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Microsoft Windows
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Screenshot of Windows Vista Ultimate (Build 6000). Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops
Company/developer Microsoft Corporation
OS family MS-DOS/9x-based, Windows CE, Windows NT
Source model Closed source / Shared source
Stable release Windows Vista
Service Pack 1
NT 6. The software industry comprises businesses involved in the development, maintenance and publication of Computer software. A software developer is a person or organization concerned with facets of the software development process wider than design and coding a somewhat broader scope of Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer MS-DOS (short for M icro' s' oft D isk O perating S ystem is an Operating system commercialized by Microsoft. Windows 9x is the family of Microsoft Windows Operating systems that comprises the hybrid 16/32-bit Windows versions Windows 95, Windows 98 Windows CE (also known officially as Windows Embedded Compact post version 6 Windows NT is a family of Operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993 Proprietary software is Computer software on which the producer has set restrictions on use private modification copying, or republishing. Shared Source is Microsoft 's framework for sharing Computer program Source code with third parties Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops 0. 6001  (February 4, 2008) [+/-]
Preview release Windows 7
Milestone 1
NT 6. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Windows 7, (formerly codenamed Blackcomb and later Vienna) is the working name for the next major version of Microsoft Windows and 1. 6519. 1  (December 20, 2007) [+/-]
License MS-EULA
Working state Publicly released
Website Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is the name of several families of software operating systems by Microsoft. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A software license (or software licence in commonwealth usage is a Legal instrument governing the usage or redistribution of copyright protected software Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages An operating system (commonly abbreviated OS and O/S) is the software component of a Computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). MS-DOS (short for M icro' s' oft D isk O perating S ystem is an Operating system commercialized by Microsoft. [1] Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal computer market, overtaking Mac OS, which had been introduced previously. Market dominance is a measure of the strength of a Brand, product, service, or firm, relative to competitive offerings A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated Mac OS is the trademarked name for a series of Graphical user interface -based Operating systems developed by Apple Inc At the 2004 IDC Directions conference, IDC Vice President Avneesh Saxena stated that Windows had approximately 90% of the client operating system market. International Data Corporation ( IDC) is a Market research and analysis firm specializing in Information technology, Telecommunications and consumer [2] The most recent client version of Windows is Windows Vista. Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops The current server version of Windows is Windows Server 2008. Windows Server 2008 is the most recent release of Microsoft Windows ' server line of Operating systems Released to manufacturing on 4 February

Contents

Versions

See also: List of Microsoft Windows versions
The box art of Windows 1.0; the first version that Microsoft released to the public.
The box art of Windows 1. This is a listing of the versions of the operating systems offered by Microsoft as Windows. 0; the first version that Microsoft released to the public.

The term Windows collectively describes any or all of several generations of Microsoft (MS) operating system (OS) products. These products are generally categorized as follows:

16-bit operating environments

The early versions of Windows were often thought of as just graphical user interfaces, mostly because they ran on top of MS-DOS and used it for file system services. MS-DOS (short for M icro' s' oft D isk O perating S ystem is an Operating system commercialized by Microsoft. In Computing, a file system (often also written as filesystem) is a method for storing and organizing Computer files and the data they contain to make [3] However, even the earliest 16-bit Windows versions already assumed many typical operating system functions, notably, having their own executable file format and providing their own device drivers (timer, graphics, printer, mouse, keyboard and sound) for applications. In Computer science, object code, or an object file, is the representation of code that a Compiler or Assembler generates by processing In computing a device driver or software driver is a Computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a Hardware device Unlike MS-DOS, Windows allowed users to execute multiple graphical applications at the same time, through cooperative multitasking. MS-DOS (short for M icro' s' oft D isk O perating S ystem is an Operating system commercialized by Microsoft. In computing Multitasking is a method by which multiple tasks also known as processes, share common processing resources such as a CPU. Finally, Windows implemented an elaborate, segment-based, software virtual memory scheme, which allowed it to run applications larger than available memory: code segments and resources were swapped in and thrown away when memory became scarce, and data segments moved in memory when a given application had relinquished processor control, typically waiting for user input. In Microsoft Windows, resources are Read-only data embedded in EXE or DLL files 16-bit Windows versions include Windows 1.0 (1985), Windows 2.0 (1987) and its close relative, Windows/286. Windows 10 was a 16-bit graphical Operating environment released on 20 November 1985 Windows 20 was a 16-bit Microsoft Windows Graphical user interface -based Operating environment that superseded Windows 1 Windows 21x is a family of Microsoft Windows Graphical user interface -based Operating environments Less than a year after the release of

Windows OS market share
Source Hitslink[4] Awio[5] XiTi[6] OneStat[7]
Date May 2008 May 2008 Apr 2008 Mar 2008
All versions 91. 13%[8] - 94. 45% 95. 94%
Windows XP 72. 12% 78. 24% 75. 16% 78. 93%
Windows Vista 15. 26% 7. 69% 15. 81% 13. 24%
Windows 2000 2. 25% 3. 07% 1. 76% 2. 82%
Windows 98 0. 48% 0. 96% 0. 48% 0. 58%
Windows 2003 - 0. 74% 0. 49% -
Windows NT 0. 68% 0. 05% 0. 05% -
Windows ME 0. 27% 0. 36% 0. 20% 0. 31%
Windows CE 0. 06% - 0. 02% -
Windows 95 0. 01% - 0. 01% -
Windows other - - 0. 47% -

Hybrid 16/32-bit operating environments

Windows/386 introduced a 32-bit protected mode kernel and virtual machine monitor. Windows 21x is a family of Microsoft Windows Graphical user interface -based Operating environments Less than a year after the release of In computing protected mode, also called protected virtual address mode, is an operational mode of X86 -compatible Central processing units (CPU In Computer science, the kernel is the central component of most computer Operating systems (OS In Computer science, a virtual machine (VM is a Software implementation of a machine (computer that executes programs like a real machine For the duration of a Windows session, it created one or more virtual 8086 environments and provided device virtualization for the video card, keyboard, mouse, timer and interrupt controller inside each of them. In the 80386 Microprocessor and later Virtual 8086 mode, also called virtual real mode or VM86, allows the execution of Real mode In Computing, an interrupt is an asynchronous signal from hardware indicating the need for attention or a synchronous event in software indicating the need for a change The user-visible consequence was that it became possible to preemptively multitask multiple MS-DOS environments in separate windows, although graphical MS-DOS applications required full screen mode. Also, Windows applications were multi-tasked cooperatively inside one such virtual 8086 environment.

Windows 3.0 (1990) and Windows 3.1 (1992) improved the design, mostly because of virtual memory and loadable virtual device drivers (VxDs) which allowed them to share arbitrary devices between multitasked DOS windows. Windows 30 is the third major release of Microsoft Windows, and came out on 22 May 1990 Windows 31x was a major release of Microsoft Windows. Several editions were released between 1992 and 1994 succeeding Windows 3 Virtual memory is a Computer system technique which gives an application program the impression that it has contiguous working memory while in fact it may be physically VxD is the Device driver model used in Microsoft Windows/386, the 386 enhanced mode of Windows 3 Also, Windows applications could now run in protected mode (when Windows was running in Standard or 386 Enhanced Mode), which gave them access to several megabytes of memory and removed the obligation to participate in the software virtual memory scheme. They still ran inside the same address space, where the segmented memory provided a degree of protection, and multi-tasked cooperatively. For Windows 3. 0, Microsoft also rewrote critical operations from C into assembly, making this release faster and less memory-hungry than its predecessors. tags please moot on the talk page first! --> In Computing, C is a general-purpose cross-platform block structured See the terminology section below for information regarding inconsistent use of the terms assembly and assembler

Hybrid 16/32-bit operating systems

With the introduction of the 32-bit Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows was able to stop relying on DOS for file management. The range of Integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4294967295 or −2147483648 through 2147483647 using Two's complement encoding Windows 31x was a major release of Microsoft Windows. Several editions were released between 1992 and 1994 succeeding Windows 3 Levering this, Windows 95 introduced Long File Names, reducing the 8.3 filename DOS environment to the role of a boot loader. Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented Graphical user interface -based Operating system. Long filenames ( LFN) spelled "long file names" by Microsoft are longer and therefore more descriptive Filenames supported by the Microsoft An 83 filename (also called a short filename or SFN) is a Filename convention used by old versions of DOS and versions of Microsoft Windows In Computing, booting ( booting up) is a bootstrapping process that starts Operating systems when the user turns on a Computer system MS-DOS was now bundled with Windows; this notably made it (partially) aware of long file names when its utilities were run from within Windows. The most important novelty was the possibility of running 32-bit multi-threaded preemptively multitasked graphical programs. However, the necessity of keeping compatibility with 16-bit programs meant the GUI components were still 16-bit only and not fully reentrant, which resulted in reduced performance and stability.

There were three releases of Windows 95 (the first in 1995, then subsequent bug-fix versions in 1996 and 1997, only released to OEMs, which added extra features such as FAT32 and primitive USB support). Templateinfobox filesystem whilst covering all 3 file systems please make any style changes to both at the same time Microsoft's next OS was Windows 98; there were two versions of this (the first in 1998 and the second, named "Windows 98 Second Edition", in 1999). Windows 98 ( codenamed Memphis) is a graphical Operating system released on 25 June 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95 In 2000, Microsoft released Windows Me (Me standing for Millennium Edition), which used the same core as Windows 98 but adopted some aspects of Windows 2000 and removed the option boot into DOS mode. Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me (IPA pronunciation, iː is a hybrid 16-bit / 32-bit graphical Operating system released on 14 September It also added a new feature called System Restore, allowing the user to set the computer's settings back to an earlier date.

32-bit operating systems

The NT family of Windows systems was fashioned and marketed for higher reliability business use, and was unencumbered by any Microsoft DOS patrimony. The first release was Windows NT 3.1 (1993, numbered "3. Windows NT 31 is the first release of Microsoft 's Windows NT line of server and business desktop Operating systems and was released to 1" to match the Windows version and to one-up OS/2 2. OS/2 is a computer Operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively 1, IBM's flagship OS co-developed by Microsoft and was Windows NT's main competitor at the time), which was followed by NT 3. 5 (1994), NT 3. 51 (1995), and NT 4.0 (1996); NT 4. Windows NT 40 is a preemptive, graphical and business-oriented Operating system designed to work with either Uniprocessor or symmetric 0 was the first in this line to implement the "Windows 95" user interface (and the first to include Windows 95's built-in 32-bit runtimes). Microsoft then moved to combine their consumer and business operating systems. Their first attempt, Neptune was cancelled and replaced with a new project, Whistler, which later became Windows XP, coming in both home and professional versions (and later niche market versions for tablet PCs and media centers) improved stability, user experience and backwards compatibility. Windows Neptune is an experimental version of Microsoft Windows that was in development from early 1999 to early 2000 Windows XP is a family of 32-bit and 64-bit Operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and A Tablet PC is a Notebook or slate-shaped Mobile computer, equipped with a Touchscreen or Graphics tablet/screen hybrid technology which allows The term media center refers either to a dedicated Computer appliance or to a specialized Personal computer Software, both of which are adapted for Then, Windows Server 2003 brought Windows Server up to date with Windows XP. Windows Server 2003 (also referred to as Win2K3 is a server Operating system produced by Microsoft. Windows Server is a brand name for server Operating systems released by Microsoft Corporation. Since then, a new version, Windows Vista was released and Windows Server 2008, released on February 27, 2008, brings Windows Server up to date with Windows Vista. Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops Windows Server 2008 is the most recent release of Microsoft Windows ' server line of Operating systems Released to manufacturing on 4 February Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Windows Server is a brand name for server Operating systems released by Microsoft Corporation. Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops

Windows CE, Microsoft's offering in the mobile and embedded markets, is also a true 32-bit operating system that offers various services for all sub-operating workstations. Windows CE (also known officially as Windows Embedded Compact post version 6

64-bit operating systems

Windows NT included support for several different platforms before the x86-based personal computer became dominant in the professional world. Windows NT is a family of Operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993 See also X86 assembly language The generic term x86 refers to the most commercially successful Instruction set architecture in the history of Personal A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated Versions of NT from 3. 1 to 4. 0 supported DEC Alpha and MIPS R4000, which were 64-bit processors, although the operating system treated them as 32-bit processors. Alpha, originally known as Alpha AXP, was a 64-bit Reduced instruction set computer (RISC Instruction set architecture (ISA developed MIPS Technologies Inc ( formerly MIPS Computer Systems, is most widely known for developing the MIPS architecture and a series of pioneering RISC

With the introduction of the Intel Itanium architecture, which is referred to as IA-64, Microsoft released new versions of Windows 2000 to support it. Itanium is the brand name for 64-bit Intel Microprocessors that implement the Intel Itanium architecture (formerly called IA-64) Itanium is the brand name for 64-bit Intel Microprocessors that implement the Intel Itanium architecture (formerly called IA-64) Itanium versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 were released at the same time as their mainstream x86 (32-bit) counterparts. Windows XP is a family of 32-bit and 64-bit Operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and Windows Server 2003 (also referred to as Win2K3 is a server Operating system produced by Microsoft. On April 25, 2005, Microsoft released Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and x64 versions of Windows Server 2003 to support the AMD64/Intel64 (or x64 in Microsoft terminology) architecture. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Windows XP has been released in several editions since its original release in 2001 x86-64 is a Superset of the x86 instruction set architecture. Microsoft dropped support for the Itanium version of Windows XP in 2005. Windows Vista is the first end-user version of Windows that Microsoft has released simultaneously in 32-bit and x64 editions. Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops Windows Vista does not support the Itanium architecture. The modern 64-bit Windows family comprises AMD64/Intel64 versions of Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003, in both Itanium and x64 editions. Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops Windows Server 2003 (also referred to as Win2K3 is a server Operating system produced by Microsoft.

History

Main article: History of Microsoft Windows

Microsoft has taken two parallel routes in its operating systems. In 1983 Microsoft announced the development of Windows, a Graphical user interface (GUI for its own Operating system ( MS-DOS) that had shipped One route has been for the home user and the other has been for the professional IT user. The dual routes have generally led to home versions having greater multimedia support and less functionality in networking and security, and professional versions having inferior multimedia support and better networking and security. Multimedia is media and content that utilizes a combination of different content forms.

The first version of Microsoft Windows, version 1.0, released in November 1985, lacked a degree of functionality and achieved little popularity, and was to compete with Apple's own operating system. Windows 10 was a 16-bit graphical Operating environment released on 20 November 1985 Windows 1. 0 is not a complete operating system; rather, it extends MS-DOS. Microsoft Windows version 2. 0 was released in November, 1987 and was slightly more popular than its predecessor. Windows 2. 03 (release date January 1988) had changed the OS from tiled windows to overlapping windows. The result of this change led to Apple Computer filing a suit against Microsoft alleging infringement on Apple's copyrights. [9][10]

A Windows for Workgroups 3.11 desktop.
A Windows for Workgroups 3.11 desktop. Windows 31x was a major release of Microsoft Windows. Several editions were released between 1992 and 1994 succeeding Windows 3

Microsoft Windows version 3. 0, released in 1990, was the first Microsoft Windows version to achieve broad commercial success, selling 2 million copies in the first six months. [1][2] It featured improvements to the user interface and to multitasking capabilities. It received a facelift in Windows 3. 1, made generally available on March 1, 1992. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Windows 3. 1 support ended on December 31, 2001. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. [11]

In July 1993, Microsoft released Windows NT based on a new kernel. Windows NT is a family of Operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993 NT was considered to be the professional OS and was the first Windows version to utilize preemptive multitasking. Pre-emption or preemption in Computing is the act of temporarily interrupting a task being carried out by a computer system, without requiring . Windows NT would later be retooled to also function as a home operating system, with Windows XP.

On August 24th 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, a new, and major, consumer version that made further changes to the user interface, and also used preemptive multitasking. Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented Graphical user interface -based Operating system. Pre-emption or preemption in Computing is the act of temporarily interrupting a task being carried out by a computer system, without requiring Windows 95 was designed to replace not only Windows 3. 1, but also Windows for Workgroups, and MS-DOS. It was also the first Windows operating system to use Plug and Play capabilities. The changes Windows 95 brought to the desktop were revolutionary, as opposed to evolutionary, such as those in Windows 98 and Windows Me. Mainstream support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2000 and extended support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2001. Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented Graphical user interface -based Operating system. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented Graphical user interface -based Operating system. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. [12]

The next in the consumer line was Microsoft Windows 98 released on June 25th, 1998. Windows 98 ( codenamed Memphis) is a graphical Operating system released on 25 June 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95 It was substantially criticized for its slowness and for its unreliability compared with Windows 95, but many of its basic problems were later rectified with the release of Windows 98 Second Edition in 1999. Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented Graphical user interface -based Operating system. Windows 98 ( codenamed Memphis) is a graphical Operating system released on 25 June 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95 Mainstream support for Windows 98 ended on June 30, 2002 and extended support for Windows 98 ended on July 11, 2006. Windows 98 ( codenamed Memphis) is a graphical Operating system released on 25 June 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95 Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Windows 98 ( codenamed Memphis) is a graphical Operating system released on 25 June 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95 Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [13]

As part of its "professional" line, Microsoft released Windows 2000 in February 2000. Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K) is a preemptive, interruptible graphical and business-oriented Operating system designed to work with The consumer version following Windows 98 was Windows Me (Windows Millennium Edition). Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me (IPA pronunciation, iː is a hybrid 16-bit / 32-bit graphical Operating system released on 14 September Released in September 2000, Windows Me implemented a number of new technologies for Microsoft: most notably publicized was "Universal Plug and Play. Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me (IPA pronunciation, iː is a hybrid 16-bit / 32-bit graphical Operating system released on 14 September Universal Plug and Play ( UPnP) is a set of Computer network protocols promulgated by the UPnP Forum. "

In October 2001, Microsoft released Windows XP, a version built on the Windows NT kernel that also retained the consumer-oriented usability of Windows 95 and its successors. Windows XP is a family of 32-bit and 64-bit Operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and In Computer science, the kernel is the central component of most computer Operating systems (OS This new version was widely praised in computer magazines. [14] It shipped in two distinct editions, "Home" and "Professional", the former lacking many of the superior security and networking features of the Professional edition. Additionally, the first "Media Center" edition was released in 2002,[15] with an emphasis on support for DVD and TV functionality including program recording and a remote control. Mainstream support for Windows XP will continue until April 14, 2009 and extended support will continue until April 8, 2014. Windows XP is a family of 32-bit and 64-bit Operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in This article is about the year For the film see 2009 Lost Memories. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian 2014 ( MMXIV) will be a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. [16]

In April 2003, Windows Server 2003 was introduced, replacing the Windows 2000 line of server products with a number of new features and a strong focus on security; this was followed in December 2005 by Windows Server 2003 R2. Windows Server 2003 (also referred to as Win2K3 is a server Operating system produced by Microsoft. Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K) is a preemptive, interruptible graphical and business-oriented Operating system designed to work with

On January 30, 2007 Microsoft released Windows Vista. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops It contains a number of new features, from a redesigned shell and user interface to significant technical changes, with a particular focus on security features. Windows Vista (formerly codenamed Longhorn) has many new features compared with previous Microsoft Windows versions covering most aspects of the operating Windows Vista (formerly codenamed Windows "Longhorn") has many significant new features compared with previous Microsoft Windows versions covering There are a number of security and safety features new to Windows Vista, most of which are not available in any prior Microsoft Windows Operating system It is available in a number of different editions, and has been subject to some criticism. Windows Vista is available in six different marketing editions This article covers only the criticism that applies specifically to Vista

Timeline of releases

Release date Product name Version Notes Last IE
November 1985 Windows 1.01 1. Windows Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer abbreviated MSIE) commonly abbreviated to IE, is a series of graphical Windows 10 was a 16-bit graphical Operating environment released on 20 November 1985 01 Unsupported -
November 1987 Windows 2.03 2. Windows 20 was a 16-bit Microsoft Windows Graphical user interface -based Operating environment that superseded Windows 1 03 Unsupported -
March 1989 Windows 2.11 2. Windows 21x is a family of Microsoft Windows Graphical user interface -based Operating environments Less than a year after the release of 11 Unsupported -
May 1990 Windows 3.0 3. Windows 30 is the third major release of Microsoft Windows, and came out on 22 May 1990 0 Unsupported -
March 1992 Windows 3.1 3. 1 Unsupported 5
October 1992 Windows For Workgroups 3.1 3. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (abbreviated IE5) is a graphical Web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows 1 Unsupported 5
July 1993 Windows NT 3.1 NT 3. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (abbreviated IE5) is a graphical Web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows Windows NT 31 is the first release of Microsoft 's Windows NT line of server and business desktop Operating systems and was released to 1 Unsupported 5
December 1993 Windows For Workgroups 3.11 3. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (abbreviated IE5) is a graphical Web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows 11 Unsupported 5
January 1994 Windows 3.2 (released in Simplified Chinese only) 3. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (abbreviated IE5) is a graphical Web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows Windows 31x was a major release of Microsoft Windows. Several editions were released between 1992 and 1994 succeeding Windows 3 2 Unsupported 5
September 1994 Windows NT 3.5 NT 3. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (abbreviated IE5) is a graphical Web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows Windows NT 35 is the second release of the Microsoft Windows NT Operating system. 5 Unsupported 5
May 1995 Windows NT 3.51 NT 3. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (abbreviated IE5) is a graphical Web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows Windows NT 351 is the third release of Microsoft 's Windows NT line of Operating systems It was released on May 30 1995, nine months 51 Unsupported 5
August 1995 Windows 95 4. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (abbreviated IE5) is a graphical Web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented Graphical user interface -based Operating system. 0. 950 Unsupported 5
July 1996 Windows NT 4.0 NT 4. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (abbreviated IE5) is a graphical Web browser released in March 1999 by Microsoft, primarily for Microsoft Windows Windows NT 40 is a preemptive, graphical and business-oriented Operating system designed to work with either Uniprocessor or symmetric 0 Unsupported 6
June 1998 Windows 98 4. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (commonly abbreviated to IE6 is a graphical Web browser developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows 98 ( codenamed Memphis) is a graphical Operating system released on 25 June 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95 10. 1998 Unsupported 6
May 1999 Windows 98 SE 4. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (commonly abbreviated to IE6 is a graphical Web browser developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows 98 ( codenamed Memphis) is a graphical Operating system released on 25 June 1998 by Microsoft and the successor to Windows 95 10. 2222 Unsupported 6
February 2000 Windows 2000 NT 5. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (commonly abbreviated to IE6 is a graphical Web browser developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K) is a preemptive, interruptible graphical and business-oriented Operating system designed to work with 0. 3700. 6690 Extended Support until July 13, 2010[17] 6
September 2000 Windows Me 4. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (commonly abbreviated to IE6 is a graphical Web browser developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me (IPA pronunciation, iː is a hybrid 16-bit / 32-bit graphical Operating system released on 14 September 90. 3000 Unsupported 6
October 2001 Windows XP NT 5. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (commonly abbreviated to IE6 is a graphical Web browser developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows XP is a family of 32-bit and 64-bit Operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and 1. 2600 Current for SP2 and SP3 (RTM and SP1 unsupported). A service pack (in short SP) is a collection of updates fixes and/or enhancements to a software program delivered in the form of a single installable package A service pack (in short SP) is a collection of updates fixes and/or enhancements to a software program delivered in the form of a single installable package A software release is the distribution whether public or private of an initial or new and upgraded version of a Computer software product 8
March 2003 Windows XP 64-bit Edition 2003 NT 5. Windows Internet Explorer 8 (commonly abbreviated IE8) is the next version of Microsoft's Windows Internet Explorer web browser succeeding Windows XP has been released in several editions since its original release in 2001 2. 3790 Unsupported 6
April 2003 Windows Server 2003 NT 5. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (commonly abbreviated to IE6 is a graphical Web browser developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (also referred to as Win2K3 is a server Operating system produced by Microsoft. 2. 3790 Current for SP1, R2, SP2 (RTM unsupported). 8
April 2005 Windows XP Professional x64 Edition NT 5. Windows Internet Explorer 8 (commonly abbreviated IE8) is the next version of Microsoft's Windows Internet Explorer web browser succeeding Windows XP has been released in several editions since its original release in 2001 2. 3790 Current 8
July 2006 Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs NT 5. Windows Internet Explorer 8 (commonly abbreviated IE8) is the next version of Microsoft's Windows Internet Explorer web browser succeeding Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (" WinFLP " is a Thin client Operating system from Microsoft, based on Windows XP Embedded 1. 2600 Current -
November 2006 (volume licensing)/January 2007 (retail) Windows Vista NT 6. Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops 0. 6000 Current. Version Changed to NT 6. 0. 6001 with SP1 (February 4th 08) 8
July 2007 Windows Home Server NT 5. Windows Internet Explorer 8 (commonly abbreviated IE8) is the next version of Microsoft's Windows Internet Explorer web browser succeeding Windows Home Server, code-named Quattro, is a Home server Operating system from Microsoft. 2. 4500 Current -
February 2008 Windows Server 2008 NT 6. Windows Server 2008 is the most recent release of Microsoft Windows ' server line of Operating systems Released to manufacturing on 4 February 0. 6001 Current 8
2010 (planned) Windows 7 (codenamed Blackcomb, then Vienna) NT 7. Windows Internet Explorer 8 (commonly abbreviated IE8) is the next version of Microsoft's Windows Internet Explorer web browser succeeding Windows 7, (formerly codenamed Blackcomb and later Vienna) is the working name for the next major version of Microsoft Windows and 0 Future release

Security

The Windows Security Center was introduced with Windows XP Service Pack 2.
The Windows Security Center was introduced with Windows XP Service Pack 2. The Windows Security Center is a component included with Microsoft 's Windows XP (beginning with Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista Operating systems

Security has been a hot topic with Windows for many years, and even Microsoft itself has been the victim of security breaches. This article describes how security can be achieved through design and engineering Consumer versions of Windows were originally designed for ease-of-use on a single-user PC without a network connection, and did not have security features built in from the outset. Windows NT and its successors are designed for security (including on a network) and multi-user PCs, but are not designed with Internet security in mind as much since, when it was first developed in the early 1990s, Internet use was less prevalent. Windows NT is a family of Operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993 These design issues combined with flawed code (such as buffer overflows) and the popularity of Windows means that it is a frequent target of worm and virus writers. In Computer security and programming, a buffer overflow, or buffer overrun, is an anomalous condition where a process attempts to A computer worm is a self-replicating Computer program. It uses a network to send copies of itself to other nodes (computer terminals on the network and it may do so without A computer virus is a Computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user In June 2005, Bruce Schneier's Counterpane Internet Security reported that it had seen over 1,000 new viruses and worms in the previous six months. Bruce Schneier (born 15 January 1963) is an American Cryptographer, Computer security specialist and Writer. [18]

Microsoft releases security patches through its Windows Update service approximately once a month (usually the second Tuesday of the month), although critical updates are made available at shorter intervals when necessary. Windows Update is a service provided by Microsoft for users of Microsoft Windows which provides updates for the Operating system and its installed components [19] In Windows 2000 (SP3 and later), Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, updates can be automatically downloaded and installed if the user selects to do so. As a result, Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, as well as Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2003, were installed by users more quickly than it otherwise might have been. [20]

Windows Defender

Windows Defender
Windows Defender

On 6 January 2005, Microsoft released a beta version of Microsoft AntiSpyware, based upon the previously released Giant AntiSpyware. Windows Defender, formerly known as Microsoft AntiSpyware, is a software product from Microsoft to prevent remove and Quarantine Spyware Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. GIANT Company Software Inc developed internet security products including GIANT Spam Inspector GIANT Popup Inspector and GIANT AntiSpyware On 14 February 2006, Microsoft AntiSpyware became Windows Defender with the release of beta 2. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Windows Defender, formerly known as Microsoft AntiSpyware, is a software product from Microsoft to prevent remove and Quarantine Spyware Windows Defender is a freeware program designed to protect against spyware and other unwanted software. Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users who have genuine copies of Microsoft Windows can freely download the program from Microsoft's web site, and Windows Defender ships as part of Windows Vista. Windows XP is a family of 32-bit and 64-bit Operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and Windows Server 2003 (also referred to as Win2K3 is a server Operating system produced by Microsoft. Windows Genuine Advantage ( WGA) is an anti- piracy system created by Microsoft that enforces Microsoft Windows online validation of the authenticity Windows Vista (ˈvɪstə is a line of Operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and business desktops [21]

Third-party analysis

In an article based on a report by Symantec,[22] internetnews. com has described Microsoft Windows as having the "fewest number of patches and the shortest average patch development time of the five operating systems it monitored in the last six months of 2006. "[23] And the number of vulnerabilities found in Windows has significantly increased— Windows: 12+, Red Hat + Fedora: 2, Mac OS X: 1, HP-UX: 2, Solaris: 1.

A study conducted by Kevin Mitnick and marketing communications firm Avantgarde in 2004 found that an unprotected and unpatched Windows XP system with Service Pack 1 lasted only 4 minutes on the Internet before it was compromised, and an unprotected and also unpatched Windows Server 2003 system was compromised after being connected to the internet for 8 hours. Kevin David Mitnick (born August 6, 1963) is a computer security consultant who was a controversial Computer hacker in the late 20th century Windows Server 2003 (also referred to as Win2K3 is a server Operating system produced by Microsoft. [24] However, it is important to note that this study does not apply to Windows XP systems running the Service Pack 2 update (released in late 2004), which vastly improved the security of Windows XP. The computer that was running Windows XP Service Pack 2 was not compromised. The AOL National Cyber Security Alliance Online Safety Study of October 2004 determined that 80% of Windows users were infected by at least one spyware/adware product. Such content will be deleted Specific software is to be mentioned in this article only Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays displays or downloads advertisements [25] Much documentation is available describing how to increase the security of Microsoft Windows products. Typical suggestions include deploying Microsoft Windows behind a hardware or software firewall, running anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and installing patches as they become available through Windows Update. A firewall is an integrated collection of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system Such content will be deleted Specific software is to be mentioned in this article only Windows Update is a service provided by Microsoft for users of Microsoft Windows which provides updates for the Operating system and its installed components

Windows Lifecycle Policy

Microsoft has stopped releasing updates and hotfixes for many old Windows operating systems, including all versions of Windows 9x and earlier versions of Windows NT. Windows versions prior to XP are no longer supported, with the exception of Windows 2000, which is currently in the Extended Support Period, that will end on July 13, 2010. Windows XP is a family of 32-bit and 64-bit Operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on Personal computers including home and Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K) is a preemptive, interruptible graphical and business-oriented Operating system designed to work with Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two. Windows XP versions prior to SP2 are no longer supported either. Also, support for Windows XP 64-bit Edition ended after the release of the more recent Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. Windows XP has been released in several editions since its original release in 2001 Windows XP has been released in several editions since its original release in 2001 No new updates are created for unsupported versions of Windows.

Emulation software

Emulation allows the use of some Windows applications without using Microsoft Windows. These include:

See also

General:

Further reading:

References

  1. ^ http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventions/a/Windows.htm?rd=1. --> UserSecuniBot permission to update Operating systems can be categorized by technology ownership licensing working state usage and by many other characteristics General information Basic general information about Windows DOS -based ( MS-DOS / 9x -based NT Comparison of the Microsoft Windows and Linux Operating system is a common topic of discussion among their users Ammunition Design Group is a Product design group based in San Francisco CA led by Robert Brunner, as a break-off of Pentagram Design. Windows NT 31, Windows NT 35, Windows NT 351, Windows NT 40, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows The various versions of Microsoft 's desktop Operating system, Windows, have been the target of a number of criticisms over the years The following is a list of Microsoft Windows components. Configuration and maintenance User interface Applications and utilities VisiCorp 's VisiOn was a short-lived but influential Graphical user interface -based Operating environment program for IBM PC compatible This article is about the Windows file system browser For the similarly named internet browser see Internet Explorer Windows Explorer is a Windows Genuine Advantage ( WGA) is an anti- piracy system created by Microsoft that enforces Microsoft Windows online validation of the authenticity Windows Media is a Multimedia framework for media creation and distribution for Microsoft Windows. The Windows Startup Process is the process by which Microsoft 's Windows series of Operating systems initializes Retrieved on 2007-04-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil.
  2. ^ IDC: Consolidation to Windows won't happen www. linuxworld. com. au
  3. ^ » Windows Evolution » Soft32.com News
  4. ^ Net Applications OS versions market share for May 2008
  5. ^ W3Counter global web stats for May 2008
  6. ^ XiTiMonitor report, May 29, 2008
  7. ^ OneStat press release, April 1, 2008
  8. ^ Net Applications OS market share
  9. ^ The Apple vs. Microsoft GUI Lawsuit, <http://lowendmac.com/orchard/06/apple-vs-microsoft.htm>. Retrieved on 12 March 2008 
  10. ^ APPLE COMPUTER, INC. v. MICROSOFT CORP., 35 F.3d 1435 (9th Cir. 1994), <http://home.earthlink.net/~mjohnsen/Technology/Lawsuits/appvsms.html>. Retrieved on 12 March 2008 
  11. ^ Please Verify your Location
  12. ^ Please Verify your Location
  13. ^ Please Verify your Location
  14. ^ Your top Windows XP questions answered! (Part One)
  15. ^ Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: A Look at Freestyle and Mira
  16. ^ Please Verify your Location
  17. ^ Microsoft Support Lifecycle. Microsoft (May 4, 2005). Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-03-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6.
  18. ^ Schneier, Bruce (June 15, 2005). Bruce Schneier (born 15 January 1963) is an American Cryptographer, Computer security specialist and Writer. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Crypto-Gram Newsletter. Counterpane Internet Security, Inc.. BT Counterpane, formerly Counterpane Internet Security Inc, is a company that sells managed computer Network security services Retrieved on 2007-04-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil.
  19. ^ Ryan Naraine (June 8, 2005). Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Microsoft's Security Response Center: How Little Patches Are Made. eWeek. For the Non-profit organization see EWeekorg eWEEK (tagline The Enterprise Newsweekly) is a weekly Computing Retrieved on 2007-04-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil.
  20. ^ John Foley (October 20, 2004). Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Windows XP SP2 Distribution Surpasses 100 Million. Retrieved on 2007-04-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil.
  21. ^ Windows Vista: Features. Retrieved on 2006-07-20. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold
  22. ^ Symantec 11th Internet Security Threat Report, Trends for July–December 06.
  23. ^ Report Says Windows Gets The Fastest Repairs
  24. ^ Automated "Bots" Overtake PCs Without Firewalls Within 4 Minutes www. avantgarde. com
  25. ^ Safety Study www. staysafeonline. info (PDF)
  26. ^ About Wine

External links

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