD remains an unfortunate part of the Windows legacy, from the so-called revolutionary Windows 95 all the way up to the recently launched Windows 7.
But there may be hope for future generations of PC users, because Microsoft has apparently decided to switch to the color black for system stop errors in current builds of Windows 8.
Still, as Tom Warren of WinRumors cautions, the switch to a Black Screen of Death could be a temporary one, similar to the switch in Longhorn build 5112.
"Microsoft started using a Red Screen of Death inside early Windows Vista builds. The company also used Red Screens inside early beta copies of Windows 98," he writes.
"Microsoft has only ever used a Black Screen of Death in Windows 3.x when DOS-based applications failed to execute correctly. MS typically uses Black screens when its operating systems are attempting to load following the power-on self-test (POST)." 


Of course, there is absolutely no way of knowing if Windows 8 will be stable like 2000 or if it will suffer from bouts of whiny flakiness like Vista.
So at the end of the day, users will undoubtedly be faced with some type of annoying and frustrating "death screen" - irrespective of its color

Windows 8 MetroUI OOBE

With the recent leak of Windows 8 build 7955, we expect more information about Microsoft's upcoming operating system to surface.
The news comes from the recently leaked build 7955 and provides a glimpse at Microsoft's new Metro UI. Microsoft is incorporating this design language across many of its products and the video shows an early look at the new interface.
Windows 8 is far off from public availability and it is rumored that a public beta may be announced at PDC later this year. It is expected that Microsoft will launch Windows 8 in late 2012 with the latest rumors suggesting that retail availability will happen in early 2013