A desktop screensaver app using web technologies
Publisher’s description
What is Before Dawn?
Before Dawn by Colin Mitchell is open-source Windows software. It is written in JavaScript.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 32-bit Windows. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.37.0, released on July 25, 2025. The version history goes back to March 30, 2021: 16 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 3.7 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (muffinista/before-dawn) has 218 stars.
Project description on GitHub: “A desktop screensaver app using web technologies”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- No update for more than a year
In short: Before Dawn is an open-source Windows tool for 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Before Dawn safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
B73ED4476B94544966FA15521F572606BFE09B5E9398A0F20EFAEB9E6469F073· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 16 versions ›16 versions over 4 years · about 3.7 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.37.0Latest | July 25, 2025 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.35.0 | March 29, 2025 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.32.1 | October 17, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.30.1 | April 6, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.29.0 | March 12, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.26.0 | August 25, 2023 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.22.0 | January 16, 2023 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 0.19.0 | June 17, 2022 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id muffinista.before-dawn -eBefore-Dawn-Setup-0.37.0.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Colin Mitchell
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/muffinista/before-dawn
- Written in
- JavaScript
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Version
- 0.37.0
- Released
- July 25, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 16
- Updates / year
- 3.7
- GitHub stars
- 218
- GitHub forks
- 24
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- muffinista.before-dawn
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Before Dawn free?
Yes. Before Dawn is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is Before Dawn safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Before Dawn with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Before Dawn be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Before Dawn run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Before Dawn?
The versions page lists all 16 versions with links to their official installer files, back to March 30, 2021.
Can I use Before Dawn without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.