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)
  • 3.1 for Workgroups: Kato
  • 3.11: Snowball (LB)
  • 3.11 for Workgroups: Sparta
 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
* Has partial 32-bit compatibility with Win32s

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
^N has also an N-edition
^K has also an N-edition
^KN has also an N-edition
^x64 has a separate x64-edition
^Core has also a Core-edition
^wHV has also an edition without HyperV
^CwHV has also a Core-edition without HyperV

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)

[7]

 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 systemLimit on IA-32Limit on x64
Windows NT 4.04 GBN/A
Windows 2000 Professional/Server4 GBN/A
Windows 2000 Advanced Server8 GBN/A
Windows 2000 Datacenter32 GBN/A
Windows XP Starter512 MBN/A
Windows XP Home4 GBN/A
Windows XP Professional4 GB128 GB
Windows Server 2003 RTM Web2 GBN/A
Windows Server 2003 RTM Standard/Small Business4 GBN/A
Windows Server 2003 RTM Enterprise/Datacenter64 GBN/A
Windows Server 2003 R2/SP1 Standard4 GB32 GB
Windows Server 2003 R2/SP1 Enterprise/Datacenter64 GB1 TB
Windows Vista Starter1 GBN/A
Windows Vista Home Basic4 GB8 GB
Windows Vista Home Premium4 GB16 GB
Windows Vista Business/Enterprise/Ultimate4 GB128 GB
Windows Home Server4 GBN/A
Windows Server 2008 Web Server/Standard/Small Business4 GB32 GB
Windows HPC Server 2008N/A128 GB
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise/Datacenter64 GB1 TB
Windows 7 Starter2 GBN/A
Windows 7 Home Basic4 GB8 GB
Windows 7 Home Premium4 GB16 GB
Windows 7 Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate4 GB192 GB
Windows Server 2008 R2 FoundationN/A8 GB
Windows Server 2008 R2 Web Server/StandardN/A32 GB
Windows HPC Server 2008 R2N/A128 GB
Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise/DatacenterN/A2 TB
Windows 84 GB128 GB
Windows 8 Pro/Enterprise4 GB512 GB
Windows Server 2012 FoundationN/A32 GB
Windows Server 2012 EssentialsN/A64 GB
Windows Server 2012 Standard/DatacenterN/A4 TB
Windows Storage Server 2012 StandardN/A4 TB
Windows Storage Server 2012 WorkgroupN/A32 GB
Hyper-V Server 2012N/A4 TB
Windows 10 Mobile4 GBN/A
Windows 10 Home4 GB128 GB
Windows 10 Pro4 GB2 TB
Windows 10 Education4 GB2 TB
Windows 10 Enterprise4 GB6 TB
Windows Server 2016 StandardN/A24 TB
Windows Server 2016 DatacenterN/A24 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
Main article: Timeline of Microsoft Windows
Windows 1.0Windows 2.0Windows 2.1xWindows 3.0Windows 3.1xWindows 3.1xWindows NT 3.1Windows NT 3.5Windows NT 3.51Windows 95Windows NT 4.0Windows 98Windows NT 4.0Windows 2000Pocket PC 2000Windows MePocket PC 2002Windows XPWindows XPWindows Server 2003Windows Mobile 2003Windows Mobile 5.0Windows Embedded IndustryWindows Mobile 6.0Windows VistaWindows Home ServerWindows Mobile 6.1Windows Server 2008Windows Embedded IndustryWindows Mobile 6.5Windows 7Windows Server 2008 R2Windows MultiPoint ServerWindows Phone 7Windows Home Server 2011Windows MultiPoint ServerWindows Embedded IndustryWindows Server 2012Windows 8Windows Phone 8Windows MultiPoint ServerWindows 8.1Windows Server 2012 R2Windows Phone 8.1Windows 10Windows 10Windows 10Windows 10 MobileWindows 10Windows 10 MobileWindows 10Windows Server 2016Windows 10Windows 10 MobileWindows 10Windows 10 MobileWindows 10Windows Server 2019Windows 10Windows 10Windows 10Windows 10Windows 10Windows 10

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
  1. https://archive.org/details/NT3.5PPC
  2. Availability of Universal Serial Bus Support in Windows 95 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253756/EN-US
  3. "Updated USB 2.0 Drivers Are Available in Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4)". Microsoft Support. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  4. 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.
  5. "USB 2.0 and Windows Operating Systems". Windows Hardware Development. May 11, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  6. "Release Notes for Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Setup". Microsoft. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  7. "Windows Vista Starter Fact Sheet". Microsoft. December 2007.
  8. jaimeo. "System Requirements". docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  9. "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.
  10. "Memory Limits for Windows Releases". Microsoft. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  11. Chen, Raymond. "Windows 95 doesn't boot with more than 1GB of RAM".
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