History of Microsoft Windows in Timeline

Microsoft Windows is a proprietary graphical operating system developed by Microsoft. It's organized into families like Windows for PCs, Windows Server, and Windows IoT. Within these families, editions like Home, Professional, Education, and Enterprise cater to different user needs. Windows is available for retail purchase and is also pre-installed on computers by manufacturers.

1981: Microsoft Begins Work on "Interface Manager"

In 1981, Microsoft initiated development on a program called "Interface Manager", which would later become Windows.

November 1983: Windows Name Announcement

In November 1983, Microsoft announced its "Interface Manager" under the new name "Windows".

November 1985: Windows 1.0 Release

In November 1985, Windows 1.0 was released. It was designed to compete with Apple's operating system but did not achieve widespread popularity. Windows 1.0 was an extension of MS-DOS, using the MS-DOS Executive as its shell and included components such as Calculator, Calendar, and Notepad. Windows 1.0 did not allow overlapping windows.

November 20, 1985: Windows 1.0 Release

On November 20, 1985, Windows 1.0, the first version of Windows, was released as a graphical operating system shell for MS-DOS, responding to the rising interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The name Windows referred to the windowing system in GUIs.

December 1987: Windows 2.0 Release

In December 1987, Windows 2.0 was released. It was more popular than its predecessor and included improvements to the user interface and memory management.

November 1988: Development of NT OS/2 Begins

In November 1988, Microsoft began development of a revamped version of IBM and Microsoft's OS/2 operating system, known as "NT OS/2".

1990: Windows 3.0 Release

In 1990, Windows 3.0 was released, featuring an improved design with virtual memory and loadable virtual device drivers (VxDs). Applications could run in protected mode with access to several megabytes of memory. It was the first version of Windows to achieve broad commercial success, selling 2 million copies in the first six months.

March 1, 1992: Windows 3.1 Release

On March 1, 1992, Windows 3.1 was generally made available, featuring a facelift.

October 1992: Windows for Workgroups Release

In October 1992, Windows for Workgroups, a special version with integrated peer-to-peer networking features, was released. It was sold alongside Windows 3.1.

July 1993: Windows NT 3.1 Release

In July 1993, Windows NT 3.1 was released, with versions for desktop workstations and servers.

1993: Copyright Lawsuit Settled

In 1993, the copyright lawsuit filed by Apple Computer against Microsoft over overlapping windows in Windows 2.03 was settled in court in Microsoft's favor.

September 1994: Windows NT 3.5 Release

In September 1994, Windows NT 3.5 was released, focusing on performance improvements and support for Novell's NetWare.

1994: Windows 3.2 Release

In 1994, Windows 3.2 was released as an updated Chinese version of Windows 3.1. The update was specific to the Chinese language version, addressing issues related to its complex writing system.

May 1995: Windows NT 3.51 Release

In May 1995, Windows NT 3.51 was released, including additional improvements and support for the PowerPC architecture.

August 24, 1995: Windows 95 Release

On August 24, 1995, Windows 95 was released. While still based on MS-DOS, it introduced support for native 32-bit applications, plug and play hardware, preemptive multitasking, long file names, and a redesigned user interface with the Start menu, taskbar, and Windows Explorer shell. Windows 95 was a major commercial success for Microsoft.

June 1996: Windows NT 4.0 Release

In June 1996, Windows NT 4.0 was released, introducing the redesigned interface of Windows 95 to the NT series.

June 25, 1998: Windows 98 Release

On June 25, 1998, Windows 98 was released, introducing the Windows Driver Model, support for USB composite devices, ACPI, hibernation, and multi-monitor configurations. It also integrated Internet Explorer 4 through Active Desktop and other aspects of the Windows Desktop Update.

June 1999: Windows 98 Second Edition Release

In June 1999, Microsoft released Windows 98 Second Edition, an updated version of Windows 98 that added Internet Explorer 5.0 and Windows Media Player 6.2 amongst other upgrades.

February 17, 2000: Windows 2000 Release

On February 17, 2000, Microsoft released Windows 2000, a successor to NT 4.0. The Windows NT name was dropped at this point to emphasize the Windows brand.

September 14, 2000: Windows Me Release

On September 14, 2000, Microsoft released Windows Me (Millennium Edition), the last DOS-based version of Windows. It introduced visual interface enhancements from Windows 2000, faster boot times, expanded multimedia functionality with Windows Media Player 7 and Windows Movie Maker, additional system utilities like System File Protection and System Restore, and updated home networking tools. However, Windows Me faced criticism for speed and instability.

2000: Release Schedules Changed

After Windows 2000, Microsoft changed its release schedules for server operating systems.

2000: Windows 2000 Platform Support

In 2000, Windows 2000 dropped support for all platforms except the third generation x86 (IA-32) or newer in 32-bit mode.

2000: Switch to Source Depot

Shortly after Windows 2000 was released, Microsoft switched to a fork of Perforce named Source Depot for version control.

2000: Windows 2000 and Multilingual Support

Since Windows 2000, English editions of Windows NT have East Asian IMEs bundled, but files for East Asian languages may be manually installed on Control Panel.

2000: Windows Update Service Security Patches

Starting in 2000, Microsoft releases security patches through its Windows Update service approximately once a month, typically on the second Tuesday. Critical updates are released more frequently when needed.

December 31, 2000: End of Mainstream Support for Windows 95

On December 31, 2000, Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 95.

August 24, 2001: Windows XP RTM

On August 24, 2001, Windows XP was released to manufacturing (RTM).

October 25, 2001: Windows XP General Release

On October 25, 2001, Windows XP was released to the general public. It aimed to unify the Windows 9x series with the Windows NT architecture, providing better performance. It introduced a redesigned user interface, streamlined multimedia and networking features, Internet Explorer 6, .NET Passport services integration, a compatibility mode, and Remote Assistance functionality.

December 31, 2001: End of Support for Windows 3.1

On December 31, 2001, Microsoft ended support for Windows 3.1.

June 30, 2002: End of Mainstream Support for Windows 98

On June 30, 2002, Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 98.

2002: "Trustworthy computing" Memo

In 2002, Bill Gates declared that security should become Microsoft's highest priority in a strategy memo entitled "Trustworthy computing" sent to every Microsoft employee.

April 2003: Windows Server 2003 Release

In April 2003, Windows Server 2003, the server counterpart of Windows XP, was released.

2003: Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (Version 2003) Release

In 2003, Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (Version 2003) was released, the last Windows client OS to support Itanium.

April 25, 2005: Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and Windows Server 2003 x64 Editions Release

On April 25, 2005, Microsoft released Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and Windows Server 2003 x64 editions to support x86-64 architecture.

March 2006: Windows Server 2003 R2 Release

In March 2006, Windows Server 2003 R2 was released.

July 11, 2006: End of Extended Support for Windows 98

On July 11, 2006, Microsoft ended extended support for Windows 98.

November 30, 2006: Windows Vista Volume Licensing Release

On November 30, 2006, Windows Vista was released for volume licensing.

January 30, 2007: Windows Vista General Release

On January 30, 2007, Windows Vista was officially released to the public. It featured a redesigned shell and user interface, significant technical changes with a focus on security, but received criticism for performance issues and the new UAC.

2008: Windows Server 2008 Release

In early 2008, the server counterpart to Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, was released.

2008: Windows Server 2008 Platform Support

The server line of the Windows NT family still ran on IA-32 up to Windows Server 2008.

April 14, 2009: End of Mainstream Support for Windows XP

On April 14, 2009, mainstream support for Windows XP ended.

July 22, 2009: Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM

On July 22, 2009, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 were released to manufacturing (RTM).

October 22, 2009: Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 General Release

On October 22, 2009, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 were officially released to the public. Windows 7 focused on being an incremental upgrade to Windows Vista with improved compatibility and introduced features like multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows shell, a home networking system called HomeGroup, and performance improvements.

October 26, 2012: Windows 8 General Release

On October 26, 2012, Windows 8 was released generally, introducing a new user interface based on Microsoft's Metro design language optimized for touch-based devices and a minimum resolution requirement of 1024x768 pixels.

2012: Language Control Panel in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

In 2012, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 introduced a new Language Control Panel where both the interface and input languages can be simultaneously changed, and language packs can be downloaded from a central location.

2012: Windows Server 2012 Itanium Support

Windows Server 2012 is the last Windows operating system to support Itanium architecture, released in 2012.

October 17, 2013: Windows 8.1 Release

On October 17, 2013, Windows 8.1, an update to Windows 8, was released, featuring new live tile sizes and deeper OneDrive integration.

2013: Git Integration into Team Foundation Server

In 2013, Microsoft had begun to integrate Git into Team Foundation Server, but Windows continued to rely on Source Depot.

2013: Vault 7 Leaks Detail CIA Capabilities

Leaked documents from 2013 to 2016 codenamed Vault 7 detail the capabilities of the CIA to compromise operating systems such as Windows.

April 8, 2014: End of Extended Support for Windows XP

On April 8, 2014, extended support for Windows XP ended.

September 30, 2014: Windows 10 Announcement

On September 30, 2014, Microsoft announced Windows 10 as the successor to Windows 8.1.

July 29, 2015: Windows 10 Release

On July 29, 2015, Windows 10 was released, addressing shortcomings of Windows 8, including the return of the Start Menu and virtual desktops.

2016: Vault 7 Leaks Detail CIA Capabilities

Leaked documents from 2013 to 2016 codenamed Vault 7 detail the capabilities of the CIA to compromise operating systems such as Windows.

February 2017: Migration of Windows Source Code Repository

In February 2017, Microsoft announced the migration of its Windows source code repository from Perforce to Git, involving 3.5 million files in a 300-gigabyte repository.

May 2017: Git Migration Completion

By May 2017, 90 percent of Microsoft's engineering team was using Git, resulting in about 8500 commits and 1760 Windows builds per day.

2017: Source Depot Inability to Keep Up

By 2017, Source Depot could not keep up with the size of Windows.

2018: Windows 10 Exceeds Windows 7 Globally

Since early 2018, use of Windows 10 has exceeded Windows 7 globally.

August 2019: BlueKeep and DejaBlue Security Vulnerabilities

In August 2019, computer experts reported the BlueKeep security vulnerability, CVE-2019-0708, affecting older unpatched Windows versions, and DejaBlue, affecting newer Windows versions. Also, Microsoft security vulnerability CVE-2019-1162, based on legacy code involving Microsoft CTF, affects all Windows versions from Windows XP to the then most recent Windows 10.

June 2021: End of Support Date for Windows 10

In June 2021, Microsoft updated the lifecycle policy for Windows 10, revealing that support for the last release of Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025.

June 24, 2021: Windows 11 Announcement

On June 24, 2021, Windows 11 was announced as the successor to Windows 10 during a livestream, emphasizing a more user-friendly design.

July 2021: Windows 365 Subscription Announcement

In July 2021, Microsoft announced that it will start selling subscriptions to virtualized Windows desktops as part of a new Windows 365 service in the following month, which will allow for cross-platform usage.

August 2, 2021: Windows 365 Availability

On August 2, 2021, Microsoft announced the availability of Windows 365 to business and enterprise customers.

August 2021: Windows OS Usage Share in August 2021

In August 2021, Windows OSes accounted for 32.67% of usage share across all personal computers, compared to Android (46.03%), iOS (13.76%), iPadOS (2.81%), and macOS (2.51%), according to Net Applications. According to StatCounter, Windows OSes accounted for 30.73% of usage share in August 2021, compared to Android (42.56%), iOS/iPadOS (16.53%), and macOS (6.51%).

October 5, 2021: Windows 11 Release

On October 5, 2021, Windows 11 was released.

2021: VFS for Git Superseded by Scalar

In 2021 the VFS for Git was superseded by Scalar.

May 2022: Windows 11 Free Upgrade

As of May 2022, Windows 11 is available as a free upgrade to Windows 10 users who meet the system requirements.

April 27, 2023: End of new Windows 10 versions

On April 27, 2023, Microsoft announced that version 22H2 would be the last version of Windows 10.

July 2024: Microsoft limits kernel access and improves security

In July 2024, Microsoft signalled an intention to limit kernel access and improve overall security, following a highly publicised CrowdStrike update that caused 8.5 million Windows PCs to crash. Part of that initiative is to rewrite parts of Windows in Rust, a memory-safe language.

2024: x64 Still Supported as of 2024

As of 2024, x64 is still supported by Windows.

October 14, 2025: End of Support for Windows 10

As announced in June 2021, on October 14, 2025, support for the last release of Windows 10 will end.

2025: End of Windows 10 Support

In 2025 Microsoft stopped offering support to Window 10 users, including providing security updates. Microsoft encouraged people to upgrade to Windows 11 or if this wasn't possible, to sign-up for extended security updates.

April 2026: Windows Market Share Update

As of April 2026, Windows holds a 79% market share as the most popular desktop operating system globally and is the second-most popular operating system overall, trailing only Android. Windows 11 is the most used desktop version of Windows, with a market share of 70% as of April 2026.

May 2026: Version Market Share Data

As of May 2026, here is a percentage of desktop and laptop systems using Microsoft Windows, according to StatCounter data.

2026: Windows product family based on Windows NT

As of 2026, all members of the Windows product family are based on Windows NT. The first version of Windows in that product line, Windows NT 3.1, was intended for server computing and corporate workstations. It now consists of four sub-families that tend to be released almost simultaneously and share the same kernel.