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Windows 95

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Windows 95
A screenshot of a computer running Windows 95
DeveloperMicrosoft
OS familyMicrosoft Windows
Source modelClosed source
Released to
manufacturing		August 15, 1995; 31 years ago (1995-08-15)[1]
Kernel typeHybrid kernel
LicenseMS-EULA
Preceded byWindows 3.1x (1992)
Succeeded byWindows 98 (1998)
Official websitesupport.microsoft.com
Support status
Mainstream support ended on December 31, 2000. Unsupported since December 31, 2001[2]
[2]

Windows 95 is an operating system created by Microsoft. Microsoft sent it to computer makers on July 14, 1995, and stores began selling it on August 24, 1995. It was the first operating system in the Windows 9x family, replacing Windows 3.1. Although Windows 95 is thought of as an operating system by itself, it works on top of MS-DOS. You can think of it as a visual version of MS-DOS. This means Windows 95 can run both MS-DOS programs and Windows ones, but programs made just for Windows 95 will not work in MS-DOS.

Windows 95 introduced a new graphical user interface (GUI). It brought the Windows Explorer file manager, file shortcuts on the desktop, and a taskbar with a notification area and the Start menu. This was the first Windows operating system to use the Start menu. Since then, the Start menu has been used in almost all Windows operating systems, except for the "tablet-design" Start screen in Windows 8.

Windows 95 also added many technical improvements. It introduced Plug-and-Play driver setup to help users add new hardware easily. It was Microsoft's first operating system to support long file names up to 255 characters (letters, numbers, or symbols), plus the file extension. Before that, file names could only be eight characters long.[3][4] Before that, file names could only be eight characters long, plus a file extension. It was also the first Windows operating system with built-in ways to connect to the Internet, and the first to fully support CD-ROMs (though Windows 3.x could also access CD-ROMs with MSCDEX).

Microsoft spent a lot of money advertising Windows 95 before its release.[3] This created much excitement among buyers.[5] Windows 95 was a major success[6] and is considered one of the most important products in personal computing history.[7][8]

Windows 95 remained popular until three years later, when Microsoft introduced Windows 98. Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 95 on December 31, 2000, and ended extended support on December 31, 2001.[2]

History

[change | change source]

Planning for Windows 95 started in March 1992, shortly before Microsoft released Windows 3.1.[9][10][11] At that time, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and Windows NT 3.1 were not yet released.

Microsoft wanted to make two new operating systems. The first was a high-end system for business users, code-named Cairo. The second was a simpler system for home users, code-named "Chicago." Chicago was designed to replace Windows 3.1 by using new 32-bit technology.

Cairo was planned as Microsoft's next main system based on Windows NT, featuring a new user interface and file system. However, Microsoft never released Cairo. Instead, parts of the Cairo project were used in Windows NT 4.0 in July 1996. Its new file system was left out, but it later became WinFS.

When Windows 3.1 was released, IBM started selling OS/2 2.0. Microsoft realized it needed an updated version of Windows. This new system needed to support 32-bit programs and run multiple tasks at the same time. It also needed to work on cheaper, less powerful computers, which Windows NT could not do.

At first, the "Chicago" team did not know how the final product would be sold. They thought about making two separate products: MS-DOS 7 (a text-based system based on Windows for Workgroups 3.11) and a fully combined graphical Windows system.

Beta

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Before Microsoft released Windows 95, people in the United States and United Kingdom could join the Windows 95 Preview Program.[12] For US$19.95 or £19.95, people received several 3.5-inch floppy disks to install Windows 95. They could use the disks to upgrade from Windows 3.1 or install it as a new system. They also got a free trial of The Microsoft Network (MSN), an online service that Microsoft launched alongside Windows 95. At this time, Microsoft shared online documents and guides about Chicago.[13] This included a special guide for reporters that explained the main features of the new system.[13][14]

These preview versions stopped working in November 1995. After that, users had to buy the final version of Windows 95.

Release and sell

[change | change source]

Microsoft got $720 million on release day.[15]

Editions

[change | change source]
Release Code name Release date CD-Code[16][17][18] Version Software Hardware support
System properties System files[a] Timestamp MS-DOS Internet Explorer[b] DriveSpace OpenGL DirectX[c] FAT32 Infrared[19] DMA[20] IRQ steering[21] USB IEEE 1394 AGP MMX[22][23] P6[24][25][26]
Windows 95 (retail and OEM) Chicago August 24, 1995 0795 4.00.950[27] 4.00.950 1995-07-11 09:50:00 7.0 1.0 (OEM only) 2 N/a N/a No Yes*[d] No No No No No Bugs Bugs
Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 Frosting N/a N/a4.40.3101995-07-14 04:40:00 1.0 3
Service Pack 1 N/a February 14, 1996[28] N/a 4.00.950a4.00.951[e] 1995-12-31 09:50:00 2.0[29] 2 Yes
OEM Service Release 1 0196 1995-12-29 09:51:00
OEM Service Release 2 Detroit August 30, 1996 0796 4.00.950 B 4.00.1111 1996-08-24 11:11:11 7.1 3.0 3 1.1 2.0a Yes Yes Yes Yes*[f] No Yes*[f] Yes Yes*[g]
USB Support to OSR2 N/a N/a 4.03.1212[h] 1996-10-23 13:12:00 Yes Yes
OEM Service Release 2.1[i][j][k] August 27, 1997[33] 0197 (US) / 0397 4.03.1214[l][k] 1997-04-10 12:14:00
OEM Service Release 2.5[m][j][n][k] November 26, 1997 1297 4.00.950 C 4.03.1216[k] 1997-11-26 12:16:00 4.00 5.0[o] Yes
  1. ↑ The version of updated system files.
  2. ↑ Upgradable to 5.5
  3. ↑ Upgradable to 8.0a
  4. ↑ Can install as a update on the RTM release.
  5. ↑ Some files have higher build numbers, up to 955.
  6. 1 2 By installing the USB Supplement update, named usbsupp.exe.
  7. ↑ By installing any Memory Management fix, named VMM2XUPD.EXE,[25] or the USB support 4.03.1216, named usbupd2.exe.[30]
  8. ↑ Original release of the USB Support to OSR2, before OSR2.1 released.
  9. ↑ Have an updated RMM.PDR file, version 4.00.1112, which fixes IOS related Windows protection errors.[31]
  10. 1 2 Certain European releases include an updated Winboot.sys, which fixes the less than expected available conventional memory error.[32]
  11. 1 2 3 4 The included USB Supplement is not installed, you need to install by your self.
  12. ↑ Updated version of the USB Supplement to OSR2.
  13. ↑ The updated RMM.PDR file is missing, however it is installed as part of Internet Explorer 4.0.[31]
  14. ↑ Have an updated VMM.VXD file (inside the VMM32.VXD file), version 4.00.1113, from the Memory Management fix.[25]
  15. ↑ The included DirectX 5.0 is not installed, you need to install it by you self from the disc.

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ Thurrott, Paul (October 19, 1997). "Microsoft to release Windows 95 OSR 2.5". Windows IT Pro. Penton. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Microsoft Support Lifecycle". Microsoft. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Segal, David (August 24, 1995). "With Windows 95's Debut, Microsoft Scales Heights of Hype". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  4. ↑ Long, Tony (August 24, 2011). "Aug. 24, 1995: Say Hello to Windows 95". Wired.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  5. ↑ Lewis, Peter H. (April 30, 1998). "Windows 98, the Tuneup". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Dookeran, Jason (2024-11-03). "Windows 95 Turned 29 This Year: What One Of The Best Operating Systems Taught Us". How-To Geek. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  7. ↑ Hickey, Matt. "Windows 95 Was The Most Important Operating System Of All Time". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  8. ↑ admin-ectnews (2020-08-31). "25-Year Anniversary: How Windows 95 Forever Changed Personal Computing". TechNewsWorld. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  9. ↑ Comes v. Microsoft. Plaintiff's Exhibit 1263[usurped].
  10. ↑ Comes v. Microsoft. Plaintiff's Exhibit 1308[usurped].
  11. ↑ Comes v. Microsoft. Plaintiff's Exhibit 1310[usurped].
  12. ↑ Fruhlinger, Josh (August 31, 2015). "It's (still) Windows 95's world. We just live in it". Computerworld. Archived from the original on September 5, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Microsoft Windows Chicago Reviewer's Guide[permanent dead link], p.282
  14. ↑ Stephen Manes (July 19, 1994). "PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Microsoft's New System Promises to Fix Glitches". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Windows '95 sales at $720m". Meriden Record-Journal. Bloomberg Business News. 1995-08-26. p. 25.
  16. ↑ "Version from CD?". Tom's Hardware. September 3, 2005. Archived from the original on November 23, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Identifikation der Betriebssysteme". www.win-dos.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Windows 95/98/ME Versions Features". EMS. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Windows 95 Support for Infrared Data Association Connectivity". Microsoft. November 15, 2006. Archived from the original on March 5, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  20. ↑ "How to Enable Direct Memory Access (DMA)". Microsoft. January 27, 2007. Archived from the original on June 27, 2006. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  21. ↑ "Description of PCI Bus IRQ Steering". Microsoft. January 22, 2007. Archived from the original on February 5, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  22. ↑ "GP Fault or Fatal Exception Error on Intel MMX CPU". Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2018. Alt URL Archived June 12, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ "GP Fault or Fatal Exception Error on Intel MMX CPU". Archived from the original on May 8, 1999. Retrieved 29 April 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  24. ↑ "Description of Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.5". Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  25. 1 2 3 "Memory Management Problems on Computers with Pentium Processors". Archived from the original on October 7, 2001. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  26. ↑ "Memory Management Problems on Computers with Pentium Processors". Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  27. ↑ Oxford Computer Group (2004) [1996, first published]. "Objects". Windows 95. London: Hodder & Stoughton. p. 113. ISBN 0-340-63946-6.
  28. ↑ "Microsoft Releases Windows 95 Service Pack". Microsoft. February 14, 1996. Archived from the original on November 12, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Description of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Components". Microsoft. November 16, 2006. Archived from the original on November 12, 2004. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  30. ↑ "Availability of Universal Serial Bus Support in Windows 95". Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  31. 1 2 "Err Msg: "IOS Failed to Initialize" on Boot". Archived from the original on 2007-02-24. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  32. ↑ "Less Conventional Memory Available in European OSR2". Archived from the original on 2001-10-31. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  33. ↑ "How to Determine the Version of Windows 95/98/Me in Use". Microsoft. May 12, 2007. Archived from the original on October 26, 2004. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
Preceded by
Windows 3.1		 Windows versions
1995-1998		 Succeeded by
Windows 98
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