Windows

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Revision as of 05:49, 9 April 2023 by Jenni (talk | contribs) (Created page with "{{Infobox_Software | software_name = Windows| software_image = 300px| developer = Microsoft| publisher = Microsoft| systems = x86 16-bit, IA-32, x86-64, ARM, Itanium, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC| release = 1985-present| added_to_museum = Windows 10: July 15, 2015<br />NT Workstation 4.0: May...")
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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, Windows 1.01, Windows 1.02, Windows 1.03, Windows 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 weren't compatible with Windows 1.0 and 2.x due to the use of protected mode. All of these 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, Windows 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. This DOS-based VDM and WoW compatibility layer for backwards compatibility continued in Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows 2000, and Windows ME. Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 dropped the DOS-based VDM but 16-bit the Windows on Windows compatibility layer still exists on 32-bit versions of Windows. 64-bit versions, however, do not have any 16-bit compatibility layer.

Versions of Windows

Title Released Date Added to the Museum Notes
Windows 1.0
Windows 1.01
Windows 1.02
Windows 1.03
Windows 1.04
1985
1985
1986
1986
1987
Not yet. 1.0 was labeled the "Premiere Edition". It wasn't for sale, but was released to review and retail outlets to demo.
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 added support for PS/2 computers. IBM included a PS/2 mouse driver in its "IBM PS2 Collegiate Kit".
Windows 2.0
Windows 2.01
Windows 2.03
Windows 2.1
1987
1987
1987
1988
Not yet. 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 included a himem.sys file that allowed access to the high memory area freeing up conventional memory.
Windows/386 had himem.sys, and used the virtual 8086 mode of the 80386 to allow for multi-tasking of DOS applications.
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
Not yet
Windows 95
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 98
Windows 98SE
Windows ME
1995
1996
1998
1999
1999
NT Workstation 4.0: May 15, 2020 Installed on the 133Mhz Pentium owned by WEC Museum.
Windows NT 4.0 introduced the Windows 9x interface to the NT line.
Windows 2000 1999 Not yet. Windows 2000 had the 5.0 version of the NT kernel, bringing the Windows and NT line together into a single product.
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows Home Server
2001
2003
2005
2007
Not yet. 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
Not yet. Had the 6.0 version of the NT kernel.
Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Home Server 2011
2009
2009
2011
Not yet. 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
Not yet. 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
2015
2016
2018
Windows 10: July 15, 2015 Windows 10 is installed on the Bootcamp partition on the Mac Mini.
Had version 10.0 of the NT kernel.
Windows 11
Windows Server 2022
2021
2021
Not yet. Still had version 10.0 of the NT kernel.