Version History of Windows

Version History of Windows

Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows, commonly referred to as Windows, is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families, all of which are developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. Active Microsoft Windows families include Windows NT and Windows IoT; these may encompass subfamilies, e.g. Windows Server or Windows Embedded Compact (Windows CE). Defunct Microsoft Windows families include Windows 9x, Windows Mobile and Windows Phone. Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985, as a graphical operating system shell for MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal computer (PC) market with over 90% market share, overtaking Mac OS, which had been introduced in 1984. Apple came to see Windows as an unfair encroachment on their innovation in GUI development as implemented on products such as the Lisa and Macintosh (eventually settled in court in Microsoft's favor in 1993). On PCs, Windows is still the most popular operating system. However, in 2014, Microsoft admitted losing the majority of the overall operating system market to Android, because of the massive growth in sales of Android smartphones. In 2014, the number of Windows devices sold was less than 25% that of Android devices sold. This comparison, however, may not be fully relevant, as the two operating systems traditionally target different platforms. Still, numbers for server use of Windows (that are comparable to competitors) show one third market share, similar to that for end user use. Windows 1.0 Windows 1.0 is a graphical personal computer operating environment developed by Microsoft. Microsoft had worked with Apple Computer to develop applications for Apple's January

1984 original Macintosh, the first mass-produced personal computer with a graphical user interface (GUI) that enabled users to see user friendly icons on screen. Windows 1.0 was released on November 20, 1985, as the first version of the Microsoft Windows line. It runs as a graphical, 16-bit multi-tasking shell on top of an existing MS-DOS installation. It provides an environment which can run graphical programs designed for Windows, as well as existing MS- DOS software. Its development was spearheaded by the company founder Bill Gates after he saw a demonstration of a similar software suite known as Visi On at COMDEX. Despite positive responses to its early presentations and support from a number of hardware and software makers, Windows 1.0 was received poorly by critics. Critics felt Windows 1.0 did not meet their expectations. In particular, they felt that Windows 1.0 put too much emphasis on mouse input at a time when mouse use was not yet widespread; not providing enough resources for new users; and for performance issues, especially on systems with lower computer hardware specifications. Despite these criticisms, Windows 1.0 was an important milestone for Microsoft, as it introduced the Microsoft Windows line. On December 31, 2001, Windows 1.0 was declared obsolete and Microsoft stopped providing support and updates for the system. Windows 2.0 Windows 2.0 allowed application windows to overlap each other, unlike its predecessor Windows 1.0, which could display only tiled windows. Windows 2.0 also introduced more sophisticated keyboard-shortcuts and the terminology of \"Minimize\" and \"Maximize\", as opposed to \"Iconize\" and \"Zoom\" in Windows 1.0. The basic window setup introduced here would last through Windows 3.1. New features in Windows 2.0 included support for the new capabilities of the 80386 CPU (in some versions - see Editions), 16-color VGA graphics, and EMS memory support. It was also the last version of Windows that did not require a hard disk. With the improved speed, reliability and usability, computers now started becoming a part of daily life for some workers. Desktop icons and use of keyboard shortcuts helped to speed up work.

The Windows 2.x EGA, VGA, and Tandy drivers notably provided a workaround in Windows 3.0 for users who wanted color graphics on 8086 machines (a feature that version normally did not support). IBM licensed Windows's GUI for OS/2 as Presentation Manager, and the two companies stated that it and Windows 2.0 would be almost identical. Windows 2.1x Windows 2.1x (also known as Windows/286 or Windows/386) is a historical version of Windows graphical user interface-based operating systems. Windows/286 2.10 and Windows/386 2.10 were released on May 27, 1988, less than six months after the release of Windows 2.0. This is the first version of Windows which requires a hard disk. Like Windows 2.0, two editions of Windows 2.1x were released with different CPU compatibility. However, the naming convention was changed to Windows/286 and Windows/386. Like Windows 2.0, the 286 edition would run on 8086 hardware, only without HMA support. A few PC vendors shipped Windows/286 with 8086 hardware; an example was IBM's PS/2 Model 25, which included Windows/286, resulting in some customer confusion.

Windows 3.0 Windows 3.0 is the third major release of Microsoft Windows, launched in 1990. Like its predecessors, it is not an operating system, but rather a graphical operating environment that runs on top of DOS. It features a new graphical user interface (GUI) where applications are represented as clickable icons, as opposed to the list of file names seen in its predecessors. Later updates would expand the software's capabilities, one of which added multimedia support for sound recording and playback, as well as support for CD-ROMs. Windows 3.0 is the first version of Windows to perform well both critically and commercially. Critics and users considered its GUI to be a challenger to those of Apple Macintosh and Unix. Other praised features were the improved multitasking, customizability, and especially the utilitarian management of computer memory that troubled the users of Windows 3.0's predecessors. Microsoft was criticized by third-party developers for the bundling of its separate software with the operating environment, which they viewed as an anticompetitive practice. Windows 3.0 sold 10 million licenses before it was succeeded by Windows 3.1 in 1992. Before Windows 3.0, Microsoft had a partnership with IBM, where the latter had sold personal computers running on the former's MS-DOS since 1981. Microsoft had made previous attempts to develop a successful operating environment called Windows, and IBM declined to include the project in its computers. As MS-DOS was entering its fifth iteration, IBM demanded a version of DOS that could run in \"protected mode\", which would allow it to execute multiple programs at once. MS-DOS was originally designed to run in real mode and thus only one program at a time, due to the limited memory of the Intel 8088 microprocessor. Intel had later released the Intel 80286, which had enough memory to perform such multitasking. The two developed the next generation of DOS, OS/2. Software that was compatible with DOS was not with OS/2, giving IBM an advantage. As the rest of the Microsoft team moved on to the OS/2 project, David Weise, a member of the Windows development team and a critic of IBM, believed that he could restart the Windows project. Microsoft needed a debugging program that could run in protected mode, so it hired Murray Sargent, a physics professor from the University of Arizona whose own debugging

program could emulate applications in protected mode. Windows 3.0 originated in 1988 as an independent project by Weise and Sargent, who used the latter's debugger to find problems with Windows. They cobbled together a rough prototype that contained three applications: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint. They then presented it to company executives, who were impressed enough to approve it as an official project. When IBM learned of Microsoft's upcoming project, their relationship was damaged, but Microsoft asserted that it would cancel Windows after its launch and that it would continue to develop OS/2.[5] Windows 3.0 was formally and officially announced on May 22, 1990, in the New York City Center Theater, where Microsoft released it worldwide. The event had 6,000 attendees, and it was broadcast live in the Microsoft social fairs of seven other North American cities and twelve major cities outside. It cost Microsoft US$3 million to host the festivities—something its founder, Bill Gates, referred to as the \"most extravagant, extensive, and expensive software introduction ever.\"[6] Microsoft decided not to offer free runtime licenses of the software to applications vendors, as runtime versions of Windows lacked the capacity to multitask.[7] Instead, the company offered upgrades for both full and runtime previous versions of Windows at a cost of US$50 (equivalent to $98 in 2019)—considerably lower than the full license's suggested retail price of $149.[8] The software could also be obtained by purchasing computers with it preinstalled from hardware manufacturers. The first of these manufacturers were Zenith Data Systems, Austin Computer Systems and CompuAdd, followed by more than 25 others; notably, IBM was not one of them.[9] Microsoft had intended to make Windows 3.0 appealing to the public in general. The company's \"Entry Team\", assigned to that task, was concerned that the public might perceive it to be no more than a tool for large enterprises, due to the software's high system requirements. Major game publishers did not see it as a potential game platform, instead sticking to DOS. Microsoft's product manager Bruce Ryan compiled games that the Windows team had designed in its spare time to create Microsoft Entertainment Pack, which included Tetris and Minesweeper. There was little budget put in the project, and none of that was spent on quality testing. Nevertheless, the Entertainment Pack was sold as a separate product, and it became so popular that it was followed by three other Entertainment Packs.[10] On December 31, 2001, Microsoft dropped support for Windows 3.0, along with previous versions of Windows and Windows 95, Windows for Workgroups, and MS-DOS versions up to 6.22.

Windows 3.1x Windows 3.1x is a series of 16-bit operating environments produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, released on April 6, 1992. The series began with Windows 3.1, which was first sold during April 1992 as a successor to Windows 3.0. Subsequent versions were released between 1992 and 1993 until the series was superseded by the Windows 9x series starting in 1995 with Windows 95. During its lifespan, Windows 3.1 introduced several enhancements to the still MS-DOS-based platform, including improved system stability, expanded support for multimedia, TrueType fonts, and workgroup networking. Official support for Windows 3.1 ended on December 31, 2001. However, OEM licensing for Windows for Workgroups 3.11 on embedded systems continued to be available until November 1, 2008. Windows 3.1 dropped real mode support and required a minimum of a 286 PC with 1 MB of RAM to run. The effect of this was to increase system stability over the crash-prone Windows 3.0. Some older features were removed, like CGA graphics support (although Windows 3.0's CGA driver still worked on 3.1) and compatibility with real-mode Windows 2.x applications. Truetype font support was added, providing scalable fonts to Windows applications, without having to resort to using a third-party font technology such as Adobe Type Manager. Windows 3.1 included the following fonts: Arial, Courier New, and Times New Roman, in regular, bold, italic, and bold-italic versions, as well as Symbol (a collection of scalable symbols). Truetype fonts could be scaled to any size and rotated, depending on the calling application.[3] In 386 Enhanced Mode, windowed DOS applications gained the ability for users to manipulate menus and other objects in the program using the Windows mouse pointer, provided that a DOS

application supported mice. A few DOS applications, such as late releases of Microsoft Word, could access Windows Clipboard. Windows' own drivers couldn't work directly with DOS applications; hardware such as mice required a DOS driver to be loaded before starting Windows. Windows 95 Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of operating systems. The first operating system in the 9x family, it is the successor to Windows 3.1x, and was released to manufacturing on August 15, 1995, and generally to retail on August 24, 1995.[4][5] Windows 95 merged Microsoft's formerly separate MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows products, and featured significant improvements over its predecessor, most notably in the graphical user interface (GUI) and in its simplified \"plug-and- play\" features. There were also major changes made to the core components of the operating system, such as moving from a mainly cooperatively multitasked 16-bit architecture to a 32-bit preemptive multitasking architecture, at least when running only 32-bit protected mode applications. Accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign,[1] Windows 95 introduced numerous functions and features that were featured in later Windows versions, such as the taskbar, the \"Start\" button and the ways the user could navigate.[dubious – discuss] Three years after its introduction, Windows 95 was succeeded by Windows 98. Microsoft ended extended support for Windows 95 on December 31, 2002

Windows 98 Windows 98 is an operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is the successor to Windows 95, and was released to manufacturing on May 15, 1998, and generally to retail on June 25, 1998. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid 16-bit and 32-bit[3] monolithic product with the boot stage based on MS-DOS.[4] Windows 98 is a heavily web-integrated operating system that bears numerous similarities to its predecessor, with most of the improvements being cosmetic or designed to improve the user experience, but there are a handful of features that enhance system functionality and capabilities. These include improved USB support and accessibility, as well as support for hardware advancements such as DVD players. It was the first Windows operating system to adopt the Windows Driver Model. It also introduced features that would become standard in future generations of Windows, such as Disk Cleanup, Windows Update, multi-monitor support, and Internet Connection Sharing. Microsoft had marketed Windows 98 as a \"tune-up\" to Windows 95, rather than an entirely improved next generation of Windows. Upon release, it was generally well received for its web- integrated interface and ease of use, as well as for addressing issues that had been present in Windows 95, though users had pointed out that it was not significantly more stable than its predecessor. It saw one major update called Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) on May 5, 1999, and was succeeded by Windows Me in 2000. It sold an estimated 58 million licenses, and Microsoft ended mainstream support for both Windows 98 and 98 SE on June 30, 2002, and extended support on July 11, 2006.

Windows Me Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me (marketed with the pronunciation of the pronoun \"me\"[5]), is a graphical operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of operating systems. It is the successor to Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), and was released to manufacturing on June 19, 2000, with general availability on September 14, 2000. Windows Me was the last operating system released in the Windows 9x series which was targeted specifically at home PC users,[6] and included Internet Explorer 5.5, Windows Media Player 7, and the then-new Windows Movie Maker software, which provided basic video editing and was designed to be easy to use for home users. Microsoft also incorporated features first introduced in Windows 2000, which had been released as a business-oriented operating system seven months earlier, into the graphical user interface, shell, and Windows Explorer. Windows Me was a continuation of the Windows 9x model and still DOS-based like its predecessors, albeit with restricted access to real mode MS-DOS in order to decrease system boot time.[7] In October 2001, Windows XP was released to the public, and became the successor of Windows Me, popularizing most of its features and introducing more visual themes, while being based upon the more stable Windows NT kernel.

Windows XP Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was the successor to both Windows 2000 for professional users and Windows Me for home users. It was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and broadly released for retail sale on October 25, 2001. Development of Windows XP began in the late 1990s as \"Neptune\", an operating system (OS) built on the Windows NT kernel which was intended specifically for mainstream consumer use. An updated version of Windows 2000 was also originally planned for the business market; however, in January 2000, both projects were scrapped in favor of a single OS codenamed \"Whistler\", which would serve as a single OS platform for both consumer and business markets. As such, Windows XP was the first consumer edition of Windows not to be based on MS-DOS. [5] Upon its release, Windows XP received critical acclaim, with critics noting increased performance and stability (especially in comparison to Windows Me), a more intuitive user interface, improved hardware support, and expanded multimedia capabilities. However, some industry reviewers were concerned by the new licensing model and product activation system.[6] Extended support for Windows XP ended on April 8, 2014, after which the operating system ceased receiving further support or security updates (with exceptional security updates being made e.g. in 2019, to address potential ransomware threats, like BlueKeep) to most users. By August 2019, Microsoft (and others) had ended support for games on Windows XP. As of February 2020, 1.25% of Windows PCs run Windows XP,[7] and a little under 1% of all traditional PCs run Windows XP. At least two countries have double digit use: Armenia, where it is highest ranked at 42.21% as of April 2020;[8] as well as China, where usage also remains high at 13.32% as of March 2020.

Windows Vista Windows Vista is an operating system that was produced by Microsoft and is a version of the Windows NT family of operating systems for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs and media center PCs. Development was completed on November 8, 2006,[2] and over the following three months, it was released in stages to computer hardware and software manufacturers, business customers and retail channels. On January 30, 2007, it was released worldwide[3] and was made available for purchase and download from the Windows Marketplace; it is the first release of Windows to be made available through a digital distribution platform.[9] The release of Windows Vista came more than five years after the introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, the longest time span between successive releases of Microsoft Windows desktop operating systems. New features of Windows Vista include an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Aero, a new search component called Windows Search, redesigned networking, audio, print and display sub-systems, and new multimedia tools such as Windows DVD Maker. Vista aimed to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network, using peer- to-peer technology to simplify sharing files and media between computers and devices. Windows Vista included version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, allowing software developers to write applications without traditional Windows APIs. Microsoft's primary stated objective with Windows Vista was to improve the state of security in the Windows operating system.[10] One common criticism of Windows XP and its predecessors was their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows.

Windows 7 Windows 7 is an operating system that was produced by Microsoft and released as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and became generally available on October 22, that year.[9] It is the successor to Windows Vista, released two years prior. Windows 7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time. The last supported version of Windows was released on July 1, 2011, entitled Windows Embedded POSReady 7. Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on January 13, 2015 and extended support ended on January 14, 2020.[10] At the end of January, same year, Microsoft had ended support for websites on Internet Explorer 11. IE11 is only supported on Windows Server 2012[11][12] and Windows Embedded 8 Standard.[13] Windows 7 was primarily intended to be an incremental upgrade to Microsoft Windows, addressing Windows Vista's poor critical reception while maintaining hardware and software compatibility. Windows 7 continued improvements on Windows Aero (the user interface introduced in Windows Vista) with the addition of a redesigned taskbar that allows applications to be \"pinned\" to it, and new window management features. Other new features were added to the operating system, including libraries, the new file sharing system HomeGroup, and support for multitouch input. A new \"Action Center\" interface was also added to provide an overview of system security and maintenance information, and tweaks were made to the User Account Control system to make it less intrusive. Windows 7 also shipped with updated versions of several stock applications, including Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, and Windows Media Center.

In contrast to Windows Vista, Windows 7 was generally praised by critics, who considered the operating system to be a major improvement over its predecessor due to its increased performance, its more intuitive interface (with particular praise devoted to the new taskbar), fewer User Account Control popups, and other improvements made across the platform. Windows 7 was a major success for Microsoft; even prior to its official release, pre-order sales for the operating system on the online retailer Amazon.com had surpassed previous records. In just six months, over 100 million copies had been sold worldwide, increasing to over 630 million licenses by July 2012. As of April 2020, 21.21% of traditional PCs running Windows are running Windows 7 (and thus 16% of all traditional PCs),[14] which still has well over 45% market share in some countries. Windows 8 Windows 8 is an operating system that was produced by Microsoft, released as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. The product was released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012, and generally to retail on October 26, 2012.[5] It is the successor to Windows 7. Windows 8 introduced major changes to the operating system's platform and user interface to improve its user experience on tablets, where Windows was now competing with mobile operating systems, including Android and iOS.[6] In particular, these changes included a touch- optimized Windows shell based on Microsoft's \"Metro\" design language, the Start screen (which displays programs and dynamically updated content on a grid of tiles), a new platform for developing \"apps\" with an emphasis on touchscreen input, integration with online services (including the ability to synchronize apps and settings between devices), and Windows Store, an online distribution for downloading and purchasing new software. Windows 8 added support for USB 3.0, Advanced Format hard drives, near field communications, and cloud computing. Additional security features were introduced, such as built-in antivirus software, integration with Microsoft SmartScreen phishing filtering service and support for UEFI Secure Boot on supported devices with UEFI firmware, to prevent malware from infecting the boot process.

Windows 8 was released to a mixed critical reception. Although reaction towards its performance improvements, security enhancements, and improved support for touchscreen devices was positive, the new user interface of the operating system was widely criticized for being potentially confusing and difficult to learn, especially when used with a keyboard and mouse instead of a touchscreen. Despite these shortcomings, 60 million Windows 8 licenses were sold through January 2013, a number that included both upgrades and sales to OEMs for new PCs. Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 is an operating system that was produced by Microsoft and released as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on August 27, 2013, and reached general availability on October 17, 2013, about a year after the retail release of its predecessor. Windows 8.1 was made available for download via MSDN and Technet and available as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows RT users via the Windows Store. It was succeeded by Windows 10 in July 2015. Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 8.1 on January 9, 2018, and extended support will have ended by January 10, 2023. Windows 8.1 aimed to address complaints of Windows 8 users and reviewers on launch. Visible enhancements include an improved Start screen, additional snap views, additional bundled apps, tighter OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) integration, Internet Explorer 11, a Bing-powered unified search system, restoration of a visible Start button on the taskbar, and the ability to restore the previous behavior of opening the user's desktop on login instead of the Start screen. Windows

8.1 also added support for such emerging technologies as high-resolution displays, 3D printing, Wi-Fi Direct, and Miracast streaming, as well as the ReFS file system.[5] Windows 8.1 received more positive reception than Windows 8, with critics praising the expanded functionality available to apps in comparison to Windows 8, its OneDrive integration, along with its user interface tweaks and the addition of expanded tutorials for operating the Windows 8 interface. Despite these improvements, Windows 8.1 was still criticized for not addressing all digressions of Windows 8 (such as a poor level of integration between Metro-style apps and the desktop interface), and the potential privacy implications of the expanded use of online services. As of February 2020, 4.82% of traditional PCs running Windows are running Windows 8.1.[6] IE11 was made available for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard in April 2019. Windows 10 Windows 10 is a series of operating systems produced by the American multinational technology company Microsoft and released as part of its Windows NT family of operating systems. It is the successor to Windows 8.1 (2013), released nearly two years earlier, and was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and broadly released for the general public on July 29, 2015.[16] Windows 10 was made available for download via MSDN and Technet and available as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows RT users via the Windows Store. Windows 10 receives new builds on an ongoing basis, which are available at no additional cost to users, in addition to additional test builds of Windows 10 which are available to Windows Insiders. Devices in enterprise environments can receive these updates at a slower pace, or use long-term support milestones that only receive critical updates, such as security patches, over their ten-year lifespan of extended support.[17][18] One of Windows 10's most notable features is its support for universal apps, an expansion of the Metro-style apps first introduced in Windows 8. Universal apps can be designed to run across

multiple Microsoft product families with nearly identical code—‍ i‌ncluding PCs, tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, Xbox One, Surface Hub and Mixed Reality. The Windows user interface was revised to handle transitions between a mouse-oriented interface and a touchscreen-optimized interface based on available input devices—‍ p‌ articularly on 2-in-1 PCs, both interfaces include an updated Start menu which incorporates elements of Windows 7's traditional Start menu with the tiles of Windows 8. Windows 10 also introduced the Microsoft Edge web browser, a virtual desktop system, a window and desktop management feature called Task View, support for fingerprint and face recognition login, new security features for enterprise environments, and DirectX 12. Windows 10 received mostly positive reviews upon its original release in July 2015. Critics praised Microsoft's decision to provide a desktop-oriented interface in line with previous versions of Windows, contrasting the tablet-oriented approach of 8, although Windows 10's touch-oriented user interface mode was criticized for containing regressions upon the touch- oriented interface of Windows 8. Critics also praised the improvements to Windows 10's bundled software over Windows 8.1, Xbox Live integration, as well as the functionality and capabilities of the Cortana personal assistant and the replacement of Internet Explorer with Edge. However, media outlets have been critical of changes to operating system behaviors, including mandatory update installation, privacy concerns over data collection performed by the OS for Microsoft and its partners and the adware-like tactics used to promote the operating system on its release.[19] Microsoft aimed to have Windows 10 installed on over a billion devices within three years of its release;[17] this goal was ultimately reached in March 2020.[20] By April 2020, an estimated 70.98%[21] of traditional PCs running Windows are running Windows 10 (and almost all of the rest of Windows users run unsupported versions), and thus 55% of all traditional PCs use it.[22][21] Across all platforms (PC, mobile, tablet and console), 35% of devices run some kind of Windows, Windows 10 or older. Servers of Windows

Windows NT 3.1 Windows NT 3.1 is an operating system that was produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released on July 27, 1993. At the time of Windows NT's release, Microsoft's Windows 3.1 desktop environment had established brand recognition and market share; but Windows 3.1 relied on the DOS operating system for essential functions, and it had a constrictive 16-bit architecture. Windows NT, however, was a complete, 32-bit operating system that retained a desktop environment familiar to Windows 3.1 users. By extending the Windows brand and beginning Windows NT at version 3.1, Microsoft implied that consumers should expect a familiar user experience. The name Windows NT (\"New Technology\") advertised that this was a re-engineered version of Windows. Windows NT began as a rewrite of the OS/2 operating system, which Microsoft had co- developed with IBM in the 1980s. For several reasons, including the market success of Windows 3.0 in 1990, Microsoft decided to advance Windows rather than OS/2. They relinquished their OS/2 development responsibilities to IBM, and forked their work on OS/2 v3.0 into a competing operating system. Windows NT 3.1 was available in two editions: Windows NT 3.1 for workstations, and Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server for servers. When these premiered, their sales were limited by high system requirements, and a general lack of 32-bit applications to take advantage of the OS's data processing capabilities.

Windows NT 3.5 Windows NT 3.5 is an operating system developed by Microsoft, released on September 21, 1994. It is the second release of Windows NT.[2] One of the primary goals during Windows NT 3.5 development was to improve the operating system's performance. As a result, the project was codenamed \"Daytona\", after the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.[3] Like many other older Windows versions before 1996, Microsoft stopped supporting Windows NT 3.5 on December 31, 2001. Support for Windows NT 3.51 Workstation also ended in that date. Windows NT 3.5 comes in two editions: NT Workstation and NT Server. They respectively replace the NT and NT Advanced Server editions of Windows NT 3.1.[4] The Workstation edition allows only 10 concurrent clients to access the file server and does not support Mac clients.[5] Windows NT 3.5 includes integrated Winsock and TCP/IP support.[6] (Its predecessor, Windows NT 3.1, only includes an incomplete implementation of TCP/IP based on the AT&T UNIX System V \"STREAMS\" API.) TCP/IP and IPX/SPX stacks in Windows NT 3.5 are rewritten.[7] NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) support as a compatibility layer for TCP/IP was introduced as also the Microsoft DHCP and WINS clients and DHCP and WINS servers. Windows NT 3.51 Windows NT 3.51 is the third release of Microsoft's Windows NT line of operating systems. It was released on May 30, 1995, nine months after the release of Windows NT 3.5, and three months before the release of Windows 95. The release provided two notable feature improvements; firstly NT 3.51 was the first of a short-lived outing of Microsoft Windows on the

PowerPC architecture. The second most significant enhancement offered through the release was that it provides client/server support for inter-operating with Windows 95, which was released three months after NT 3.51. Windows NT 4.0 became its successor a year later. Support for NT 3.51 ended in 2001 and 2002 for the Workstation and Server editions, respectively. The release of Windows NT 3.51 was dubbed \"the PowerPC release\" at Microsoft. The original intention was to release a PowerPC edition of NT 3.5, but according to Microsoft's David Thompson, \"we basically sat around for 9 months fixing bugs while we waited for IBM to finish the Power PC hardware\".[3] Editions of NT 3.51 were also released for the x86, MIPS, and Alpha architectures. New features introduced in Windows NT 3.51 include PCMCIA support, NTFS file compression,[4] replaceable WinLogon (GINA), 3D support in OpenGL, persistent IP routes when using TCP/IP, automatic display of textual descriptions when the mouse pointer was placed on toolbar buttons (\"tooltips\") and support for Windows 95 common controls Windows NT 4.0 Windows NT 4.0 is an operating system that is part of Microsoft's Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on July 31, 1996,[1] and was launched to retail on August 24, 1996. It was Microsoft's primary business-oriented operating system until the introduction of Windows 2000. Workstation, server and embedded editions were sold; all editions feature a graphical user interface similar to that of Windows 95. Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows NT 4.0 Workstation on June 30, 2002 and extended support on June 30, 2004, while Windows NT 4.0 Server mainstream support ended on December 31, 2002 and extended support on December 31, 2004. Both editions were succeeded by Windows 2000 Professional and Server, respectively. The successor to Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4.0 introduced the user interface of Windows 95 to the Windows NT family,

including the Windows shell, File Explorer (known as Windows NT Explorer at the time), and the use of \"My\" nomenclature for shell folders (e.g. My Computer). It also includes most components introduced with Windows 95. Internally, Windows NT 4.0 was known as the Shell Update Release (SUR).[9] While many administrative tools, notably User Manager for Domains, Server Manager and Domain Name Service Manager still used the old graphical user interfaces, the Start menu in Windows NT 4.0 separated the per-user shortcuts and folders from the shared shortcuts and folders by a separator line.[10] Windows NT 4.0 includes some enhancements from Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 such as the Space Cadet pinball table, font smoothing, showing window contents while dragging, high-color icons and stretching the wallpaper to fit the screen. Windows Desktop Update could also be installed on Windows NT 4.0 to update the shell version and install Task Scheduler.[11] Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit included the Desktop Themes utility.[12] Windows NT 4.0 is a preemptively multitasked,[13] 32-bit operating system that is designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor computers. Windows 2000 Server Windows 2000 is a business-oriented operating system that was produced by Microsoft in the United States and was released as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was succeeded by Windows XP in 2001, releasing to manufacturing on December 15, 1999[2] and being officially released to retail on February 17, 2000.[3] It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0. Four editions of Windows 2000 were released: Professional, Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server;[6] the latter was both released to manufacturing and launched months after the other editions.[7] While each edition of Windows 2000 was targeted at a different market, they shared a core set of features, including many system utilities such as the Microsoft Management Console and standard system administration applications.

Windows 2000 introduces NTFS 3.0,[8] Encrypting File System,[9] as well as basic and dynamic disk storage.[10] Support for people with disabilities was improved over Windows NT 4.0 with a number of new assistive technologies,[11] and Microsoft increased support for different languages[12] and locale information.[13] The Windows 2000 Server family has additional features, most notably the introduction of Active Directory,[14] which in the years following became a widely used directory service in business environments. Microsoft marketed Windows 2000 as the most secure Windows version ever at the time;[15] however, it became the target of a number of high-profile virus attacks such as Code Red[16] and Nimda.[17] For ten years after its release, it continued to receive patches for security vulnerabilities nearly every month until reaching the end of its lifecycle on July 13, 2010.[5] Windows 2000 is the last version of Microsoft Windows to display the \"Windows NT\" designation, and the last version where the desktop and server versions of Windows shared the same name. It is succeeded by Windows XP (released in October 2001) and Windows Server 2003 (released in April 2003). Windows 2003 Server Windows Server 2003 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft and released on April 24, 2003,[8] about 18 months after the launch of the Windows XP operating system. It is the successor to Windows 2000 Server and the predecessor to Windows Server 2008. An updated version, Windows Server 2003 R2, was released to manufacturing on December 6, 2005. Windows Server 2003's kernel was later adopted in the development of Windows Vista. Windows Server 2003 is the follow-up to Windows 2000 Server, incorporating compatibility and other features from Windows XP. Unlike Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003's default installation has none of the server components enabled, to reduce the attack surface of new machines. Windows Server 2003 includes compatibility modes to allow older applications to run

with greater stability. It was made more compatible with Windows NT 4.0 domain-based networking. Windows Server 2003 brought in enhanced Active Directory compatibility and better deployment support to ease the transition from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional. The product went through several name changes during the course of development. When first announced in 2000, it was known by its codename \"Whistler Server\"; it was named \"Windows 2002 Server\" for a brief time in mid-2001, followed by \"Windows .NET Server\" and \"Windows .NET Server 2003\". After Microsoft chose to focus the \".NET\" branding on the .NET Framework, the OS was finally released as \"Windows Server 2003\". Windows Server 2008 improvements. Processors and memory devices are modeled as Plug and Play devices to allow hot- plugging of these devices. This allows the system resources to be partitioned dynamically using dynamic hardware partitioning - each partition has its own memory, processor and I/O host bridge devices independent of other partitions.Windows Server 2008 is a third server operating system produced by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008, and reached general availability on February 27, 2008, about 13 months after the launch of the Windows Vista operating system. Windows Server 2008 is the successor of Windows Server 2003, the server version of Windows based on Windows XP, released nearly five years earlier. Windows Server 2008 is built from the same codebase as Windows Vista and thus it shares much of the same architecture and functionality. Since the codebase is common, Windows Server 2008 inherits most of the technical, security, management and administrative features new to Windows Vista such as the rewritten networking stack (native IPv6, native wireless, speed and security improvements); improved image-based installation, deployment and recovery; improved diagnostics, monitoring, etc.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows Server 2008 R2 is a server operating system and the fourth release of Windows Server produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released to OEM hardware partners on July 22, 2009[9] and became generally available on October 22, that year.[10] It is the successor to the Windows Vista-based Windows Server 2008, released the previous year. Enhancements in Windows Server 2008 R2 include new functionality for Active Directory, new virtualization and management features, version 7.5 of the Internet Information Services web server and support for up to 256[11] logical processors. It is built on the same kernel used with the client-oriented Windows 7, and is the first server operating system released by Microsoft to exclusively support 64-bit processors. Microsoft stopped providing security updates and technical support for Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM since April 9, 2013, and Service Pack 1 must be installed to continue receiving support and updates on any given Windows operating system. Seven editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 were released: Foundation, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Web, HPC Server and Itanium, as well as Windows Storage Server 2008 R2. A home server variant called Windows Home Server 2011 was also released. Windows Server 2008 R2 was succeeded by the Windows 8-based Windows Server 2012. Microsoft introduced Windows Server 2008 R2 at the 2008 Professional Developers Conference as the server variant of Windows 7. On January 7, 2009, a beta release of Windows Server 2008 R2 was made available to subscribers of Microsoft's TechNet and MSDN programs, as well as those participating in the

Microsoft Connect program for Windows 7. Two days later, the beta was released to the public via the Microsoft Download Center.[12] On April 30, 2009, the release candidate was made available to subscribers of TechNet and MSDN.[13] On May 5, 2009, the release candidate was made available to the general public via the Microsoft download center. Windows Server 2012 Windows Server 2012 is the fifth version of the Windows Server server operating system by Microsoft, as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It is the server version of Windows based on Windows 8 and succeeds Windows 7-based Windows Server 2008 R2, released two years prior. Two pre-release versions, a developer preview and a beta version, were released during development. The software was generally available to customers starting on September 4, 2012, by Microsoft.[4] A successor was released on October 18, 2013, entitled Windows Server 2012 R2. Unlike its predecessor, Windows Server 2012 has no support for Itanium-based computers,[5] and has four editions. Various features were added or improved over Windows Server 2008 R2 (with many placing an emphasis on cloud computing), such as an updated version of Hyper-V, an IP address management role, a new version of Windows Task Manager, and ReFS, a new file system. Windows Server 2012 received generally good reviews in spite of having included the same controversial Metro-based user interface seen in Windows 8, which includes the \"Charms Bar\" for quick access to settings in the desktop environment. Windows Server 2012, codenamed \"Windows Server 8\",[6] is the fifth release of Windows Server family of operating systems developed concurrently with Windows 8.[7][8] It was not until April 17, 2012 that the company announced that the final product name would be \"Windows Server 2012\".[6]

Microsoft introduced Windows Server 2012 and its developer preview in the BUILD 2011 conference on September 9, 2011.[9] However, unlike Windows 8, the developer preview of Windows Server 2012 was only made available to MSDN subscribers.[10] It included a graphical user interface (GUI) based on Metro design language and a new Server Manager, a graphical application used for server management.[11] On February 16, 2012, Microsoft released an update for developer preview build that extended its expiry date from April 8, 2012 to January 15, 2013. [12] Before Windows Server 2012 was finalized, two test builds were made public. A public beta version of Windows Server 2012 was released along with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview on February 29, 2012.[7] The release candidate of Windows Server 2012 was released on May 31, 2012, along with the Windows 8 Release Preview. Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows Server 2012 R2 is the sixth version of the Windows Server server operating system by Microsoft, as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was unveiled on June 3, 2013 at TechEd North America,[5] and released on October 18, 2013.[2] A further update, formally designated Windows Server 2012 R2 Update, was released in April 2014.[6] It is a cumulative set of security, critical and other updates.[7] Based on Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 runs only on x86-64 processors (64-bit). Windows Server 2012 R2 was succeeded by Windows Server 2016, the server version of Windows based on Windows 10. According to the Windows Server 2012 R2 datasheet published on May 31, 2013, there are four editions of this operating system: Foundation, Essentials, Standard and Datacenter.[21] As with Windows Server 2012, the Datacenter and Standard editions are feature-identical, varying only based on licensing (particularly licensing of virtual instances).

Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2016 is the seventh release of the Windows Server server operating system developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was developed concurrently with Windows 10 and is the successor to Windows Server 2012 R2. The first early preview version (Technical Preview) became available on October 1, 2014 together with the first technical preview of System Center.[6] Windows Server 2016 was released on September 26, 2016 at Microsoft's Ignite conference[1] and broadly released for retail sale on October 12, 2016.[2] It has two successors: Windows Server 2019, and the Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel, which excludes the graphical user interface and many older components. Windows Server 2016 has a variety of new features, including  Active Directory Federation Services: It is possible to configure AD FS to authenticate users stored in non-AD directories, such as X.500 compliant Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directories and SQL databases.[7]  Windows Defender: Windows Server Antimalware is installed and enabled by default without the GUI, which is an installable Windows feature.[8]  Remote Desktop Services: Support for OpenGL 4.4 and OpenCL 1.1, performance and stability improvements; MultiPoint Services role (see Windows MultiPoint Server)[9]  Storage Services: Central Storage QoS Policies; Storage Replicas (storage-agnostic, block-level, volume-based, synchronous and asynchronous replication using SMB3 between servers for disaster recovery).[10] Storage Replica replicates blocks instead of files; files can be in use. It's not multi-master, not one-to-many and not transitive. It periodically replicates snapshots, and the replication direction can be changed.  Failover Clustering: Cluster operating system rolling upgrade, Storage Replicas[11]  Web Application Proxy: Preauthentication for HTTP Basic application publishing, wildcard domain publishing of applications, HTTP to HTTPS redirection, Propagation of client IP address to backend applications[12]  IIS 10: Support for HTTP/2

 Windows PowerShell 5.1 Microsoft announced a new installation option, Nano Server, which offers a minimal-footprint headless version of Windows Server. It excludes the graphical user interface, WoW64 (support for 32-bit software) and Windows Installer. It does not support console login, either locally or via Remote Desktop Connection. All management is performed remotely via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), Windows PowerShell and Remote Server Management Tools (a collection of web-based GUI and command line tools).[25] However, in Technical Preview 5, Microsoft has re- added the ability to administer Nano Server locally through PowerShell. Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2019 is the latest version of the Windows Server server operating system by Microsoft, as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems, developed concurrently with Windows 10. It succeeded Windows Server 2016, announced on March 20, 2018 and being officially released to the public on October 2, 2018. Windows Server 2019 was announced on March 20, 2018, and the first Windows Insider preview version was released on the same day.[5] It was released for general availability on October 2 of the same year.[1] On October 6, 2018, distribution of Windows version 1809 (build 17763[6]) was paused while Microsoft investigated an issue with user data being deleted during an in-place upgrade.[7] It affected systems where a user profile folder (e.g. Documents, Music or Pictures) had been moved to another location, but data was left in the original location.[8]

The End Thank you for watching Notes: Wikipedia Developed by Aman L Binoy

See you the next time… Version History of Ubuntu