Comparison of Microsoft Windows versions
Microsoft Windows is the name of several families of computer software operating systems created by Microsoft. 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).
All versions of Microsoft Windows are commercial proprietary software.
General information
Basic general information about Windows.
DOS shells
| Name | Release date | Latest version | Status support | Codename | OS required | Architecture | Editions | Target market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 1.0 | 1985-11-20 | 1.04 (1987-04-08) | Unsupported (2001-12-31) |
Interface Manager | DOS 2.0 or higher | 16-bit | Desktops | |
| Windows 2.0 | 1987-09-08 | 2.03 (1987-12-09) | Unsupported (2001-12-31) |
DOS 3.0 or higher | 16-bit | Desktops | ||
| Windows 2.1x | 1988-05-27 | 2.11 (1989-03-13) | Unsupported (2001-12-31) |
DOS 3.0 or higher | 16-bit | Desktops | ||
| Windows 3.0 | 1990-05-22 | 3.0a with Multimedia Extensions (1991-10-20) |
Unsupported (2001-12-31) |
DOS 3.1 or higher | 16-bit | Windows 3.0 Windows 3.0a Windows 3.0a with Multimedia Extensions |
Desktops | |
| Windows 3.1x | 1992-04-06 | 3.11 (1993-12-31) | Unsupported (2001-12-31) |
|
DOS 3.3 or higher | 16-bit* | Windows 3.1 Windows for Workgroups 3.1 Windows 3.11 Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Windows 3.2 (Simplified Chinese only) |
Desktops |
Windows 9x
| Name | Release date | RTM build | Latest version | Status support | Codename | MS-DOS version | Kernel type | Architecture | Editions | Target market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 95 | 1995-08-15 | 950 | 4.00.950C OSR2.5 (1997-11-26) | Unsupported (2001-12-31) |
Chicago | MS-DOS 7.0, MS-DOS 7.1 (OSR2.x) | Monolithic | Hybrid 16/32-bit | Retail, OSR1, OSR2, OSR2.1, OSR2.5 | Desktops |
| Windows 98 | 1998-05-15 | 1998 | 4.10.1998 | Unsupported (2006-07-11) |
Memphis | MS-DOS 7.1 | Monolithic | Hybrid 16/32-bit | Desktops | |
| Windows 98 SE | 1999-05-05 | 2222 | 4.10.2222A (2000-02-25) | Unsupported (2006-07-11) |
MS-DOS 7.1 | Monolithic | Hybrid 16/32-bit | Desktops | ||
| Windows Me | 2000-06-19 | 3000 | 4.90.3000 (2000-09-14) | Unsupported (2006-07-11) |
Millennium | MS-DOS 8.0 | Monolithic | Hybrid 16/32-bit | Desktops |
Windows NT
| Name | Release date | Version | RTM build | Latest build | Status support | Codename, working name | Supported architectures | Editions | OS type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows NT 3.1 | 1993-07-27 | 3.1 | 528 | 528 SP3 (1994-11-10) |
Unsupported (2000-12-31) |
New Technology OS/2 | IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS | Workstation, Advanced Server |
Workstation, Server |
| Windows NT 3.5 | 1994-09-21 | 3.5 | 807 | 807 SP3 (1995-06-21) |
Unsupported (2001-12-31) |
Daytona | IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC[1] | Workstation, Server |
Workstation, Server |
| Windows NT 3.51 | 1995-05-30 | 3.51 | 1057 | 1057 SP5 (1996-09-19) |
Unsupported (2001-12-31) |
N/A | IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC | Workstation, Server |
Workstation, Server |
| Windows NT 4.0 | 1996-07-31 | 4.0 | 1381 | 1381 SP6a (1999-11-30) |
Unsupported (2004-06-30) |
Cairo/Shell Update Release Hydra (Terminal Server) Impala (Embedded) |
IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC | Workstation, Server, Server Enterprise Edition, Terminal Server, Embedded |
Workstation, Server, Embedded PCs |
| Windows 2000 | 1999-12-15 | 5.0 | 2195 | SP4 Rollup 1 v2 (2005-09-13) |
Unsupported (2010-07-13) |
Memphis NT | IA-32 | Professional, Server, Advanced Server, Datacenter Server, Powered (Embedded) |
Desktop, Workstation, Server, Embedded PCs |
| Windows XP | 2001-08-24 | 5.1 | 2600 | 2600 SP3 (2008-04-21) |
Unsupported (2014-04-08) |
Whistler | IA-32, IA-64, x86-64 | Home N K KN, Professional N K KN x64, Media Center, Tablet PC, Starter, Embedded |
Desktop, Workstation, Embedded PCs |
| Windows Server 2003 | 2003-04-24 | 5.2 | 3790 | 3790 SP2 (2007-03-13) |
Unsupported (2015-07-14) |
Whistler Server, Windows .NET Server | IA-32, IA-64, x86-64 | Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Web, Storage, Small Business Server, Compute Cluster |
Server, Network Appliance, Embedded PCs, HPC |
| Windows Server 2003 R2 | 2005 | 5.2 | 3790 | ? | Unsupported (2015-07-14) |
? | IA-32, x86-64 | Server, Network Appliance, Embedded PCs, HPC | |
| Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs | 2006-07-08 | 5.1 | 2600 | N/A | Unsupported (2014-04-08) |
Eiger, Monch | IA-32 | Fundamentals for Legacy PCs | Desktop |
| Windows Vista | 2006-11-30 | 6.0 | 6000 | 6002 SP2 (2009-04-28) |
Unsupported (2017-04-11) |
Longhorn | IA-32, x86-64 | Starter, Home Basic N K KN, Home Premium K KN, Business N K KN, Enterprise K KN, Ultimate K KN |
Desktop, Workstation |
| Windows Home Server | 2007-11-04 | 5.2 | 3790 | N/A | Unsupported (2013-01-08) |
Q, Quattro | IA-32, x86-64 | Home Server | Server |
| Windows Server 2008 | 2008-02-04 | 6.0 | 6001 | 6002 SP2 (2009-04-28) |
Unsupported (2020-01-14) |
Longhorn Server | IA-32, IA-64, x86-64 | Web Core, Standard Core wHV CwHV, Enterprise Core wHV CwHV, Small Business Server, Datacenter Core wHV CwHV, HPC, HyperV Core, Foundation, Storage |
Server |
| Windows 7 | 2009-07-22 | 6.1 | 7600 | 7601 SP1 | Unsupported (2020-01-14) |
"7" | IA-32, x86-64 | Starter N K KN, Home Basic N K KN, Home Premium N K KN, Professional N K KN, Ultimate N K KN, Enterprise N K KN |
Desktop, Workstation, Multi-Touch |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | 2009-07-22 | 6.1 | 7600 | 7601 SP1 | Unsupported (2020-01-14) |
"7" Server | IA-64, x86-64 | Standard Core, Enterprise Core, Datacenter Core, Web Core |
Server |
| Windows Home Server 2011 | 2011-04-06 | 6.1 | 8400 | N/A | Unsupported (2016-04-12) |
Vail | x86-64 | Home Server | Server |
| Windows Server 2012 | 2012-08-01 | 6.2 | 9200 | N/A | Supported (2023-10-10) |
"8" Server | x86-64 | Foundation Essentials Standard Datacenter |
Server |
| Windows 8 | 2012-08-01 | 6.2 | 9200 | N/A | Unsupported (2016-01-12) |
"8" | IA-32, x86-64, ARMv7 | Windows 8 N, Pro N, Enterprise N K KN, Windows RT |
Desktop, Workstation, Multitouch |
| Windows 8.1 | 2013-08-27 | 6.3 | 9600 | N/A | Supported (2023-01-10) |
"Blue" | IA-32, x86-64, ARMv7 | Windows 8 N, Pro N, Enterprise N K KN, Windows RT 8.1 |
Desktop, Workstation, Multitouch |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | 2013-10-18 | 6.3 | 9600 | N/A | Supported (2023-10-10) |
"Blue" Server | x86-64 | Foundation Essentials Standard Datacenter |
Server |
| Windows 10 | 2015-07-29 | 10.0 | 10240 | N/A | Unsupported (2017-05-09) |
"Threshold" | IA-32, x86-64, ARMv7, ARM64 since 1709 | Home N KN, Pro N KN, Enterprise N KN, Education N KN, Mobile, Mobile Enterprise, IoT Core |
Desktop, Workstation, Multitouch, Smartphones, PDAs, IoT |
| 2015-11-12 | 10586 | N/A | Unsupported (2017-10-10) |
"Threshold 2" | |||||
| 2016-08-01 | 14393 | N/A | Unsupported (2018-04-10) |
"Redstone" | |||||
| 2017-04-11 | 15063 | N/A | Unsupported (2018-10-09) |
"Redstone 2" | |||||
| 2017-10-17 | 16299 | N/A | Unsupported (2019-04-09) |
"Redstone 3" | |||||
| 2018-04-30 | 17134 | N/A | Unsupported
(2019-11-12) |
"Redstone 4" | |||||
| 2018-10-02 | 17763 | N/A | Supported | "Redstone 5" | |||||
| 2019-05-21 | 18362 | 18362.239 | "19H1" | ||||||
| 2019-11-12 | 18363 | N/A | |||||||
| 2020-05-27 | 19041 | N/A | |||||||
| Windows Server 2016 | 2016-09-26 | 14393 | N/A | Supported | "Redstone" Server | x86-64 | Essentials
Standard Datacenter |
Server | |
| Windows Server 2019 | 2018-10-02 | 17763 | N/A | Supported | "Redstone" Server 5 | x86-64 | Essentials
Standard Datacenter |
Server | |
| Name | Release date | Version | RTM build | Latest build | Status support | Codename, working name | Supported architectures | Editions | OS type |
Windows Embedded Compact
Windows Embedded Compact (Windows CE) is a variation of Microsoft's Windows operating system for minimalistic computers and embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinctly different kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows. It is supported on Intel x86 and compatibles, MIPS, ARM, and Hitachi SuperH processors.
| Release date | RTM build | Current version | Status support | Codename | Based on (kernel) | Kernel type | Operating environments | Editions | Purpose | Short description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows CE 1.0 | 1996-11 | Pegasus, Alder | CE 1.0 | Embedded | first release of Microsoft's Windows CE line for minimalistic computers and embedded systems | ||||||
| Windows CE 2.0 | 1997-11 | Mercury, Apollo | CE 2.0 | 2.1, 2.11 | Embedded | ||||||
| Windows CE 3.0 | 2000-04 | Unsupported (2007-10-09) |
Cedar, Galileo, Rapier, Merlin, Stinger | CE 3.0 | Embedded kernel | Embedded | |||||
| Windows CE 4.0 | 2002-01-07 | Talisker | CE 4.0 | 4.1, 4.2 | Embedded | ||||||
| Windows CE 5.0 | 2004-07-09 | 5.0 (2004-07-09) | Unsupported (2014-10-14) |
Macallan | CE 5.0 | Embedded kernel | Embedded | ||||
| Windows Embedded CE 6.0 | 2006-11-01 | Unsupported (2018-04-10) | Yamazaki | CE 6.0 | Hybrid kernel | ||||||
| Windows Embedded Compact 7 | 2011-03-01 | ? | ? | Supported (2021-04-13) | Chelan | CE 7.0 | Hybrid | ?
Standard, POSReady |
|||
| Windows Embedded Compact 2013 | 2013-08-11 | Update 17 (2017-11-15) | Supported (2023-10-10) | N/A | CE 8.0 | Standard
Industry (8.0, 8.1) Handheld |
Embedded |
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is Microsoft's discontinued line of operating systems for smartphones.
| Name | Release date | RTM build | Current version | Status support | Codename | Based on (kernel) | Supported architectures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Pocket PC 2000 | 2000-04-19 | Unsupported (2007-09-10) | Raiper | CE 3.0 | |||
| Windows Pocket PC 2002 | 2001-10-01 | Unsupported (2008-10-14) | Merlin | CE 3.0 | |||
| Windows Mobile 2003 | 2003-06-23 | Ozone | CE 4.20 | ||||
| Windows Mobile 5.0 | 2005-05-9/12 | Magneto | CE 5.0 | ||||
| Windows Mobile 6.0 | 2007-02-12 | Crossbow | CE 5.2 | ||||
| Windows Mobile 6.1 | 2008-04-01 | ||||||
| Windows Mobile 6.5 | 2009-05-18 |
Windows Phone
Windows Phone is Microsoft's discontinued line of operating systems for smartphones.
| Name | Release date | RTM build | Current version | Status support | Codename | Based on (kernel) | Supported architectures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Phone 7 | 2010-11-08 | 7004 | 7.10.8862 | End of life | Photon | CE 6.0 | ARM |
| Windows Phone 7.5 | 2011-09-27 | 7720 | End of life | Mango | CE 6.1 | ARM | |
| Windows Phone 7.8 | 2013-02-01 | 8858 | End of life | CE 6.1 | ARM | ||
| Windows Phone 8 | 2012-10-29 | 10211 | 10.0.10586 | End of life | Apollo, Portico | NT 6.2 | ARM |
| Windows Phone 8.1 | 2014-04-14 | 12359 | End of life | Blue | NT 6.3 | ARM | |
| Windows 10 Mobile | 2015-11-08 | 10586 | End of life | Threshold | NT 10.0 | ARM |
Technical information
DOS shells
| Name | Architecture | Integrated firewall | SMP support | USB support | UDMA support | LFN support | Update management | APIs | Safe Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 1.0 | x86 16-bit | No | No | No | No | No | No | Win16 | No |
| Windows 2.0 | x86 16-bit | No | No | No | No | No | No | Win16 | No |
| Windows 2.1x | x86 16-bit | No | No | No | No | No | No | Win16 | No |
| Windows 3.0 | x86 16-bit | No | No | No | No | No | No | Win16 | No |
| Windows 3.1x | x86 16-bit (partial 32-bit compatibility through Win32s) | No | No | No | No | No | No | Win16, Win32s | No |
Windows 9x
| Name | Kernel | Kernel type | Architecture | Integrated firewall | SMP support | USB support | UDMA support | LFN support | Update management | APIs | DDIs | Safe Mode | DirectX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 95 | MS-DOS 7.0 (Win95, Win95A), MS-DOS 7.1 (Win95B, Win95C) | Monolithic kernel | x86, hybrid 16/32-bit | No | No | Partial (OSR 2.1/2.5 only) [2] | No | Yes | Windows Update | Win16, Win32 | DOS,DLL,VxD, WDM(USB-only), direct-access |
Yes | n/a(RTM/OSR1) 2.0a(OSR2/2.1) 5.0(OSR2.5) 8.0a(optional) |
| Windows 98 | MS-DOS 7.1 | Monolithic kernel | x86, hybrid 16/32-bit | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows Update | Win16, Win32 | DOS,DLL,VxD, WDM(partial), direct-access |
Yes | 5.2 9.0c(oct2006)(optional) |
| Windows 98 Second Edition | MS-DOS 7.1 | Monolithic kernel | x86, hybrid 16/32-bit | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows Update | Win16, Win32 | DOS,DLL,VxD, WDM(partial), direct-access |
Yes | 6.1a 9.0c(oct2006)(optional) |
| Windows Me | MS-DOS 8.0 | Monolithic kernel | x86, hybrid 16/32-bit | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows Update | Win16, Win32 | DLL,VxD, WDM(partial), direct-access |
Yes | 7.1 9.0c(oct2006)(optional) |
It is possible to install the MS-DOS variants 7.0 and 7.1 without the graphics user interface of Windows. If an independent installation of both, DOS and Windows is desired, DOS ought to be installed prior to Windows, at the start of a small partition. The system must be transferred by the (dangerous) "SYSTEM" DOS-command, while the other files constituting DOS can simply be copied (the files located in the DOS-root and the entire COMMAND directory). Such a stand-alone installation of MS-DOS 8 is not possible, as it's designed to work as real mode for Windows Me and nothing else.
Windows NT
The Windows NT kernel powers all recent Windows operating systems. It runs on IA-32, x64 and Itanium processors.
| Name | Architecture | Store | Integrated firewall | SMP support | USB support | UDMA support | Long filename support | Package management | Update management | APIs | DDIs | Safe Mode | Data Execution Prevention | DirectX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows NT 3.1 | IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS | N/A | No | Yes | No | ? | Yes (NTFS and HPFS volumes only) | N/A | Win32, OS/2, POSIX | DLL, KMD | No | No | No | |
| Windows NT 3.5 | IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS | N/A | No | Yes | No | ? | Yes (except on CDFS volumes) | N/A | Win32, OS/2, POSIX | DLL, KMD | No | No | No | |
| Windows NT 3.51 | IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC | N/A | No | Yes | No | ? | Yes (except on CDFS volumes) | N/A | Win32, OS/2, POSIX | DLL, KMD | No | No | No | |
| Windows NT 4.0 | IA-32, DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC | N/A | No | Yes | Yes (if the Ion USB update is installed) | Yes | Yes | N/A | Windows Update (if Internet Explorer 5 or later is installed) | Win32, OS/2, POSIX | DLL, KMD | No | No | Yes 3.0a, 5.0(unofficial) |
| Windows 2000 | IA-32 | N/A | No | Yes | Yes (USB 2.0 with update or SP4)[3] | Yes | Yes | N/A | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32, OS/2, POSIX | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF | Yes | No | Yes 7.0, 9.0c(feb2010)(optional) |
| Windows XP | IA-32(NT5.1), Itanium(NT5.1/5.2), x64(NT5.2) | N/A | Yes | Yes (Professional Edition only) | Yes (USB 2.0 with update or SP1+)[4] | Yes | Yes | N/A | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32, .NET | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | Yes | Yes (in SP2) | Yes 9.0c |
| Windows Server 2003 | IA-32, Itanium, x64 | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 2.0)[5] | Yes | Yes | N/A | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32 | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | Yes | Yes (in SP1) | Yes 9.0c |
| Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs | IA-32 | N/A | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32 | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | Yes | Yes | Yes 9.0c |
| Windows Vista | IA-32, x64 | Windows Marketplace | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 2.0) | Yes | Yes | N/A | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32, .NET, POSIX (only Enterprise and Ultimate) | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | Yes | Yes | Yes 10.1 11.0(optional) |
| Windows Server 2008 | IA-32, Itanium, x64 | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 2.0) | Yes | Yes | N/A | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32 | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | Yes | Yes | Yes 10.1 11.0(optional) |
| Windows Home Server | IA-32 | N/A | ? | Yes | Yes (USB 2.0) | ? | Yes | N/A | Windows Update | Win32 | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | ? | ? | Yes 9.0c |
| Windows 7 | IA-32, x64 | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 3.0) | Yes | Yes | N/A | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32, .NET | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | Yes | Yes | Yes 11.0 11.1(optional) |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | Itanium, x64 | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 3.0) | Yes | Yes | N/A | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32, .NET | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | Yes | Yes | Yes 11.0 11.1(optional) |
| Windows Home Server 2011 | x64 | N/A | ? | Yes | Yes (USB 3.0) | ? | Yes | N/A | Windows Update | Win32 | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | ? | ? | Yes 11.0 11.1(optional) |
| Windows Server 2012 | x64 | Windows Store | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 3.0) | Yes | Yes | Windows Store | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32, .NET, WinRT | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | Yes | Yes | Yes 11.1 |
| Windows 8 | IA-32, x64 | Windows Store | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 3.0) | Yes | Yes | Windows Store | Windows Update, WSUS | Win32, .NET, WinRT | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1 | Yes | Yes | Yes 11.1 |
| Windows 8.1 | IA-32, x64 | Windows Store | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 3.0) | Yes | Yes | Windows Store, PowerShell | Windows Update, WSUS, Windows Store | Win32, .NET, WinRT | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1, UMDFv2 | Yes | Yes | Yes 11.2 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | x64 | Windows Store | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 3.0) | Yes | Yes | Windows Store | Windows Update, WSUS, Windows Store | Win32, .NET, WinRT | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1, UMDFv2 | Yes | Yes | Yes 11.2 |
| Windows 10 | IA-32, x64 | Windows Store | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3) | Yes | Yes | Windows Store, PowerShell | Windows Update, WSUS, Windows Store | Win32, .NET, WinRT, Linux | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1, UMDFv2 | Yes | Yes | Yes 12 |
| Windows Server 2016 | x64 | Windows Store | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3) | Yes | Yes | Windows Store | Windows Update, WSUS, Windows Store | Win32, .NET, WinRT | DLL, KMD, WDM, KMDF, UMDFv1, UMDFv2 | Yes | Yes | Yes 12 |
Windows Phone
| Name | Architecture | Integrated firewall | SMP support | USB support | UDMA support | Package management | APIs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Phone 8 | ARMv7 | Yes | Yes | Yes (USB 2.0) | Yes | Windows Phone Store | Silverlight |
| Windows Phone 8.1 | ARMv7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows Phone Store | Silverlight WinRT |
| Windows 10 Mobile | ARMv7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Microsoft Store |
Supported file systems
Various versions of Windows support various file systems, including: FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, HPFS, or NTFS, along with network file systems shared from other computers, and the ISO 9660 and UDF file systems used for CDs, DVDs, and other optical discs such as Blu-ray. Each file system is usually limited in application to certain media, for example CDs must use ISO 9660 or UDF, and as of Windows Vista, NTFS is the only file system which the operating system can be installed on. Windows Embedded CE 6.0, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and Windows Server 2008 onwards support exFAT, a file system more suitable for USB flash drives.
Windows 9x
| FAT12 | FAT16 | FAT32 | HPFS | ISO 9660 | NTFS | UDF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 95 | Yes | Yes | Yes (OSR2 or above) | Network Drive | Yes | Network Drive | No |
| Windows 98 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Network Drive | Yes | Network Drive | Yes (1.5, read) |
| Windows Me | Yes | Yes | Yes | Network Drive | Yes | Network Drive | Yes (1.5, read) |
Windows NT
| FAT12 | FAT16 | FAT32 | HPFS | ISO 9660 | NTFS | exFAT | UDF | ReFS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows NT 3.1, 3.5, 3.51 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes v1.0/v1.1 | No | ? | No |
| Windows NT 4.0 | Yes | Yes | No | Partial | Yes | Yes v1.2 | No | ? | No |
| Windows 2000 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v3.0 | No | Yes | No |
| Windows XP | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v3.1 | Optional | Yes (2.01) | No |
| Windows Server 2003 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v3.1 | Optional | Yes | No |
| Windows Vista | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes (2.6) | No |
| Windows Server 2008 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows 7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes (2.6) | Yes |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes (2.6) | Yes |
| Windows Server 2012 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes (2.6) | Yes |
| Windows 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes (2.6) | No |
| Windows 8.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes (2.6) | Yes |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes (2.6) | Yes |
| Windows 10 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes (2.6) | Yes |
| Windows Server 2016 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes v5 | Yes | Yes (2.6) | Yes |
Windows Phone
| FAT12 | FAT16 | FAT32 | HPFS | ISO 9660 | NTFS | UDF (More Info) | ReFS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Phone 8 | ? | Yes | Yes | No | ? | Yes v5 | ? | No |
| Windows Phone 8.1 | ? | Yes | Yes | No | ? | Yes v5 | ? | No |
| Windows 10 Mobile | ? | Yes | Yes | No | ? | Yes v5 | ? | ? |
Hardware requirements
Installing Windows requires an internal or external optical drive. A keyboard and mouse are the recommended input devices, though some versions support a touchscreen. For operating systems prior to Vista, the drive must be capable of reading CD media, while in Windows Vista onwards, the drive must be DVD-compatible. The drive may be detached after installing Windows.
Windows 9x
| CPU | RAM | Free disk space | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 95 | 386 | 4 MB | 120 MB |
| Windows 98 | 486 DX2 66 MHz | 16 MB | 300 MB |
| Windows Me (Millennium Edition) | Pentium 150 MHz | 32 MB | 400 MB |
Windows NT
| Version | CPU | RAM | Free disk space | Video adapter and monitor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Recommended | ||||
| Windows NT 3.51 Workstation | 386, 25 MHz | 8 MB | 16 MB | 90 MB | VGA (640x480) |
| Windows NT 4.0 Workstation | 486, 33 MHz | 12 MB | ? | 110 MB | |
| Windows 2000 Professional | 133 MHz | 32 MB | 128 MB | 650 MB | |
| Windows XP | 233 MHz | 64 MB | 128 MB | 1.5 GB | Super VGA (800x600) |
| Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs | 500 MB | ||||
| Windows XP 64-Bit Edition | 700 MHz Itanium[6] | 1 GB[6] | ? | 6 GB[6] | |
| Windows Server 2003 | 1 GHz (x86) or 1.4 GHz (x64) | 128 MB | 256 MB | 2 GB (x86) 4 GB (x64) | |
| Windows Vista | 800 MHz | 384 MB (Starter) 512 MB (others) |
2 GB | 15 GB (~6.5 GB for OS) |
Super VGA (800x600) WDDM & DirectX 9 for Aero |
| Windows Server 2008 | 1 GHz (x86) or 1.4 GHz (x64) | 2 GB | 10 GB | ||
| Windows 7 | 1 GHz | 1 GB (x86) 2 GB (x64) |
4 GB | 16 GB (x86) 20 GB (x64) (~6.5 GB for OS) | |
| Windows Server 2012 | 1.4 GHz (x86-64) | 512 MB | 1 GB | 10 GB | Super VGA (800x600), 32-bit color |
| Windows 8 | 1 GHz | 1 GB (x86) 2 GB (x64) |
4 GB | 16 GB (x86) 20 GB (x64) (~6.5 GB for OS) |
Super VGA (800x600), 32-bit color 1024 x 768 for Windows Store apps 1366 x 768 to snap apps |
| Windows 10 | 1 GHz or faster processor or SoC | 1 GB (x86) 2 GB (x64) |
4 GB | 16 GB (x86) 20 GB (x64) |
Super VGA (800x600), 32-bit color |
| Windows Server 2016 | 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor | 512 MB ECC
2 GB with Desktop Experience installed[8] |
depends on role | 32 GB | Super VGA (1024 x768) |
Windows Phone
| Version | CPU | RAM | Free disk space | Video adapter and monitor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Recommended | ||||
| Windows Phone 7 | 0.8 GHz | 256 MB | N/A | 4 GB | WVGA (800 × 480) |
| Windows Phone 8 | 1 GHz | 512 MB | N/A | 8 GB | WVGA (800 × 480) |
| Windows Phone 8.1 | 1 GHz | 512 MB | N/A | 4 GB | WVGA (800 × 480) |
| Windows 10 Mobile | 1 GHz | 1 GB | 2 GB | 8 GB | WVGA (800 × 480) |
Physical memory limits
Maximum limits on physical memory (RAM) that Windows can address vary depending on both the Windows version and between IA-32 and x64 versions.[9][10]
Windows 9x
- Windows 95: 480 MB[11]
- Windows 98: 1 GB
- Windows Me: 1.5 GB
Windows NT
| Operating system | Limit on IA-32 | Limit on x64 |
|---|---|---|
| Windows NT 4.0 | 4 GB | N/A |
| Windows 2000 Professional/Server | 4 GB | N/A |
| Windows 2000 Advanced Server | 8 GB | N/A |
| Windows 2000 Datacenter | 32 GB | N/A |
| Windows XP Starter | 512 MB | N/A |
| Windows XP Home | 4 GB | N/A |
| Windows XP Professional | 4 GB | 128 GB |
| Windows Server 2003 RTM Web | 2 GB | N/A |
| Windows Server 2003 RTM Standard/Small Business | 4 GB | N/A |
| Windows Server 2003 RTM Enterprise/Datacenter | 64 GB | N/A |
| Windows Server 2003 R2/SP1 Standard | 4 GB | 32 GB |
| Windows Server 2003 R2/SP1 Enterprise/Datacenter | 64 GB | 1 TB |
| Windows Vista Starter | 1 GB | N/A |
| Windows Vista Home Basic | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Windows Vista Home Premium | 4 GB | 16 GB |
| Windows Vista Business/Enterprise/Ultimate | 4 GB | 128 GB |
| Windows Home Server | 4 GB | N/A |
| Windows Server 2008 Web Server/Standard/Small Business | 4 GB | 32 GB |
| Windows HPC Server 2008 | N/A | 128 GB |
| Windows Server 2008 Enterprise/Datacenter | 64 GB | 1 TB |
| Windows 7 Starter | 2 GB | N/A |
| Windows 7 Home Basic | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Windows 7 Home Premium | 4 GB | 16 GB |
| Windows 7 Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate | 4 GB | 192 GB |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation | N/A | 8 GB |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 Web Server/Standard | N/A | 32 GB |
| Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 | N/A | 128 GB |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise/Datacenter | N/A | 2 TB |
| Windows 8 | 4 GB | 128 GB |
| Windows 8 Pro/Enterprise | 4 GB | 512 GB |
| Windows Server 2012 Foundation | N/A | 32 GB |
| Windows Server 2012 Essentials | N/A | 64 GB |
| Windows Server 2012 Standard/Datacenter | N/A | 4 TB |
| Windows Storage Server 2012 Standard | N/A | 4 TB |
| Windows Storage Server 2012 Workgroup | N/A | 32 GB |
| Hyper-V Server 2012 | N/A | 4 TB |
| Windows 10 Mobile | 4 GB | N/A |
| Windows 10 Home | 4 GB | 128 GB |
| Windows 10 Pro | 4 GB | 2 TB |
| Windows 10 Education | 4 GB | 2 TB |
| Windows 10 Enterprise | 4 GB | 6 TB |
| Windows Server 2016 Standard | N/A | 24 TB |
| Windows Server 2016 Datacenter | N/A | 24 TB |
Security features
| Resource access control | Subsystem isolation mechanisms | Integrated firewall | Encrypted file systems | Defender | Windows Hello | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 2000 | ACLs | TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes (NTFS only) | No | No | |
| Windows XP | ACLs | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall (from SP2), TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes (NTFS only) | Optional | No |
| Windows Server 2003 | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Optional | No |
| Windows Vista | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows Server 2008 | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows 7 | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows Server 2012 | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows 8 | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows 8.1 | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows 10 | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server 2016 | ACLs, Privileges, RBAC | Win32 WindowStation, Desktop, Job objects | Windows Firewall, TCP/IP Filtering, IPSec | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Features
| Version | Shell | Visual styles | Browser | Web server | Windows Media Player | Command-line interpreter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 1.0 | MS-DOS executive | (Unnamed) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Windows 2.0 | MS-DOS executive | (Unnamed) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Windows 3.0 | Program Manager | (Unnamed) | N/A | N/A | 3.0 (Multimedia Extension edition only) | N/A |
| Windows 3.1x | Program Manager | (Unnamed) | N/A | N/A | 3.1 | N/A |
| Windows 95 | Windows shell | Classic | Internet Explorer 1 in OEM RTM Internet Explorer 2 in OSR1 Internet Explorer 3 in OSR2 and OSR2.1 Internet Explorer 4 in OSR2.5 |
N/A | 4.0 | COMMAND.COM |
| Windows NT 4.0 | Windows shell | Classic | Internet Explorer 2 Internet Explorer 3 (in some localized editions) |
PWS | 4.0 | COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE |
| Windows 98 | Windows shell | Classic | Internet Explorer 4.01 | PWS | 4.0 | COMMAND.COM |
| Windows 98 SE | Windows shell | Classic | Internet Explorer 5 | PWS | 4.0 | COMMAND.COM |
| Windows 2000 | Windows shell | Classic | Internet Explorer 5.01 | IIS 5.0 | 5.0 and 6.4 (side by side) | COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE |
| Windows Me | Windows shell | Classic | Internet Explorer 5.5 | N/A | 6.4 and 7.0 (side by side) | COMMAND.COM |
| Windows XP | Windows shell | Luna (default), Classic | Internet Explorer 6 | IIS 5.1 | 5.1, 6.4 and 8 (in RTM) 5.1, 6.4 and 9 (in SP2) |
COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE, PowerShell (optional) |
| Windows Server 2003 | Windows shell | Classic (default), Luna | Internet Explorer 6 | IIS 6.0 | 9 (in RTM), 10 (in SP1) | COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE, PowerShell (optional) |
| Windows Vista | Windows shell | Aero (default), Classic | Internet Explorer 7 | IIS 7 | 11 | COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE, PowerShell (optional) |
| Windows Server 2008 | Windows shell, Server Core | Classic (default), Aero (via "Desktop Experience") | Internet Explorer 7 | IIS 7 | 11 (enabled by installing "Desktop Experience") | COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE, PowerShell (optional) |
| Windows 7 | Windows shell | Aero (default), Classic | Internet Explorer 8 | IIS 7.5 | 12 | COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE, PowerShell v2.0 |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows shell, Server Core | Classic (default), Aero (via "Desktop Experience") | Internet Explorer 8 | IIS 7.5 | 12 (via "Desktop Experience") | CMD.EXE, PowerShell v2.0 |
| Windows Server 2012 | Windows shell, Server Core | Metro | Internet Explorer 10 | IIS 8 | 12 (via "Desktop Experience") | CMD.EXE, PowerShell v3.0 |
| Windows 8 | Windows shell | Metro | Internet Explorer 10 | IIS 8 | 12 | COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE, PowerShell v3.0 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | Windows shell, Windows server core | Metro | Internet Explorer 11 | IIS 8.5 | 12 (via "Desktop Experience") | CMD.EXE, PowerShell v4.0 |
| Windows 8.1 | Windows shell | Metro | Internet Explorer 11 | IIS 8.5 | 12 | COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE, PowerShell v4.0 |
| Windows 10 | Windows shell | Metro | Internet Explorer 11 Microsoft Edge 12-13 |
IIS 10.0 | 12 | COMMAND.COM, CMD.EXE, PowerShell v5.0 |
| Windows Server 2016 | Windows shell, Windows server core | Metro | Internet Explorer 11 Microsoft Edge 13 |
IIS 10.0 | 12 (via "Desktop Experience") | CMD.EXE, PowerShell v5.0 |
| Windows Server 2019 | Windows shell, Windows server core | Metro | Internet Explorer 11 Microsoft Edge 13 |
IIS 10.0 | 12 (via "Desktop Experience") | CMD.EXE, PowerShell v5.0 |
Timeline
See also
Other lists
Windows clones and emulators
- Freedows OS – Windows clone
- ReactOS – project to develop an operating system that is binary compatible with application software and device drivers for Microsoft Windows NT version 5.x
- Wine (software) – compatibility layer which allows to execute programs that were originally written for Microsoft Windows
References
- https://archive.org/details/NT3.5PPC
- Availability of Universal Serial Bus Support in Windows 95 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253756/EN-US
- "Updated USB 2.0 Drivers Are Available in Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4)". Microsoft Support. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- Jones, Don (August 5, 2002). "USB 2.0 Support in Windows XP: High Speed at Last". Microsoft. Archived from the original on December 31, 2004. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- "USB 2.0 and Windows Operating Systems". Windows Hardware Development. May 11, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- "Release Notes for Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Setup". Microsoft. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- "Windows Vista Starter Fact Sheet". Microsoft. December 2007.
- jaimeo. "System Requirements". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
- "What is the maximum amount of RAM the Windows operating system can handle?". Crucial. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- "Memory Limits for Windows Releases". Microsoft. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- Chen, Raymond. "Windows 95 doesn't boot with more than 1GB of RAM".
External links
 |
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Basic Computing Using Windows |
Operating systems by Microsoft | |
|---|---|
| Desktop / Server | |
| Mobile | |
| Embedded / IoT | |
| Network | |
| Others | |
| |
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