Windows

From WE Computers Museum
Windows logo.jpg
Windows
Developer Microsoft
Publisher Microsoft
Platforms x86 16-bit, IA-32, x86-64, ARM, Itanium, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC
Released 1985-present
Added to
Museum
Windows 10: July 15, 2015
NT Workstation 4.0: May 15, 2020

Windows is the name of a series of operating systems created by Microsoft.

History

Windows 1.0, 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 2.0, 2.1, and 2.11 had 16-bit file access. Windows 3.0, 3.1, 3.11, Windows for Workgroups 3.1, and the Simplified Chinese-exclusive Windows 3.2 also had 16-bit file access but were not compatible with Windows 1.0, 2.0, and the updates of these versions due to the use of protected mode.

All of the above versions relied on the DOS operating system for essential functions, and thus in most cases were restricted to the 16-bit architecture of DOS. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 also relied on DOS but had a 32-bit protected mode driver instead of the standard 16-bit driver to allow for 32-bit disk access.

Windows NT 3.1 was the first version that was a complete 32-bit operating system. It ran DOS programs through a DOS-based Virtual DOS Machine. This VDM was also present in Windows/386 2.10, 3.0, 3.1, and Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and 3.11. 16-bit Windows applications were run through a compatibility layer known as Windows on Windows.

The DOS-based VDM and WoW compatibility layers for backward compatibility continued in Windows NT 3.5, NT 3.51, NT 4.0, 95, 98, 98SE, 2000, and ME. Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11 dropped the DOS-based VDM but the 16-bit Windows on Windows compatibility layer still exists on 32-bit versions of Windows. 64-bit versions, however, do not have a 16-bit compatibility layer.

Versions of Windows

Title Released Notes
Windows 1.0
Windows 1.01
Windows 1.02
Windows 1.03
Windows 1.04
1985
1985
1986
1986
1987
1.0 was the "Premiere Edition". It wasn't for sale. It was a demo for reviewers and retail outlets.
1.01 was the original retail release.
1.02 was an international release.
1.03 synced the drivers in the American version with the international version.
1.04 had support for PS/2 computers with a PS/2 mouse driver in the "IBM PS2 Collegiate Kit".
Windows 2.0
Windows 2.01
Windows 2.03
Windows 2.1
1987
1987
1987
1988
2.0 added overlapping windows, more keyboard shortcuts, and the control panel.
2.1 was split into 286 and 386 versions and required a hard drive.
Windows/286 had a himem.sys file for access to the high memory, freeing conventional memory.
Windows/386 accessed virtual 8086 mode of the i386 allowing for multi-tasking of DOS apps.
Windows 3.0
Windows 3.0a
Windows 3.1
Windows for Workgroups 3.1
Windows NT 3.1
Windows for Workgroups 3.11
Windows 3.11
Windows 3.2
Windows NT 3.5
Windows NT 3.51
1990
1990
1992
1992
1993
1993
1993
1993
1994
1995
Windows 95
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 98
Windows 98SE
Windows ME
1995
1996
1998
1999
1999
Windows NT 4.0 introduced the Windows 9x interface to the NT line.
Windows 2000 1999 The 5.0 version of the NT kernel in Windows 2000 tied the Windows and NT line into one product.
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows Home Server
2001
2003
2005
2007
The 32-bit version had the 5.1 version of the NT kernel.
The 64-bit and server versions had the 5.2 version of the NT kernel.
Windows Vista
Windows Server 2008
2007
2008
Had the 6.0 version of the NT kernel.
Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Home Server 2011
2009
2009
2011
Had the 6.1 version of the NT kernel.
Windows 8
Windows Server 2012
Windows 8.1
Windows Server 2012 R2
2012
2012
2013
2013
Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 had the 6.2 version of the NT kernel.
Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 had the 6.3 version of the NT kernel.
Windows 10
Windows Server 2016
Windows Server 2019
Windows Server 2022
2015
2016
2018
2021
Had version 10.0 of the NT kernel.
Windows 11 2021 Still had version 10.0 of the NT kernel.