SYSTEM SOFTWARE

WINDOWS
Microsoft 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. t was 1983 when work on “Interface Manager” was started by Microsoft but
it was in November 1995, when the first Windows 1.0 was introduced. Later on, with
developments in technology, the requirement of the people and increased demand for Graphical
User Interface, Microsoft kept releasing revised versions of Operating Systems.

INTRODUCTION TO MICROSOFT WINDOWS

Brief introduction about MS Windows has been given in the table below:
MS WINDOWS
Developer Microsoft
Initial Release 20th November 1985
Marketing Target Personal Computing
Languages Available in 138 Languages
Default user Interface Windows Shell
Official Website Microsoft.com

WINDOWS 1.0

Version Codename Release Editions Currently Features

Year Supported
1.01 Interface 1985 - No • The first client Windows OS
Manager introduced the MS-DOS Executive
1.02 - 1986 - No • 16-bit graphical operating system
• Graphical shell on top of existing
DOS installation
1.03 - 1986 - No • 2 moderately different versions
exist with a difference in the
USER.EXE file
• an improved SDK and updated
Control Panel, Reversi, Write, and
Paint to 1.03, the rest is 1.02

1.04 - 1987 - No • Additional support for IBM drivers

• features co-operative multitasking,
tiled windows, ability to launch and
integrate with DOS programs
 WINDOWS 2.0

Version Codename Release Editions Currently Features Evolution/

year Supported Difference
2.01 - 1987 - No • introduced The big
overlapping, innovation
resizable windows for Windows
and could run 2 was that
multiple DOS windows
applications could
simultaneously overlap each
2.03 - 1987 - No • Introduced 386 other, and it
enhanced mode, also
which allows introduced
Windows to use the ability to
memory beyond minimize or
640k maximize
2.1 - 1988 - No • Required hard disk windows
drives to take instead of
advantage of some “iconizing”
Intel processors or
• DirectX memory “zooming”.
surface sharing for
camera/capture The control
scenarios panel, where
• HW protected various
content reliability system
improvements settings and
2.11 - 1989 - No • AppleTalk support configuration
and faster printing options were
with updated collected
printer drivers together in
• Improved one place,
installation was
flexibility introduced in
Windows 2
• Operating System
and survives
upgrades no longer
to this day.
require agent re-
installation
 WINDOWS 3.0

Version Codename Release Editions Currently Features Evolution/

Year Supported Difference
3.o - 1990 - No • A new, colorful
user interface
introduced
• Better memory
management with Windows
Intel's 80286 and 1 and 2
80386 processors. both had
• Revamped Control point
Panel release
updates,
3.1 Winball/ 1992 Windows No • includes native but
Sparta for networking Windows
workgroups support 3.1
• introduced the released in
Hearts card game 1992 is
• It comes with SMB notable
file sharing because it
support via introduced
NetBIOS-based TrueType
NBF and/or IPX fonts
network transport making
protocols Windows
NT 3.1 Razzle 1993 - No • The first OS with a viable
32-bit architecture publishing
3.11 - 1993 - No • Mostly containing platform
bug fixes and for the
improvements; no first time.
major new
features
3.11 Snowball 1993 Windows N0 • Mostly focused on
for 32-bit networking:
workgroups 32-bit file access
and 32-bit full
network
redirector
• WFW 3.11
requires a 386
machine to run
• A Winsock
package was
required to
support TCP/IP
 networking in
Windows 3
3.2 - 1993 - No • Focused on
Simplified Chinese
language
NT 3.5 Daytona 1994 Windows No • increase the
NT 3.5 speed of the
Workstation operating system
• Windows NT 3.5
included
integrated
Winsock and
TCP/IP support
NT 3.51 Daytona 1995 Windows No • Provides
NT 3.5 client/server
Workstation support for
interoperating
with Windows 95

WINDOWS 95

Version Codename Release Edition Currently Features Evolution/

Year Supported Difference
95 (4.0) Chicago 1995 - No • Drastically It introduced
improved GUI the concept
and plug-and- of “plug and
play capabilities play” –
NT 4.0 Shell 1996 Windows No • Introduced the connect a
Update NT 4.0 concept of peripheral
Release Workstation system policies and the
• designed to operating
work with system finds
either the
uniprocessor or appropriate
symmetric drivers for it
multi-processor and makes it
computers work. That
• scalability and was the idea;
feature it didn’t
improvements always work
to the core in practice.
architecture,
kernel, USER32, Windows 95
COM and introduced a
MSRPC 32-bit
• Crypto API, environment,
Telephony API the task bar
 2.0 with limited and focused
Unimodem on
support multitasking.
98 Memphis 1998 - No • Major cosmetic MS-DOS still
(4.10) UI upgrades, played an
highly web important
integrated role for
98 SE - 1999 - No • Mostly included Windows 95,
bug fixes and which
minor required it to
improvements. run some
IE 4.0 was programmes
replaced with IE and
5.0 elements.

WINDOWS 2000

Version Codename Release Edition Currently Features Evolution/

Year Supported Difference
NT 5.0 Windows 2000 Windows No • Introduced Considered
NT 5.0 2000 NTFS 3.0, a low point
Professional Encrypting in the
File System, Windows
basic and series by
dynamic many – at
disk storage least, until
they saw
Windows
Vista –
Windows
Millennium
Edition was
the last
Windows
to be based
on MS-
DOS, and
the last in
the
Windows
9x line.
 WINDOWS ME

Version Codename Release Edition Currently Features Evolution/

Year Supported Difference
4.90 Millennium 2000 - No • Initially The
included IE enterprise
5.5, twin of ME,
Windows Windows
Movie 2000 was
Maker. released in
Designed February
for home 2000 and
users was based
on
Microsoft’s
business-
orientated
system
Windows NT
and later
became the
basis for
Windows
XP.

WINDOWS XP

Version Codename Release Edition Currently Features Evolution/

Year Supported Difference
NT 5.1 Whistler 2001 Starter, No • increased It was
Home, performance based on
professional, and stability, Windows
64-Bit intuitive UI, NT like
Edition improved Windows
hardware 2000, but
support, brought the
expanded consumer-
multimedia friendly
capabilities elements
NT 5.1 Freestyle 2002 Media No • Inclusion of from
Center the Windows
Edition Windows ME. The
Media Start menu
Center and task bar
NT 5.1 Harmony 2003 Media No • Windows XP got a visual
Center Service Pack overhaul,
Edition 2004 2 upgrades bringing the
 earlier familiar
versions of green Start
MCE to this button,
one blue task
NT 5.1 Symphony 2004 Media No • Includes bar and
Center support for vista
Edition 2005 Media wallpaper,
Center along with
Extenders, various
and shadow and
CD/DVD- other visual
Video effects.
burning
support
NT 5.1 Emerald 2005 Media ]/[0ijo • Adds
Center support for
Edition 2005 the Xbox
Update 360 as a
Rollup 2 media
center
extender,
DVB-T
broadcasts,
and two
ATSC tuner
cards
NT 5.2 Anvil 2005 Professional No • the latter
x64 Edition was
designed for
IA-64 (Intel
Itanium)
processors

WINDOWS VISTA

Version Codename Release Edition Currently Features Evolution/

Year Supported Difference
NT 6.0 Longhorn 2007 Starter, No • Updated Windows XP
Home GUI, stayed the
Basic, Windows course for
Home Search, close to six
Premium, redesigned years before
Business, networking, being
Enterprise, audio, replaced by
Ultimate print, and Windows
 display sub- Vista in
systems January 2007.
Vista updated
the look and
feel of
Windows
with more
focus on
transparent
elements,
search and
security. Its
development,
under the
codename
“Longhorn”,
was troubled,
with
ambitious
elements
abandoned in
order to get it
into
production.

WINDOWS 7

Versio Codenam Releas Edition Currently Features Evolution/

n e e Year Supporte Difference
d
NT 6.1 - 2009 Starter, No • Touch and It was
Home handwriting intended to
Basic, recognition fix all the
Home improvement problems
Premium, s and criticism
Business, • support for faced by
Enterprise virtual hard Vista, with
, Ultimate disks slight tweaks
• improved to its
multi-core appearance
processor and a
performance concentratio
• improved n on user-
boot friendly
performance features and
less
 • DirectAccess, “dialogue
and kernel box
improvement overload”.
s

WINDOWS 8

Version Codename Release Edition Currently Features Evolution/

Year Supported Difference
NT 6.2 - 2012 Professional, No • Major Windows 8
Enterprise changes to was faster
the UI than
• optimized previous
for tablets versions of
• touch- Windows
optimized and
Windows included
shell support for
NT 6.3 Blue 2013 Professional, Yes • additional the new,
(8.1) Enterprise customizat much
ion options faster USB
for Start 3.0
menu devices.
• Start The
button on Windows
the Store,
desktop which
restored offers
• ability to universal
snap up to Windows
four apps apps that
on display run in a
• ability to full-screen
boot mode only,
directly to was
desktop introduced
. Programs
NT 6.3 Blue 2014 Windows 8.1 Yes • Bing-based
(8.1) with Bing could still
unified
be
search
installed
system
from third-
was added
parties like
other
iterations
of
Windows,
but they
 could only
access the
traditional
desktop
interface
of
Windows.

WINDOWS 10

Versio Codenam Releas Edition Currently Features Evolution/

n e e Year Supporte Difference
d
NT Threshold 2015 Home, Pro, No • Significant Windows
10.0 Education, changes to the 10 –
(v1507 Enterprise, UI and OS despite
) Pro for functionality, being the
Workstation offered in ninth
s, Pro various version of
Education, S, editions Windows –
Enterprise is designed
LTSC to unify all
V1511 Threshold 2015 Home, Pro, No • Preinstalled Windows
2 Education, Skype platforms
Enterprise, • Microsoft across
Pro for Edge multiple
Workstation synchronizatio devices,
s, Pro n capability including
Education, S, • tab previews Windows
Enterprise in Edge Phone and
LTSC tablets,
V1607 Redstone 2016 Home, Pro, No • Visual and with
1 Education, functional universal
Enterprise, improvements apps that
Pro for can be
Workstation downloade
s, Pro d from the
Education, S, Windows
Enterprise Store and
LTSC run on all
V1703 Redstone 2017 Home, Pro, No • visual and Windows
2 Education, functional devices.
Enterprise, improvements
Pro for
Workstation
s, Pro
Education, S,
 Enterprise
LTSC
V1709 Redstone 2017 Home, Pro, No • Visual and
3 Education, functional
Enterprise, improvements
Pro for
Workstations,
Pro Education,
S, Enterprise
LTSC

V1803 Redstone 2018 Home, Pro, No • Visual and functional

4 Education, improvements
Enterprise,
Pro for
Workstations,
Pro
Education, S,
Enterprise
LTSC
V1809 Redstone 2018 Home, Pro, No • Visual and functional
5 Education, improvements
Enterprise,
Pro for
Workstations,
Pro
Education, S,
Enterprise
LTSC
V1903 Vanadium 2019 Home, Pro, No • Light theme introduced
Education, • separate Search and Cortana
Enterprise, • Windows Sandbox
Pro for • recommended
Workstations, troubleshooting tips
Pro
Education, S,
Enterprise
LTSC
V1909 Vibranium 2019 Home, Pro, No • Create events from Calendar
Education, flyout
Enterprise, • improved notification
Pro for management
Workstations, • OneDrive integration with File
Pro Explorer search
Education, S,
Enterprise
LTSC
V2004 Vibranium 2020 Home, Pro, No • Better Your Phone experience
Education, • Better Your Phone experience,
Enterprise, DirectX 12 Ultimate
Pro for • WSL 2
Workstations,
Pro
Education, S,
Enterprise
LTSC
V20H2 Vibranium 2020 Home, Pro, Yes • Chromium-based Microsoft
Education, Edge
Enterprise, • theme aware Start menu tiles
Pro for • other improvements
Workstations,
Pro
Education, S,
Enterprise
LTSC
V21H1 Vibranium 2021 Home, Pro, Yes • News and Interests in taskbar
Education, • improvements to Windows
Enterprise, Defender (now Windows
Pro for Security)
Workstations,
Pro
Education, S,
Enterprise
LTSC
V21H2 Vibranium 2021 Home, Pro, Yes • Support for Wi-Fi 6E
Education, • new simplified password less
Enterprise, deployment modes for
Pro for Windows Hello for Business
Workstations,
Pro
Education, S,
Enterprise
LTSC

WINDOWS 11

Version Codename Release Edition Currently Features Evolution/

Year Supported Difference
V21H2 Sun Valley 2021 Home, Pro, Yes • Major UI
Education, changes
Pro • Modern Look Windows 11
Education, • Widgets brings a
Pro for included brand-new,
more Mac-
Workstations, • Integrated like
Enterprise, SE Microsoft interface to
Teams the OS. It
• Redesigned features a
Taskbar clean design
• Updated with
Backgrounds rounded
• revised user corners and
interface pastel
reintroduces shades. The
rounded iconic Start
window menu also
corners last moves to
seen in the center
Windows 7 of the
and a new screen
startup sound along with
• Windows 11 the Taskbar.
adds support But you can
for Direct move those
Storage and back to the
auto HDR left, where
• allows they are in
developers to Windows
implement 10, if you
their own prefer.
payment
systems and
supports
distribution of
Android apps.