Learn about the security and non-security updates that are published for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 through Windows Update. These updates address issues and improve the overall reliability of the operating system.

• Microsoft Patch For Windows 7
• Windows 10 Update Patch
• Free Windows 7 Patch Download

• This tutorial will show you how to view the Windows Update history details of all successful or failed update installations with the update's importance type and date installed in Windows 7 and Windows 8. The Windows Update log file is located at C: Windows WindowsUpdate.log.
• To continue, you must first add this website to your trusted sites in Internet Explorer. The site cannot determine which updates apply to your computer or display those updates unless you change your security settings to allow ActiveX controls and active scripting.

Microsoft Windows was announced by Bill Gates on November 10, 1983.^[1]Microsoft introduced Windows as a graphical user interface for MS-DOS, which had been introduced a couple of years earlier. In the 1990s, the product line evolved from an operating environment into a fully complete, modern operating system over two lines of development, each with their own separate codebase.

The first versions of Windows (1.0 through to 3.11) were graphical shells that run from MS-DOS, later on, Windows 95, though still being based on MS-DOS, was its own operating system, using a 16-bit DOS-based kernel and a 32-bituser space. Windows 95 introduced many features that have been part of the product ever since, including the Start menu, the taskbar, and Windows Explorer (renamed File Explorer in Windows 8). In 1997, Microsoft released Internet Explorer 4 which included the (at the time) controversial Windows Desktop Update. It aimed to integrate Internet Explorer and the web into the user interface and also brought many new features into Windows, such as the ability to display JPEG images as the desktop wallpaper and single window navigation in Windows Explorer. In 1998, Microsoft released Windows 98, which also included the Windows Desktop Update and Internet Explorer 4 by default. The inclusion of Internet Explorer 4 and the Desktop Update led to an anti-trust case in the United States. Windows 98 also includes plug and play, which allows devices to work when plugged in without requiring a system reboot or manual configuration, and USB support out of the box. Windows Me, the last DOS-based version of Windows, was aimed at consumers and released in 2000. It introduced System Restore, Help and Support Center, updated versions of the Disk Defragmenter and other system tools.

In 1993, Microsoft released Windows NT 3.1, the first version of the newly-developed Windows NT operating system. Unlike the Windows 9x series of operating systems, it is a fully 32-bit operating system. NT 3.1 introduced NTFS, a file system designed to replace the older File Allocation Table (FAT) which was used by DOS and the DOS-based Windows operating systems. In 1996, Windows NT 4.0 was released, which includes a fully 32-bit version of Windows Explorer written specifically for it, making the operating system work just like Windows 95. Windows NT was originally designed to be used on high-end systems and servers, however with the release of Windows 2000, many consumer-oriented features from Windows 95 and Windows 98 were included, such as the Windows Desktop Update, Internet Explorer 5, USB support and Windows Media Player. These consumer-oriented features were continued and further extended in Windows XP, which introduced a new theme called Luna, a more user-friendly interface, updated versions of Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer, and extended features from Windows Me, such as the Help and Support Center and System Restore. Windows Vista focused on securing the Windows operating system against computer viruses and other malicious software by introducing features such as User Account Control. New features include Windows Aero, updated versions of the standard games (e.g. Solitaire), Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Mail to replace Outlook Express. Despite this, Windows Vista was critically panned for its poor performance on older hardware and its at-the-time high system requirements. Windows 7 followed two and a half years later, and despite technically having higher system requirements,^[2][3] reviewers noted that it ran better than Windows Vista.^[4] Windows 7 also removed many extra features, such as Windows Movie Maker, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Mail, instead requiring users download a separate Windows Live Essentials to gain those features and other online services. Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, a free upgrade for Windows 8, introduced many controversial changes, such as the replacement of the Start menu with the Start Screen, the removal of the Aero glass interface in favor of a flat, colored interface as well as the introduction of 'Metro' apps (later renamed to Universal Windows Platform apps) and the Charms Bar user interface element, all of which received considerable criticism from reviewers.^[5][6][7]

The current version of Windows, Windows 10, reintroduced the Start menu and added the ability to run Universal Windows Platform apps in a window instead of always in full screen. Windows 10 was well-received, with many reviewers stating that Windows 10 is what Windows 8 should have been.^[8][9][10] Windows 10 also marks the last version of Windows to be traditionally released. Instead, 'feature updates' are released twice a year with names such as 'Creators Update' and 'Fall Creators Update' that introduce new capabilities.

• 12Windows XP and Server 2003 series
• 13Windows Vista and Server 2008
• 14Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2
• 17Windows 10 and Server 2016

Windows 1.x[edit]

The first independent version of Microsoft Windows, version 1.0, released on November 20, 1985, achieved little popularity. The project was briefly codenamed 'Interface Manager' before the windowing system was developed - contrary to popular belief that it was the original name for Windows and Rowland Hanson, the head of marketing at Microsoft, convinced the company that the name Windows would be more appealing to customers.^[11]

Windows 1.0 was not a complete operating system, but rather an 'operating environment' that extended MS-DOS, and shared the latter's inherent flaws and errors.

The first version of Microsoft Windows included a simple graphics painting program called Windows Paint; Windows Write, a simple word processor; an appointment calendar; a card-filer; a notepad; a clock; a control panel; a computer terminal; Clipboard; and RAM driver. It also included the MS-DOS Executive and a game called Reversi. Free mobile music downloads mp3.

Microsoft had worked with Apple Computer to develop applications for Apple's new Macintosh computer, which featured a graphical user interface. As part of the related business negotiations, Microsoft had licensed certain aspects of the Macintosh user interface from Apple; in later litigation, a district court summarized these aspects as 'screen displays'.In the development of Windows 1.0, Microsoft intentionally limited its borrowing of certain GUI elements from the Macintosh user interface, to comply with its license. For example, windows were only displayed 'tiled' on the screen; that is, they could not overlap or overlie one another.

Windows 2.x[edit]

Microsoft Windows version 2 came out on December 9, 1987, and proved slightly more popular than its predecessor.Much of the popularity for Windows 2.0 came by way of its inclusion as a 'run-time version' with Microsoft's new graphical applications, Excel and Word for Windows. They could be run from MS-DOS, executing Windows for the duration of their activity, and closing down Windows upon exit.

Microsoft Windows received a major boost around this time when AldusPageMaker appeared in a Windows version, having previously run only on Macintosh. Some computer historians^[who?] date this, the first appearance of a significant and non-Microsoft application for Windows, as the start of the success of Windows.

Versions 2.0x used the real-modememory model, which confined it to a maximum of 1 megabyte of memory.In such a configuration, it could run under another multitasker like DESQview, which used the 286protected mode.

Later, two new versions were released: Windows/286 2.1 and Windows/386 2.1. Like prior versions of Windows, Windows/286 2.1 used the real-mode memory model, but was the first version to support the High Memory Area. Windows/386 2.1 had a protected mode kernel with LIM-standard EMSemulation. All Windows and DOS-based applications at the time were real mode, running over the protected mode kernel by using the virtual 8086 mode, which was new with the 80386 processor.

Version 2.03, and later 3.0, faced challenges from Apple over its overlapping windows and other features Apple charged mimicked the ostensibly copyrighted 'look and feel' of its operating system and 'embodie[d] and generated a copy of the Macintosh' in its OS. Judge William Schwarzer dropped all but 10 of Apple's 189 claims of copyright infringement, and ruled that most of the remaining 10 were over uncopyrightable ideas.

Windows 3.0[edit]

Windows 3.0, released in May 1990, improved capabilities given to native applications. It also allowed users to better multitask older MS-DOS based software compared to Windows/386, thanks to the introduction of virtual memory.

Windows 3.0's user interface finally resembled a serious competitor to the user interface of the Macintosh computer. PCs had improved graphics by this time, due to VGA video cards, and the protected/enhanced mode allowed Windows applications to use more memory in a more painless manner than their DOS counterparts could. Windows 3.0 could run in real, standard, or 386 enhanced modes, and was compatible with any Intel processor from the 8086/8088 up to the 80286 and 80386. This was the first version to run Windows programs in protected mode, although the 386 enhanced mode kernel was an enhanced version of the protected mode kernel in Windows/386.

Windows 3.0 received two updates. A few months after introduction, Windows 3.0a was released as a maintenance release, resolving bugs and improving stability. A 'multimedia' version, Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0, was released in October 1991. This was bundled with 'multimedia upgrade kits', comprising a CD-ROM drive and a sound card, such as the Creative LabsSound Blaster Pro. This version was the precursor to the multimedia features available in Windows 3.1 (first released in April 1992) and later, and was part of Microsoft's specification for the Multimedia PC.

The features listed above and growing market support from application software developers made Windows 3.0 wildly successful, selling around 10 million copies in the two years before the release of version 3.1. Windows 3.0 became a major source of income for Microsoft, and led the company to revise some of its earlier plans. Support was discontinued on December 31, 2001.^[12]

OS/2[edit]

During the mid to late 1980s, Microsoft and IBM had cooperatively been developing OS/2 as a successor to DOS. OS/2 would take full advantage of the aforementioned protected mode of the Intel 80286 processor and up to 16 MB of memory. OS/2 1.0, released in 1987, supported swapping and multitasking and allowed running of DOS executables.

IBM licensed Windows's GUI for OS/2 as Presentation Manager, and the two companies stated that it and Windows 2.0 would be almost identical.^[13] Presentation Manager was not available with OS/2 until version 1.1, released in 1988. Its API was incompatible with Windows. Version 1.2, released in 1989, introduced a new file system, HPFS, to replace the FAT file system.

By the early 1990s, conflicts developed in the Microsoft/IBM relationship. They cooperated with each other in developing their PC operating systems, and had access to each other's code. Microsoft wanted to further develop Windows, while IBM desired for future work to be based on OS/2. In an attempt to resolve this tension, IBM and Microsoft agreed that IBM would develop OS/2 2.0, to replace OS/2 1.3 and Windows 3.0, while Microsoft would develop a new operating system, OS/2 3.0, to later succeed OS/2 2.0.

This agreement soon fell apart however, and the Microsoft/IBM relationship was terminated. IBM continued to develop OS/2, while Microsoft changed the name of its (as yet unreleased) OS/2 3.0 to Windows NT. Both retained the rights to use OS/2 and Windows technology developed up to the termination of the agreement; Windows NT, however, was to be written anew, mostly independently (see below).

After an interim 1.3 version to fix up many remaining problems with the 1.x series, IBM released OS/2 version 2.0 in 1992. This was a major improvement: it featured a new, object-oriented GUI, the Workplace Shell (WPS), that included a desktop and was considered by many to be OS/2's best feature. Microsoft would later imitate much of it in Windows 95. Version 2.0 also provided a full 32-bit API, offered smooth multitasking and could take advantage of the 4 gigabytes of address space provided by the Intel 80386. Still, much of the system had 16-bit code internally which required, among other things, device drivers to be 16-bit code also. This was one of the reasons for the chronic shortage of OS/2 drivers for the latest devices. Version 2.0 could also run DOS and Windows 3.0 programs, since IBM had retained the right to use the DOS and Windows code as a result of the breakup.

Windows 3.1x[edit]

In response to the impending release of OS/2 2.0, Microsoft developed Windows 3.1 (first released in April 1992), which included several improvements to Windows 3.0, such as display of TrueType scalable fonts (developed jointly with Apple), improved disk performance in 386 Enhanced Mode, multimedia support, and bugfixes. It also removed Real Mode, and only ran on an 80286 or better processor. Later Microsoft also released Windows 3.11, a touch-up to Windows 3.1 which included all of the patches and updates that followed the release of Windows 3.1 in 1992.

In 1992 and 1993, Microsoft released Windows for Workgroups (WfW), which was available both as an add-on for existing Windows 3.1 installations and in a version that included the base Windows environment and the networking extensions all in one package. Windows for Workgroups included improved network drivers and protocol stacks, and support for peer-to-peer networking. There were two versions of Windows for Workgroups, WfW 3.1 and WfW 3.11. Unlike prior versions, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 ran in 386 Enhanced Mode only, and needed at least an 80386SX processor. One optional download for WfW was the 'Wolverine' TCP/IP protocol stack, which allowed for easy access to the Internet through corporate networks.

All these versions continued version 3.0's impressive sales pace. Even though the 3.1x series still lacked most of the important features of OS/2, such as long file names, a desktop, or protection of the system against misbehaving applications, Microsoft quickly took over the OS and GUI markets for the IBM PC. The Windows API became the de facto standard for consumer software.

Windows NT 3.x[edit]

Meanwhile, Microsoft continued to develop Windows NT. The main architect of the system was Dave Cutler, one of the chief architects of VMS at Digital Equipment Corporation (later acquired by Compaq, now part of Hewlett-Packard).^[14] Microsoft hired him in October 1988 to create a successor to OS/2, but Cutler created a completely new system instead. Cutler had been developing a follow-on to VMS at DEC called Mica, and when DEC dropped the project he brought the expertise and around 20 engineers with him to Microsoft. DEC also believed he brought Mica's code to Microsoft and sued.^[15] Microsoft eventually paid US$150 million and agreed to support DEC's Alpha CPU chip in NT.

Windows NT Workstation (Microsoft marketing wanted Windows NT to appear to be a continuation of Windows 3.1) arrived in Beta form to developers at the July 1992 Professional Developers Conference in San Francisco.^[16] Microsoft announced at the conference its intentions to develop a successor to both Windows NT and Windows 3.1's replacement (Windows 95, codenamed Chicago), which would unify the two into one operating system. This successor was codenamed Cairo. In hindsight, Cairo was a much more difficult project than Microsoft had anticipated and, as a result, NT and Chicago would not be unified until Windows XP—albeit Windows 2000, oriented to business, had already unified most of the system's bolts and gears, it was XP that was sold to home consumers like Windows 95 and came to be viewed as the final unified OS. Parts of Cairo have still not made it into Windows as of 2017 - most notably, the WinFS file system, which was the much touted Object File System of Cairo. Microsoft announced that they have discontinued the separate release of WinFS for Windows XP and Windows Vista^[17] and will gradually incorporate the technologies developed for WinFS in other products and technologies, notably Microsoft SQL Server.

Driver support was lacking due to the increased programming difficulty in dealing with NT's superior hardware abstraction model. This problem plagued the NT line all the way through Windows 2000. Programmers complained that it was too hard to write drivers for NT, and hardware developers were not going to go through the trouble of developing drivers for a small segment of the market. Additionally, although allowing for good performance and fuller exploitation of system resources, it was also resource-intensive on limited hardware, and thus was only suitable for larger, more expensive machines.

However, these same features made Windows NT perfect for the LAN server market (which in 1993 was experiencing a rapid boom, as office networking was becoming common). NT also had advanced network connectivity options and NTFS, an efficient file system. Windows NT version 3.51 was Microsoft's entry into this field, and took away market share from Novell (the dominant player) in the following years.

One of Microsoft's biggest advances initially developed for Windows NT was a new 32-bit API, to replace the legacy 16-bit Windows API. This API was called Win32, and from then on Microsoft referred to the older 16-bit API as Win16. The Win32 API had three levels of implementation: the complete one for Windows NT, a subset for Chicago (originally called Win32c) missing features primarily of interest to enterprise customers (at the time) such as security and Unicode support, and a more limited subset called Win32s which could be used on Windows 3.1 systems. Thus Microsoft sought to ensure some degree of compatibility between the Chicago design and Windows NT, even though the two systems had radically different internal architectures. Windows NT was the first Windows operating system based on a hybrid kernel.

As released, Windows NT 3.x went through three versions (3.1, 3.5, and 3.51), changes were primarily internal and reflected back end changes. The 3.5 release added support for new types of hardware and improved performance and data reliability; the 3.51 release was primarily to update the Win32 APIs to be compatible with software being written for the Win32c APIs in what became Windows 95.

Windows 95[edit]

After Windows 3.11, Microsoft began to develop a new consumer oriented version of the operating system codenamed Chicago. Chicago was designed to have support for 32-bit preemptive multitasking like OS/2 and Windows NT, although a 16-bit kernel would remain for the sake of backward compatibility. The Win32 API first introduced with Windows NT was adopted as the standard 32-bit programming interface, with Win16 compatibility being preserved through a technique known as 'thunking'. A new object oriented GUI was not originally planned as part of the release, although elements of the Cairo user interface were borrowed and added as other aspects of the release (notably Plug and Play) slipped.

Microsoft did not change all of the Windows code to 32-bit, parts of it remained 16-bit (albeit not directly using real mode) for reasons of compatibility, performance, and development time. Additionally it was necessary to carry over design decisions from earlier versions of Windows for reasons of backwards compatibility, even if these design decisions no longer matched a more modern computing environment. These factors eventually began to impact the operating system's efficiency and stability.

Microsoft marketing adopted Windows 95 as the product name for Chicago when it was released on August 24, 1995. Microsoft had a double gain from its release: first, it made it impossible for consumers to run Windows 95 on a cheaper, non-Microsoft DOS, secondly, although traces of DOS were never completely removed from the system and MS DOS 7 would be loaded briefly as a part of the booting process, Windows 95 applications ran solely in 386 enhanced mode, with a flat 32-bit address space and virtual memory. These features make it possible for Win32 applications to address up to 2 gigabytes of virtual RAM (with another 2 GB reserved for the operating system), and in theory prevented them from inadvertently corrupting the memory space of other Win32 applications. In this respect the functionality of Windows 95 moved closer to Windows NT, although Windows 95/98/Me did not support more than 512 megabytes of physical RAM without obscure system tweaks.

IBM continued to market OS/2, producing later versions in OS/2 3.0 and 4.0 (also called Warp). Responding to complaints about OS/2 2.0's high demands on computer hardware, version 3.0 was significantly optimized both for speed and size. Before Windows 95 was released, OS/2 Warp 3.0 was even shipped preinstalled with several large German hardware vendor chains. However, with the release of Windows 95, OS/2 began to lose market share.

It is probably impossible to choose one specific reason why OS/2 failed to gain much market share. While OS/2 continued to run Windows 3.1 applications, it lacked support for anything but the Win32s subset of Win32 API (see above). Unlike with Windows 3.1, IBM did not have access to the source code for Windows 95 and was unwilling to commit the time and resources to emulate the moving target of the Win32 API. IBM later introduced OS/2 into the United States v. Microsoft case, blaming unfair marketing tactics on Microsoft's part.

Microsoft went on to release five different versions of Windows 95:

• Windows 95 - original release
• Windows 95 A - included Windows 95 OSR1 slipstreamed into the installation.
• Windows 95 B - (OSR2) included several major enhancements, Internet Explorer (IE) 3.0 and full FAT32 file system support.
• Windows 95 B USB - (OSR2.1) included basic USB support.
• Windows 95 C - (OSR2.5) included all the above features, plus IE 4.0. This was the last 95 version produced.

OSR2, OSR2.1, and OSR2.5 were not released to the general public, rather, they were available only to OEMs that would preload the OS onto computers. Some companies sold new hard drives with OSR2 preinstalled (officially justifying this as needed due to the hard drive's capacity).

The first Microsoft Plus! add-on pack was sold for Windows 95.

Windows NT 4.0[edit]

Windows NT 4.0 was the successor of 3.5 (1994) and 3.51 (1995). Microsoft released Windows NT 4.0 to manufacturing in July 1996, one year after the release of Windows 95. Major new features included the new Explorer shell from Windows 95, scalability and feature improvements to the core architecture, kernel, USER32, COM and MSRPC.^[18]

Windows NT 4.0 came in four versions:

• Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
• Windows NT 4.0 Server
• Windows NT 4.0 Server, Enterprise Edition (includes support for 8-way SMP and clustering)
• Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server

Windows 98[edit]

On June 25, 1998, Microsoft released Windows 98 (codenamed Memphis). It included new hardware drivers and the FAT32 file system which supports disk partitions that are larger than 2 GB (first introduced in Windows 95 OSR2). USB support in Windows 98 is marketed as a vast improvement over Windows 95. The release continued the controversial inclusion of the Internet Explorer browser with the operating system that started with Windows 95 OEM Service Release 1. The action eventually led to the filing of the United States v. Microsoft case, dealing with the question of whether Microsoft was introducing unfair practices into the market in an effort to eliminate competition from other companies such as Netscape.^[19]

In 1999, Microsoft released Windows 98 Second Edition, an interim release. One of the more notable new features was the addition of Internet Connection Sharing, a form of network address translation, allowing several machines on a LAN (Local Area Network) to share a single Internet connection. Hardware support through device drivers was increased and this version shipped with Internet Explorer 5. Many minor problems that existed in the first edition were fixed making it, according to many, the most stable release of the Windows 9x family.^[20]

Windows 2000[edit]

Microsoft released Windows 2000 on February 17, 2000. It has the version number Windows NT 5.0. Windows 2000 has had four official service packs. It was successfully deployed both on the server and the workstation markets. Amongst Windows 2000's most significant new features was Active Directory, a near-complete replacement of the NT 4.0 Windows Server domain model, which built on industry-standard technologies like DNS, LDAP, and Kerberos to connect machines to one another. Terminal Services, previously only available as a separate edition of NT 4, was expanded to all server versions. A number of features from Windows 98 were incorporated also, such as an improved Device Manager, Windows Media Player, and a revised DirectX that made it possible for the first time for many modern games to work on the NT kernel. Windows 2000 is also the last NT-kernel Windows operating system to lack product activation.

While Windows 2000 upgrades were available for Windows 95 and Windows 98, it was not intended for home users.^[21]

Windows 2000 was available in four editions:

• Windows 2000 Professional
• Windows 2000 Server
• Windows 2000 Advanced Server
• Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

Windows Me[edit]

In September 2000, Microsoft released a successor to Windows 98 called Windows Me, short for 'Millennium Edition'. It was the last DOS-based operating system from Microsoft. Windows Me introduced a new multimedia-editing application called Windows Movie Maker, came standard with Internet Explorer 5.5 and Windows Media Player 7, and debuted the first version of System Restore – a recovery utility that enables the operating system to revert system files back to a prior date and time. System Restore was a notable feature that would continue to thrive in all later versions of Windows.

Windows Me was conceived as a quick one-year project that served as a stopgap release between Windows 98 and Windows XP. Many of the new features were available from the Windows Update site as updates for older Windows versions (System Restore and Windows Movie Maker were exceptions). Windows Me was criticized for stability issues, as well as for lacking real mode DOS support, to the point of being referred to as the 'Mistake Edition.'^[22] Windows Me was the last operating system to be based on the Windows 9x (monolithic) kernel and MS-DOS.

Windows XP and Server 2003 series[edit]

On October 25, 2001, Microsoft released Windows XP (codenamed 'Whistler'). The merging of the Windows NT/2000 and Windows 95/98/Me lines was finally achieved with Windows XP. Windows XP uses the Windows NT 5.1 kernel, marking the entrance of the Windows NT core to the consumer market, to replace the aging Windows 9x branch. The initial release was met with considerable criticism, particularly in the area of security, leading to the release of three major Service Packs. Windows XP SP1 was released in September 2002, SP2 was released in August 2004 and SP3 was released in April 2008. Service Pack 2 provided significant improvements and encouraged widespread adoption of XP among both home and business users. Windows XP lasted longer as Microsoft's flagship operating system than any other version of Windows, from October 25, 2001 to January 30, 2007 when it was succeeded by Windows Vista.

Windows XP is available in a number of versions:

• Windows XP Home Edition, for home desktops and laptops - lacked features such as joining Active Directory Domain, Remote Desktop Server and Internet Information Services Server.
  • Windows XP Home Edition N, as above, but without a default installation of Windows Media Player, as mandated by a European Union ruling
• Windows XP Professional, for business and power users contained all features in Home Edition.
  • Windows XP Professional N, as above, but without a default installation of Windows Media Player, as mandated by a European Union ruling
• Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE), released in October 2002 for desktops and notebooks with an emphasis on home entertainment. Contained all features offered in Windows XP Professional and the Windows Media Center. Subsequent versions are the same but have an updated Windows Media Center.
  • Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003
  • Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004
  • Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, released on October 12, 2004. Included Windows XP Service Pack 2, the Royale Windows Theme and joining a Windows Active Directory Domain is disabled. The Aquarium, Da Vinci, Nature and Space themes are retained from Windows XP Plus!
• Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, for tablet PCs
  • Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005
• Windows XP Embedded, for embedded systems
• Windows XP Starter Edition, for new computer users in developing countries
• Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, released on April 25, 2005 for home and workstation systems utilizing 64-bit processors based on the x86-64 instruction set originally developed by AMD as AMD64; Intel calls their version Intel 64. Internally, XP x64 was a somewhat updated version of Windows based on the Server 2003 codebase.
• Windows XP 64-bit Edition, is a version for Intel's Itanium line of processors; maintains 32-bit compatibility solely through a software emulator. It is roughly analogous to Windows XP Professional in features. It was discontinued in September 2005 when the last vendor of Itanium workstations stopped shipping Itanium systems marketed as 'Workstations'.

Microsoft Patch For Windows 7

Windows Server 2003[edit]

On April 25, 2003, Microsoft launched Windows Server 2003, a notable update to Windows 2000 Server encompassing many new security features, a new 'Manage Your Server' wizard that simplifies configuring a machine for specific roles, and improved performance. It has the version number NT 5.2. A few services not essential for server environments are disabled by default for stability reasons, most noticeable are the 'Windows Audio' and 'Themes' services; users have to enable them manually to get sound or the 'Luna' look as per Windows XP. The hardware acceleration for display is also turned off by default, users have to turn the acceleration level up themselves if they trust the display card driver.

In December 2005, Microsoft released Windows Server 2003 R2, which is actually Windows Server 2003 with SP1 (Service Pack 1), together with an add-on package.Among the new features are a number of management features for branch offices, file serving, printing and company-wide identity integration.

Windows Server 2003 is available in six editions:

• Web Edition (32-bit)
• Enterprise Edition (32 and 64-bit)
• Datacenter Edition (32 and 64-bit)
• Small Business Server (32-bit)
• Storage Server (OEM channel only).

Windows Server 2003 R2, an update of Windows Server 2003, was released to manufacturing on December 6, 2005. It is distributed on two CDs, with one CD being the Windows Server 2003 SP1 CD. The other CD adds many optionally installable features for Windows Server 2003. The R2 update was released for all x86 and x64 versions, except Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition, which was not released for Itanium.

Windows XP x64 and Server 2003 x64 Editions[edit]

On April 25, 2005, Microsoft released Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and Windows Server 2003, x64 Editions in Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter SKUs. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is an edition of Windows XP for x86-64 personal computers. It is designed to use the expanded 64-bit memory address space provided by the x86-64 architecture.^[23]

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is based on the Windows Server 2003 codebase, with the server features removed and client features added. Both Windows Server 2003 x64 and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition use identical kernels.^[24]

Windows XP Professionalx64 Edition is not to be confused with Windows XP 64-bit Edition, as the latter was designed for IntelItanium processors.^[25][26] During the initial development phases, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition was named Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for 64-Bit Extended Systems.^[27]

Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs[edit]

In July 2005, Microsoft released a thin-client version of Windows XP Service Pack 2, called Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (WinFLP). It is only available to Software Assurance customers. The aim of WinFLP is to give companies a viable upgrade option for older PCs that are running Windows 95, 98, and Me that will be supported with patches and updates for the next several years. Most user applications will typically be run on a remote machine using Terminal Services or Citrix.

Windows Home Server[edit]

Windows Home Server (codenamed Q, Quattro) is a server product based on Windows Server 2003, designed for consumer use. The system was announced on January 7, 2007 by Bill Gates. Windows Home Server can be configured and monitored using a console program that can be installed on a client PC. Such features as Media Sharing, local and remote drive backup and file duplication are all listed as features. The release of Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 added support for Windows 7 to Windows Home Server.

Windows Vista and Server 2008[edit]

Windows Vista was released on November 30, 2006 to business customers - consumer versions followed on January 30, 2007. Windows Vista intended to have enhanced security by introducing a new restricted user mode called User Account Control, replacing the 'administrator-by-default' philosophy of Windows XP. Vista was the target of much criticism and negative press, and in general was not well regarded, this was seen as leading to the relatively swift release of Windows 7.

One major difference between Vista and earlier versions of Windows, Windows 95 and later, is that the original start button was replaced with the Windows icon in a circle (called the Start Orb). Vista also features new graphics features, the Windows AeroGUI, new applications (such as Windows Calendar, Windows DVD Maker and some new games including Chess, Mahjong, and Purble Place),^[28]Internet Explorer 7, Windows Media Player 11, and a large number of underlying architectural changes. Windows Vista has the version number NT 6.0. Since its release, Windows Vista has had two service packs.

Windows Vista ships in six editions:^[29]

• Starter (only available in developing countries)
• Home Basic
• Home Premium
• Business
• Enterprise (only available to large business and enterprise)
• Ultimate (combines both Home Premium and Enterprise)

All editions (except Starter edition) are currently available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The biggest advantage of the 64-bit version is breaking the 4 gigabyte memory barrier, which 32-bit computers cannot fully access.

Windows Server 2008[edit]

Windows Server 2008, released on February 27, 2008, was originally known as Windows Server Codename 'Longhorn'. Windows Server 2008 builds on the technological and security advances first introduced with Windows Vista, and is significantly more modular than its predecessor, Windows Server 2003.

Windows Server 2008 ships in ten editions:

• Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows HPC Server 2008
• Windows Web Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Storage Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Small Business Server 2008 (64-bit only)
• Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems
• Windows Server 2008 Foundation Server

Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2[edit]

Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and reached general retail availability on October 22, 2009.^[30][31] It was previously known by the codenames Blackcomb and Vienna. Windows 7 has the version number NT 6.1. Since its release, Windows 7 has had one service pack.

Some features of Windows 7 are faster booting, Device Stage, Windows PowerShell, less obtrusive User Account Control, multi-touch, and improved window management.^[32] Features included with Windows Vista and not in Windows 7 include the sidebar (although gadgets remain) and several programs that were removed in favor of downloading their Windows Live counterparts.

Windows 7 ships in six editions:^[33]

• Starter (available worldwide)
• Home Basic
• Home Premium
• Professional
• Enterprise (available to volume-license business customers only)
• Ultimate

In some countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland)^{[citation needed]}, there are other editions that lack some features such as Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center and Internet Explorer - these editions were called names such as 'Windows 7 N.'Microsoft focuses on selling Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional. All editions, except the Starter edition, are available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.Unlike the corresponding Vista editions, the Professional and Enterprise editions are supersets of the Home Premium edition.

At the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) 2008, Microsoft also announced Windows Server 2008 R2, as the server variant of Windows 7. Windows Server 2008 R2 ships in 64-bit versions (x64 and Itanium) only.

Windows Thin PC[edit]

In 2010, Microsoft released Windows Thin PC or WinTPC, which is a feature- and size-reduced locked-down version of Windows 7 expressly designed to turn older PCs into thin clients. WinTPC is available for software assurance customers and relies on cloud computing in a business network. Wireless operation is supported since WinTPC has full wireless stack integration, but wireless operation may not be as good as the operation on a wired connection.^[34][35]

Windows Home Server 2011[edit]

Windows Home Server 2011 code named 'Vail'^[36] was released on April 6, 2011.^[37] Windows Home Server 2011 is built on the Windows Server 2008 R2 code base and removed the Drive Extender drive pooling technology in the original Windows Home Server release.^[38] Windows Home Server 2011 is considered a 'major release'.^[36] Its predecessor was built on Windows Server 2003. WHS 2011 only supports x86-64 hardware.

Microsoft decided to discontinue Windows Home Server 2011 on July 5, 2012 while including its features into Windows Server 2012 Essentials.^[39] Windows Home Server 2011 was supported until April 12, 2016.^[40]

Windows 8 and Server 2012[edit]

On October 26, 2012, Microsoft released Windows 8 to the public. One edition, Windows RT, runs on some system-on-a-chip devices with mobile 32-bitARM (ARMv7) processors. Windows 8 features a redesigned user interface, designed to make it easier for touchscreen users to use Windows. The interface introduced an updated Start menu known as the Start screen, and a new full-screen application platform. The desktop interface is also present for running windowed applications, although Windows RT will not run any desktop applications not included in the system. On the Building Windows 8 blog, it was announced that a computer running Windows 8 can boot up much faster than Windows 7.^[41] New features also include USB 3.0 support, the Windows Store, the ability to run from USB drives with Windows To Go, and others. Windows 8 was given the kernel number NT 6.2, with its successor 8.1 receiving the kernel number 6.3. So far, neither has had any service packs yet, although many consider Windows 8.1 to be a service pack for Windows 8.

Windows 8 is available in the following editions:

• Windows 8
• Windows 8 Pro
• Windows 8 Enterprise
• Windows RT

The first public preview of Windows Server 2012 and was also shown by Microsoft at the 2011 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference.^[42]

Windows 8 Release Preview and Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate were both released on May 31, 2012.^[43] Product development on Windows 8 was completed on August 1, 2012, and it was released to manufacturing the same day.^[44] Windows Server 2012 went on sale to the public on September 4, 2012. Windows 8 went on sale October 26, 2012.

Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 were released on October 17, 2013. Windows 8.1 is available as an update in the Windows store for Windows 8 users only and also available to download for clean installation.^[45] The update adds new options for resizing the live tiles on the Start screen.^[46]

Windows 10 and Server 2016[edit]

Windows 10, codenamed Threshold (Later Redstone), is the current release of the Microsoft Windows operating system. Unveiled on September 30, 2014, it was released on July 29, 2015.^[47] It was distributed without charge to Windows 7 and 8.1 users for one year after release. A number of new features like Cortana, the Microsoft Edge web browser, the ability to view Windows Store apps as a window instead of fullscreen, virtual desktops, revamped core apps, Continuum, and a unified Settings app were all features debuted in Windows 10. Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will be the last major version of its series of operating systems to be released. Instead, Microsoft will release major updates to the operating system via download or in Windows Update, similar to the way updates are delivered in macOS.^[48]

So far, eight major versions of Windows 10 have been released, with the version 19H1 being the latest, having been released on 10 May 2019:

• Version 1507, the original version of Windows 10, codenamed Threshold 1 and released in July 2015.^[49] Kernel version number: 10.0.10240.
• Version 1511, announced as the November Update and codenamed Threshold 2. It was released in November 2015. This update added many visual tweaks, such as more consistent context menus and the ability to change the color of window titlebars. Windows 10 can now be activated with a product key for Windows 7 and later, thus simplifying the activation process and essentially making Windows 10 free for anyone who has Windows 7 or later, even after the free upgrade period ended. A 'Find My Device' feature was added, allowing users to track their devices if they lose them, similar to the Find My iPhone service that Apple offers. Controversially, the Start menu now displays 'featured apps'. A few tweaks were added to Microsoft Edge, including tab previews and the ability to sync the browser with other devices running Windows 10.^[50][51] Kernel version number: 10.0.10586.
• Version 1607, announced as the Anniversary Update and codenamed Redstone 1. It is the first of 4 planned updates with the 'Redstone' codename. Its version number, 1607, means that it was supposed to launch in July 2016, however it was delayed until August 2016. Tons of new features were included in the version, including more integration with Cortana, a dark theme, browser extension support for Microsoft Edge, click-to-play Flash by default, tab pinning, web notifications, swipe navigation in Edge, and the ability for Windows Hello to use a fingerprint sensor to sign into apps and websites, similar to Touch ID on the iPhone. Also added was Windows Ink, which improves digital inking in many apps, and the Windows Ink Workspace which lists pen-compatible apps, as well as quick shortcuts to a sticky notes app and a sketchpad. Microsoft, through their partnership with Canonical, integrated a full Ubuntu bash shell via the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Notable tweaks in this version of Windows 10 include the removal of the controversial password-sharing feature of Microsoft's Wi-Fi Sense service, a slightly redesigned Start menu, Tablet Mode working more like Windows 8, overhauled emoji, improvements to the lock screen, calendar integration in the taskbar, and the Blue Screen of Death now showing a QR code which users can scan to quickly find out what caused the error.^[52] This version of Windows 10's kernel version is 10.0.14393.
• Version 1703, announced as the Creators Update and codenamed Redstone 2. Features for this update include a new Paint 3D application, which allows users to create and modify 3D models, integration with Microsoft's HoloLens and other 'mixed-reality' headsets produced by other manufacturers, Windows My People, which allows users to manage contacts, Xbox game broadcasting, support for newly developed APIs such as WDDM 2.2, Dolby Atmos support, improvements to the Settings app, and more Edge and Cortana improvements. This version will also include tweaks to system apps, such as an address bar in the Registry Editor, Windows PowerShell being the default command line interface instead of the Command Prompt and the Windows Subsystem for Linux being upgraded to support Ubuntu 16.04.^[53] This version of Windows 10 was released on April 11, 2017 as a free update.^[54]
• Version 1709, announced as the Fall Creators Update and codenamed Redstone 3. It introduced a new design language - the Fluent Design System and incorporates it in UWP apps such as calculator. It also added new features to the photos application, which were once available only in Windows Movie Maker.
• Version 1803, announced as the April 2018 Update and codenamed Redstone 4 introduced Timeline, an upgrade to the task view screen such that it has the ability to show you past activities and lets you resume them. The respective icon on the taskbar was also changed to reflect this upgrade. Strides were taken to incorporate Fluent Design into Windows, which included adding Acrylic transparency to the Taskbar and Taskbar Flyouts. The Settings App was also redesigned to have an Acrylic left pane. Variable Fonts were introduced.
• Version 1809, announced as the Windows 10 October 2018 Update and codenamed Redstone 5 among new features, introduced Dark Mode for File Explorer, Your Phone App to link Android phone with Windows 10, new screenshot tool called Snip & Sketch, Make Text Bigger for easier accessibility, and Clipboard History and Cloud Sync.
• Version 1903, announced as the Windows 10 May 2019 Update and codenamed 19H1 added many new features including the addition of a light theme to the Windows shell and a new feature known as Windows Sandbox, which allows you to run programs in a throwaway virtual window.

Windows Server 2016[edit]

Windows Server 2016 is a release of the Microsoft Windows Server operating system that was unveiled on September 30, 2014. Windows Server 2016 was officially released at Microsoft's Ignite Conference, September 26–30, 2016.^[55]

Windows Server 2019[edit]

Windows Server 2019 is a release of the Microsoft Windows Server operating system.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'Microsoft Windows History'. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
2. ^'System requirements for Windows Vista'. Support. Microsoft. April 18, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
3. ^'Windows 7 system requirements'. Support. Microsoft. April 12, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
4. ^'Want to Upgrade from Vista to Windows 7? Here Are 5 Reasons You Should'. Lifewire. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
5. ^Case, Loyd (October 25, 2012). 'Windows 8: The official review'. PCWorld. IDG. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
6. ^Leonhard, Woody (August 15, 2012). 'Windows 8 review: Yes, it's that bad'. InfoWorld. IDG. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
7. ^'Microsoft 8 review'. Engadget. AOL. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
8. ^Egan, Matt. 'The Windows 10 Creators Update is set to come in 2017. Here's our review of the OS'. PC Advisor. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
9. ^'Windows 10 review'. TechRadar. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
10. ^'Microsoft Windows 10'. PCMag Australia. October 31, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
11. ^Hanson, Rowland. 'WINDOWS IS NAMED WINDOWS : BUT WHY?'.
12. ^Mark Ward (November 5, 2008). 'The end of an era - Windows 3.x'. BBC News. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
13. ^Alsop, Stewart II (January 18, 1988). 'Microsoft Windows: Eclectism in UI'(PDF). P.C. Letter. 4 (2): 6–7.
14. ^Russinovich, Mark (December 1998). 'Windows NT and VMS: The Rest of the Story'. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
15. ^Smith, Mark (August 27, 1999). 'The Death of Alpha on NT'. Windows IT Pro. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
16. ^Russinovich, Mark (June 14, 2000). 'Sysinternals Site Discussion: Volume 2, Number 3'. Winternals. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
17. ^Clark, Quentin (June 23, 2006). 'What's in Store: WinFS Update'. MSDN Blogs. Microsoft.
18. ^'Poking Around Under the Hood: A Programmer's View of Windows NT 4.0'. Microsoft.com. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
19. ^'Justice Department Files Antitrust Suit Against Microsoft For Unlawfully Monopolizing Computer Software Markets'. U.S. Department of Justice. May 18, 1998. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
20. ^Thurrott, Paul (May 5, 1999). 'Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) Review'. IT Pro Today. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
21. ^Thurrott, Paul. 'Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Windows 2000 FAQ'. SuperSite for Windows. Archived from the original on February 11, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
22. ^Dan Tynan (May 26, 2006). 'The 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time (Page 2)'. PCWorld. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
23. ^'Microsoft Raises the Speed Limit with the Availability of 64-Bit Editions of Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional'. News Center. Microsoft. April 25, 2005.
24. ^'A description of the x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003 and of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition'. Support. Microsoft. January 22, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
25. ^'Microsoft Releases Windows XP 64-Bit Edition Version 2003 to Manufacturing'. News Center. Microsoft. March 28, 2003.
26. ^Evers, Joris (January 4, 2005). 'Microsoft nixes Windows XP for Itanium'. InfoWorld. IDG. Archived from the original on January 5, 2005. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
27. ^'Microsoft Announces Beta Version of Windows XP 64-Bit Edition For 64-Bit Extended Systems'. News Center. Microsoft. September 23, 2003.
28. ^'Explore the features: Games Explorer'. Windows. Microsoft. Archived from the original on August 12, 2008.
29. ^'Windows Vista: Compare Editions'. Windows. Microsoft. Archived from the original on July 23, 2008.
30. ^'Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Timelines Shared at Computex'. Microsoft. June 3, 2009. Archived from the original on June 6, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
31. ^'Windows Vista Team Blog: Introducing Windows 7'.
32. ^'Engineering Windows 7: Designing Aero Snap'. Steven Sinofsky/Microsoft. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
33. ^'Windows 7 Lineup Offers Clear Choice for Consumers and Businesses'. Microsoft. February 3, 2009. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
34. ^'Windows Thin PC Frequently Asked Questions v2.0'(PDF). Microsoft. 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
35. ^'Windows Thin PC Whitepaper v1.0'(PDF). Microsoft. 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
36. ^ ^abFoley, Mary Jo (February 25, 2008). 'Windows Home Server 'Vail' to get more entertainment hooks'. ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
37. ^'Windows Home Server 2011 is Ready for Release'. The Windows Blog. Microsoft. March 29, 2011. Archived from the original on April 1, 2011.
38. ^Foley, Mary Jo (January 27, 2010). 'Early version of Windows Home Server 'Vail' leaks to the Web'. ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
39. ^Warren, Tom (July 5, 2012). 'Microsoft kills off Windows Home Server, unveils four Windows Server 2012 editions'. The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
40. ^'Windows Home Server 2011 lifecycle'. Support. Microsoft.
41. ^Thurott, Paul. 'Microsoft Touts Incredible Windows 8 Boot Times'. Penton Media. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
42. ^Microsoft shows off early peek at Windows Server 8.
43. ^Warren, Tom (May 31, 2012). 'Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate now available to download'. The Verge. Vox Media.
44. ^LeBlanc, Brandon (August 1, 2012). 'Windows 8 has reached the RTM milestone'. The Windows Blog. Microsoft.
45. ^Popa, Bogdan (June 27, 2013). 'Download the Windows 8.1 Preview ISO Files'. Softpedia.
46. ^Warren, Tom (March 25, 2013). 'Windows Blue: a video preview of what's next for Windows 8'. The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
47. ^Myerson, Terry (June 1, 2015). 'Hello World: Windows 10 Available on July 29'. Blogging Windows. Microsoft. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
48. ^Withwam, Ryan (May 11, 2015). 'Microsoft: Windows 10 will be the last version of Windows'. ExtremeTech. Ziff Davis. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
49. ^'Windows 10 release information - current branch, build history'. TechNet. Microsoft. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
50. ^Hoffman, Chris (November 12, 2015). 'What's New in Windows 10s First Big November Update'. How-to-geek. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
51. ^Bright, Peter (November 12, 2015). 'Windows 10 November Update: features, fixes, and enterprise readiness'. Ars Technica. Conde Nast. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
52. ^Hoffman, Chris (August 2, 2016). 'What's New in Windows 10s Anniversary Update'. How-to-geek. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
53. ^Hoffman, Chris (April 11, 2017). 'What's New in Windows 10s Creators Update, Arriving Spring 2017'. How-to-geek. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
54. ^Mehdi, Yusuf (March 29, 2017). 'Windows 10 Creators Update coming April 11, Surface expands to more markets'. Windows Blog. Microsoft. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
55. ^'Windows Server 2016 new Current Branch for Business servicing option'. Windows Server Blog. Microsoft. July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.

Further reading[edit]

1. Miller, Michael (October 12, 2005). 'Twenty Years of Windows'. PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved May 15, 2011.

Windows 7 is a personal computer operating system that was produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009 and became generally available on October 22, 2009,^[9] less than three years after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista. Windows 7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time. Microsoft will end its extended support of Windows 7 on January 14, 2020.

Windows 7 was primarily intended to be an incremental upgrade to Microsoft Windows, intended to address Windows Vista's poor critical reception while maintaining hardware and software compatibility. Windows 7 continued improvements on Windows Aero (the user interface introduced in Windows Vista) with the addition of a redesigned taskbar that allows applications to be 'pinned' to it, and new window management features. Other new features were added to the operating system, including libraries, the new file sharing system HomeGroup, and support for multitouch input. A new 'Action Center' interface was also added to provide an overview of system security and maintenance information, and tweaks were made to the User Account Control system to make it less intrusive. Windows 7 also shipped with updated versions of several stock applications, including Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, and Windows Media Center.

In contrast to Windows Vista, Windows 7 was generally praised by critics, who considered the operating system to be a major improvement over its predecessor due to its increased performance, its more intuitive interface (with particular praise devoted to the new taskbar), fewer User Account Control popups, and other improvements made across the platform. Windows 7 was a major success for Microsoft; even prior to its official release, pre-order sales for 7 on the online retailer Amazon.com had surpassed previous records. In just six months, over 100 million copies had been sold worldwide, increasing to over 630 million licenses by July 2012. As of September 2019, 30.9% of traditional PCs running Windows are running Windows 7 (and thus 24% of all traditional PCs),^[10] which still has over 50% market share in some countries and it is the most used version in many countries, mostly some in Africa. Windows 10 is by now most popular on all continents, after overtaking Windows 7 in Africa.

• 2Features
• 3Editions
• 5Extent of hardware support
• 6Updates
• 7Reception

Development history[edit]

Originally, a version of Windows codenamed 'Blackcomb' was planned as the successor to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 in 2000. Major features were planned for Blackcomb, including an emphasis on searching and querying data and an advanced storage system named WinFS to enable such scenarios. However, an interim, minor release, codenamed 'Longhorn,' was announced for 2003, delaying the development of Blackcomb.^[11] By the middle of 2003, however, Longhorn had acquired some of the features originally intended for Blackcomb. After three major malware outbreaks—the Blaster, Nachi, and Sobig worms—exploited flaws in Windows operating systems within a short time period in August 2003,^[12] Microsoft changed its development priorities, putting some of Longhorn's major development work on hold while developing new service packs for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Development of Longhorn (Windows Vista) was also restarted, and thus delayed, in August 2004. A number of features were cut from Longhorn.^[13] Blackcomb was renamed Vienna in early 2006.^[14]

When released, Windows Vista was criticized for its long development time, performance issues, spotty compatibility with existing hardware and software on launch, changes affecting the compatibility of certain PC games, and unclear assurances by Microsoft that certain computers shipping with XP prior to launch would be 'Vista Capable' (which led to a class action lawsuit), among other critiques. As such, adoption of Vista in comparison to XP remained somewhat low.^[15][16][17] In July 2007, six months following the public release of Vista, it was reported that the next version of Windows would then be codenamed Windows 7, with plans for a final release within three years.^[18][19]Bill Gates, in an interview withNewsweek, suggested that Windows 7 would be more 'user-centric'.^[20] Gates later said that Windows 7 would also focus on performance improvements.^[21]Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7 blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help prevent performance regressions.^[22]Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP.^[23] An estimated 1,000 developers worked on Windows 7. These were broadly divided into 'core operating system' and 'Windows client experience', in turn organized into 25 teams of around 40 developers on average.^[24]

In October 2008, it was announced that Windows 7 would also be the official name of the operating system.^[25][26] There has been some confusion over naming the product Windows 7,^[27] while versioning it as 6.1 to indicate its similar build to Vista and increase compatibility with applications that only check major version numbers, similar to Windows 2000 and Windows XP both having 5.x version numbers.^[28] The first external release to select Microsoft partners came in January 2008 with Milestone 1, build 6519.^[29] Speaking about Windows 7 on October 16, 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Windows Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 would be a refined version of Windows Vista.^[30]

At PDC 2008, Microsoft demonstrated Windows 7 with its reworked taskbar.^[31] On December 27, 2008, the Windows 7 Beta was leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.^[32] According to a performance test by ZDNet,^[33] Windows 7 Beta beat both Windows XP and Vista in several key areas, including boot and shutdown time and working with files, such as loading documents. Other areas did not beat XP, including PC Pro benchmarks for typical office activities and video editing, which remain identical to Vista and slower than XP.^[34] On January 7, 2009, the x64 version of the Windows 7 Beta (build 7000) was leaked onto the web, with some torrents being infected with a trojan.^[35][36] At CES 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the Windows 7 Beta, build 7000, had been made available for download to MSDN and TechNet subscribers in the format of an ISO image.^[37] The stock wallpaper of the beta version contained a digital image of the Betta fish.^[38]

The release candidate, build 7100, became available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers, and Connect Program participants on April 30, 2009. On May 5, 2009, it became available to the general public, although it had also been leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.^[39] The release candidate was available in five languages and expired on June 1, 2010, with shutdowns every two hours starting March 1, 2010.^[40] Microsoft stated that Windows 7 would be released to the general public on October 22, 2009. Microsoft released Windows 7 to MSDN and Technet subscribers on August 6, 2009, at 10:00 am PDT.^[41] Microsoft announced that Windows 7, along with Windows Server 2008 R2, was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009. Windows 7 RTM is build 7600.16385.090713-1255, which was compiled on July 13, 2009, and was declared the final RTM build after passing all Microsoft's tests internally.^[42]

Features[edit]

New and changed[edit]

Among Windows 7's new features are advances in touch and handwriting recognition,^[43] support for virtual hard disks,^[44] improved performance on multi-core processors,^{[45][46][47][48]} improved boot performance, DirectAccess, and kernel improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple heterogeneous graphics cards from different vendors (Heterogeneous Multi-adapter),^[49] a new version of Windows Media Center,^[50] a Gadget for Windows Media Center, improved media features, XPS Essentials Pack^[51] and Windows PowerShell^[52] being included, and a redesigned Calculator with multiline capabilities including Programmer and Statistics modes along with unit conversion for length, weight, temperature, and several others.^[53] Many new items have been added to the Control Panel, including ClearType Text Tuner^[54] Display Color Calibration Wizard,^[55]Gadgets, Recovery, Troubleshooting, Workspaces Center, Location and Other Sensors, Credential Manager, Biometric Devices, System Icons, and Display.^[56]Windows Security Center has been renamed to Windows Action Center (Windows Health Center and Windows Solution Center in earlier builds), which encompasses both security and maintenance of the computer. ReadyBoost on 32-bit editions now supports up to 256 gigabytes of extra allocation. Windows 7 also supports images in RAW image format through the addition of Windows Imaging Component-enabled image decoders, which enables raw image thumbnails, previewing and metadata display in Windows Explorer, plus full-size viewing and slideshows in Windows Photo Viewer and Windows Media Center.^[57] Windows 7 also has a native TFTP client with the ability to transfer files to or from a TFTP server.^[58]

The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the old Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with the ability to pin applications to taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons. These buttons also enable Jump Lists to allow easy access to common tasks.^[59] The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon. By default, hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.^[60] In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs, etc., this button is slightly (8 pixels) wider in order to accommodate being pressed by a finger.^[61] Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them.

Window management in Windows 7 has several new features: Snap maximizes a window when it is dragged to the top of the screen.^[62] Dragging windows to the left or right edges of the screen allows users to snap software windows to either side of the screen, such that the windows take up half the screen. When a user moves windows that were snapped or maximized using Snap, the system restores their previous state. Snap functions can also be triggered with keyboard shortcuts. Shake hides all inactive windows when the active window's title bar is dragged back and forth rapidly (metaphorically shaken).

Windows 7 includes 13 additional sound schemes, titled Afternoon, Calligraphy, Characters, Cityscape, Delta, Festival, Garden, Heritage, Landscape, Quirky, Raga, Savanna, and Sonata.^[63] Internet Spades, Internet Backgammon and Internet Checkers, which were removed from Windows Vista, were restored in Windows 7. Users are able to disable or customize many more Windows components than was possible in Windows Vista. New additions to this list of components include Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player 12, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and Windows Gadget Platform.^[64] A new version of Microsoft Virtual PC, newly renamed as Windows Virtual PC was made available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.^[65] It allows multiple Windows environments, including Windows XP Mode, to run on the same machine. Windows XP Mode runs Windows XP in a virtual machine, and displays applications within separate windows on the Windows 7 desktop.^[66] Furthermore, Windows 7 supports the mounting of a virtual hard disk (VHD) as a normal data storage, and the bootloader delivered with Windows 7 can boot the Windows system from a VHD; however, this ability is only available in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions.^[67] The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) of Windows 7 is also enhanced to support real-time multimedia application including video playback and 3D games, thus allowing use of DirectX 10 in remote desktop environments.^[68] The three application limit, previously present in the Windows Vista and Windows XP Starter Editions, has been removed from Windows 7.^[69] All editions include some new and improved features, such as Windows Search, Security features, and some features new to Windows 7, that originated within Vista. Optional BitLocker Drive Encryption is included with Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise. Windows Defender is included; Microsoft Security Essentialsantivirus software is a free download. All editions include Shadow Copy, which—every day or so—System Restore uses to take an automatic 'previous version' snapshot of user files that have changed.^[70]Backup and restore have also been improved,^[71][72] and the Windows Recovery Environment—installed by default—replaces the optional Recovery Console of Windows XP.^[73]

A new system known as 'Libraries' was added for file management; users can aggregate files from multiple folders into a 'Library'. By default, libraries for categories such as Documents, Pictures, Music, and Video are created, consisting of the user's personal folder and the Public folder for each. The system is also used as part of a new home networking system known as HomeGroup; devices are added to the network with a password, and files and folders can be shared with all other devices in the HomeGroup, or with specific users. The default libraries, along with printers, are shared by default, but the personal folder is set to read-only access by other users, and the Public folder can be accessed by anyone.^[74][75]

Windows 7 includes improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API^[76] to provide multilingual support (particularly in Ultimate and Enterprise editions). Microsoft has also implemented better support for solid-state drives,^[77] including the new TRIM command, and Windows 7 is able to identify a solid-state drive uniquely. Native support for USB 3.0 is not included due to delays in the finalization of the standard.^[78] At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.^[79][80]

For developers, Windows 7 includes a new networking API with support for building SOAP-based web services in native code (as opposed to .NET-based WCF web services),^[81] new features to simplify development of installation packages and shorten application install times.^[82] Windows 7, by default, generates fewer User Account Control (UAC) prompts because it allows digitally signed Windows components to gain elevated privileges without a prompt. Additionally, users can now adjust the level at which UAC operates using a sliding scale.^[83]

Removed[edit]

Certain capabilities and programs that were a part of Windows Vista are no longer present or have been changed, resulting in the removal of certain functionalities; these include the classic Start Menu user interface, some taskbar features, Windows Explorer features, Windows Media Player features, Windows Ultimate Extras, Search button, and InkBall. Four applications bundled with Windows Vista—Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Calendar and Windows Mail—are not included with Windows 7 and were replaced by Windows Live-branded versions as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite.^[84][85]

Editions[edit]

Windows 7 is available in six different editions, of which the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate were available at retail in most countries, and as pre-loaded software on new computers. Home Premium and Professional were aimed at home users and small businesses respectively, while Ultimate was aimed at enthusiasts. Each edition of Windows 7 includes all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it, and adds additional features oriented towards their market segments; for example, Professional adds additional networking and security features such as Encrypting File System and the ability to join a domain. Ultimate contained a superset of the features from Home Premium and Professional, along with other advanced features oriented towards power users, such as BitLocker drive encryption; unlike Windows Vista, there were no 'Ultimate Extras' add-ons created for Windows 7 Ultimate.^[86][87][88] Retail copies were available in 'upgrade' and higher-cost 'full' version licenses; 'upgrade' licenses require an existing version of Windows to install, while 'full' licenses can be installed on computers with no existing operating system.^[89]

The remaining three editions were not available at retail, of which two were available exclusively through OEM channels as pre-loaded software. The Starter edition is a stripped-down version of Windows 7 meant for low-cost devices such as netbooks. In comparison to Home Premium, Starter has reduced multimedia functionality, does not allow users to change their desktop wallpaper or theme, disables the 'Aero Glass' theme, does not have support for multiple monitors, and can only address 2GB of RAM.^[88][90]Home Basic was sold only in emerging markets, and was positioned in between Home Premium and Starter.^[86][87] The highest edition, Enterprise, is functionally similar to Ultimate, but is only sold through volume licensing via Microsoft's Software Assurance program.^[91][92][93]

All editions aside from Starter support both IA-32 and x86-64architectures; Starter only supports 32-bit systems.^[88] Retail copies of Windows 7 are distributed on two DVDs: one for the IA-32 version and the other for x86-64. OEM copies include one DVD, depending on the processor architecture licensed. The installation media for consumer versions of Windows 7 are identical; the product key and corresponding license determines the edition that is installed. The Windows Anytime Upgrade service can be used to purchase an upgrade that unlocks the functionality of a higher edition, such as going from Starter to Home Premium, and Home Premium to Ultimate.^[86] Most copies of Windows 7 only contained one license; in certain markets, a 'Family Pack' version of Windows 7 Home Premium was also released for a limited time, which allowed upgrades on up to three computers.^[94] In certain regions, copies of Windows 7 were only sold in, and could only be activated in a designated region.^[95]

Support lifecycle[edit]

Support for Windows 7 without Service Pack 1 ended on April 9, 2013, requiring users to update in order to continue receiving updates and support.^[96] Microsoft ended the sale of new retail copies of Windows 7 in October 2014, and the sale of new OEM licenses for Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate ended on October 31, 2014. Professional currently remains available to OEMs, primarily as part of downgrade rights for Windows 8 and 10 licenses. OEM sales of PCs with Windows 7 Professional pre-installed ended on October 31, 2016.^[97] The sale of non-Professional OEM licences was stopped on October 31, 2014.^[98]

Mainstream support for Windows 7 ended on January 13, 2015. Extended support for Windows 7 will end on January 14, 2020.^[99][100] In August 2019, Microsoft announced it will be offering a 'free' extended security updates to some business users.^[101][102]

On September 7, 2018, Microsoft announced a paid 'Extended Security Updates' service that will offer additional updates for Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise for up to three years after the end of extended support.^[103]

In March 2019, Microsoft announced that it would display notifications to users informing users of the upcoming end of support, and direct users to a website urging them to purchase a Windows 10 upgrade or a new device.^[104]

In August 2019, researchers reported that 'to all modern versions of Microsoft Windows' may be at risk for 'critical' system compromise due to design flaws of hardware device drivers from multiple providers.^[105] In the same month, computer experts reported that the BlueKeepsecurity vulnerability, CVE-2019-0708, that potentially affects older unpatched Microsoft Windows versions via the program's Remote Desktop Protocol, allowing for the possibility of remote code execution, may now include related flaws, collectively named DejaBlue, affecting newer Windows versions (i.e., Windows 7 and all recent versions) as well.^[106] In addition, experts reported a Microsoftsecurity vulnerability, CVE-2019-1162, based on legacy code involving Microsoft CTF and ctfmon (ctfmon.exe), that affects all Windows versions from the older Windows XP version to the most recent Windows 10 versions; a patch to correct the flaw is currently available.^[107]

Windows 10 Update Patch

System requirements[edit]

Additional requirements to use certain features:^[108]

• Windows XP Mode (Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise): Requires an additional 1 GB of RAM and additional 15 GB of available hard disk space. The requirement for a processor capable of hardware virtualization has been lifted.^[109]
• Windows Media Center (included in Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise), requires a TV tuner to receive and record TV.

Extent of hardware support[edit]

Physical memory[edit]

The maximum amount of RAM that Windows 7 supports varies depending on the product edition and on the processor architecture, as shown in the following table.^[110]

Processor limits[edit]

Windows 7 Professional and up support up to 2 physical processors (CPU sockets),^[111]whereas Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, and Home Premium editions support only 1.^[112] Physical processors with either multiple cores, or hyper-threading, or both, implement more than one logical processor per physical processor. The x86 editions of Windows 7 support up to 32 logical processors; x64 editions support up to 256 (4 x 64).^[113]

In January 2016, Microsoft announced that it would no longer support Windows platforms older than Windows 10 on any future Intel-compatible processor lines, citing difficulties in reliably allowing the operating system to operate on newer hardware. Microsoft stated that effective July 17, 2017, devices with Intel Skylake CPUs were only to receive the 'most critical' updates for Windows 7 and 8.1, and only if they have been judged not to affect the reliability of Windows 7 on older hardware.^[99][114] For enterprise customers, Microsoft issued a list of Skylake-based devices 'certified' for Windows 7 and 8.1 in addition to Windows 10, to assist them in migrating to newer hardware that can eventually be upgraded to 10 once they are ready to transition. Microsoft and their hardware partners provide special testing and support for these devices on 7 and 8.1 until the July 2017 date.^[115]

On March 18, 2016, in response to criticism from enterprise customers, Microsoft delayed the end of support and non-critical updates for Skylake systems to July 17, 2018, but stated that they would also continue to receive security updates through the end of extended support.^[116][117] In August 2016, citing a 'strong partnership with our OEM partners and Intel', Microsoft retracted the decision and stated that it would continue to support Windows 7 and 8.1 on Skylake hardware through the end of their extended support lifecycle. However, the restrictions on newer CPU microarchitectures remain in force.^[118][119]

In March 2017, a Microsoft knowledge base article was discovered which implies that devices using Intel Kaby Lake, AMD Bristol Ridge, or AMD Ryzen, would be blocked from using Windows Update entirely.^[120][121] In addition, official Windows 7 device drivers are not available for the Kaby Lake and Ryzen platforms.^[122][123]

Security updates released since March 2018 contain bugs which affect processors that do not support SSE2 extensions, including all Pentium III processors. Microsoft initially stated that it would attempt to resolve the issue, and prevented installation of the affected patches on these systems. However, on June 15, 2018, Microsoft retroactively modified its support documents to remove the promise that this bug would be resolved, replacing it with a statement suggesting that users obtain a newer processor. This effectively ends future patch support for Windows 7 on these systems.^[124][125]

Updates[edit]

Service Pack 1[edit]

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) was announced on March 18, 2010. A beta was released on July 12, 2010.^{[126][127][128]} The final version was released to the public on February 22, 2011.^[129] At the time of release, it was not made mandatory. It was available via Windows Update, direct download, or by ordering the Windows 7 SP1 DVD.^[130] The service pack is on a much smaller scale than those released for previous versions of Windows, particularly Windows Vista.^[131]

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 adds support for Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX), a 256-bit instruction set extension for processors, and improves IKEv2 by adding additional identification fields such as E-mail ID to it. In addition, it adds support for Advanced Format 512e as well as additional Identity Federation Services.^[132][133] Windows 7 Service Pack 1 also resolves a bug related to HDMI audio and another related to printing XPS documents.^[132]

In Europe, the automatic nature of the BrowserChoice.eu feature was dropped in Windows 7 Service Pack 1 in February 2011 and remained absent for 14 months despite Microsoft reporting that it was still present, subsequently described by Microsoft as a 'technical error'. As a result, in March 2013 the European Commission fined Microsoft €561 million to deter companies from reneging on settlement promises.^[134]

Platform Update[edit]

The Platform Update for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 was released on February 26, 2013^[135] after a pre-release version had been released on November 5, 2012.^[136] It is also included with Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7.^[137]

It includes enhancements to Direct2D, DirectWrite, Direct3D, Windows Imaging Component (WIC), Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform (WARP), Windows Animation Manager (WAM), XPS Document API, H.264 Video Decoder and JPEG XR decoder.^[135] However support for Direct3D 11.1 is limited as the update does not include DXGI/WDDM 1.2 from Windows 8, making unavailable many related APIs and significant features such as stereoscopic frame buffer, feature level 11_1 and optional features for levels 10_0, 10_1 and 11_0.^[138]

Disk Cleanup update[edit]

In October 2013, a Disk Cleanup Wizard addon was released that lets users delete outdated Windows updates on Windows 7 SP1, thus reducing the size of the WinSxS directory. This update backports some features found in Windows 8.^[139]

Windows Management Framework 5.0[edit]

Windows Management Framework 5.0 includes updates to Windows PowerShell 5.0, Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC), Windows Remote Management (WinRM), Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). It was released on February 24, 2016^[140] and was eventually superseded by Windows Management Framework 5.1.^[141]

Convenience rollup[edit]

In May 2016, Microsoft released a 'Convenience rollup update for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1', which contains all patches released between the release of SP1 and April 2016. The rollup is not available via Windows Update, and must be downloaded manually. This package can also be integrated into a Windows 7 installation image.^[142]

Since October 2016, all security and reliability updates are cumulative. Downloading and installing updates that address individual problems is no longer possible, but the number of updates that must be downloaded to fully update the OS is significantly reduced.^[143]

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Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

Windows 7 received critical acclaim, with critics noting the increased usability and functionality when compared with its predecessor, Windows Vista. CNET gave Windows 7 Home Premium a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars,^[144] stating that it 'is more than what Vista should have been, [and] it's where Microsoft needed to go'. PC Magazine rated it a 4 out of 5 saying that Windows 7 is a 'big improvement' over Windows Vista, with fewer compatibility problems, a retooled taskbar, simpler home networking and faster start-up.^[145]Maximum PC gave Windows 7 a rating of 9 out of 10 and called Windows 7 a 'massive leap forward' in usability and security, and praised the new Taskbar as 'worth the price of admission alone'.^[146]PC World called Windows 7 a 'worthy successor' to Windows XP and said that speed benchmarks showed Windows 7 to be slightly faster than Windows Vista.^[147] PC World also named Windows 7 one of the best products of the year.^[148]In its review of Windows 7, Engadget said that Microsoft had taken a 'strong step forward' with Windows 7 and reported that speed is one of Windows 7's major selling points—particularly for the netbook sets.^[149]Laptop Magazine gave Windows 7 a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and said that Windows 7 makes computing more intuitive, offered better overall performance including a 'modest to dramatic' increase in battery life on laptop computers.^[150]TechRadar gave Windows 7 a rating of 5 out of 5 stars, concluding that 'it combines the security and architectural improvements of Windows Vista with better performance than XP can deliver on today's hardware. No version of Windows is ever perfect, but Windows 7 really is the best release of Windows yet.'^[151]The New York Times,^[152]USA Today,^[153]The Wall Street Journal,^[154] and The Telegraph^[155] also gave Windows 7 favorable reviews.

Some Windows Vista Ultimate users have expressed concerns over Windows 7 pricing and upgrade options.^[156][157] Windows Vista Ultimate users wanting to upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 must either pay $219.99^[158] to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate or perform a clean install, which requires them to reinstall all of their programs.^[159]

The changes to User Account Control on Windows 7 were criticized for being potentially insecure, as an exploit was discovered allowing untrusted software to be launched with elevated privileges by exploiting a trusted component. Peter Bright of Ars Technica argued that 'the way that the Windows 7 UAC 'improvements' have been made completely exempts Microsoft's developers from having to do that work themselves. With Windows 7, it's one rule for Redmond, another one for everyone else.'^[160] Microsoft's Windows kernel engineer Mark Russinovich acknowledged the problem, but noted that malware can also compromise a system when users agree to a prompt.^[83][161]

Sales[edit]

In July 2009, in only eight hours, pre-orders of Windows 7 at amazon.co.uk surpassed the demand which Windows Vista had in its first 17 weeks.^[162] It became the highest-grossing pre-order in Amazon's history, surpassing sales of the previous record holder, the seventh Harry Potter book.^[163] After 36 hours, 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate editions sold out in Japan.^[164] Two weeks after its release its market share had surpassed that of Snow Leopard, released two months previously as the most recent update to Apple'sMac OS X operating system.^[165][166] According to Net Applications, Windows 7 reached a 4% market share in less than three weeks; in comparison, it took Windows Vista seven months to reach the same mark.^[167][168] As of February 2014, Windows 7 has a market share of 47.49% according to Net Applications; in comparison, Windows XP had a market share of 29.23%.^[169]

On March 4, 2010, Microsoft announced that it had sold more than 90 million Windows 7 licenses.^[170]By April 23, 2010, Windows 7 had sold more than 100 million copies in six months, which made it Microsoft's fastest-selling operating system.^[171][172] As of June 23, 2010, Windows 7 has sold 150 million copies which made it the fastest selling operating system in history with seven copies sold every second.^[172][173] Based on worldwide data taken during June 2010 from Windows Update 46% of Windows 7 PCs run the 64-bit edition of Windows 7.^[174] According to Stephen Baker of the NPD Group during April 2010 in the United States 77% of PCs sold at retail were pre-installed with the 64-bit edition of Windows 7.^[174][175] As of July 22, 2010, Windows 7 had sold 175 million copies.^[176] On October 21, 2010, Microsoft announced that more than 240 million copies of Windows 7 had been sold.^[177] Three months later, on January 27, 2011, Microsoft announced total sales of 300 million copies of Windows 7.^[178] On July 12, 2011, the sales figure was refined to over 400 million end-user licenses and business installations.^[179] As of July 9, 2012, over 630 million licenses have been sold; this number includes licenses sold to OEMs for new PCs.^[180]

Antitrust concerns[edit]

As with other Microsoft operating systems, Windows 7 was studied by United States federal regulators who oversee the company's operations following the 2001 United States v. Microsoft Corp. settlement. According to status reports filed, the three-member panel began assessing prototypes of the new operating system in February 2008. Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research, said, '[Microsoft's] challenge for Windows 7 will be how can they continue to add features that consumers will want that also don't run afoul of regulators.'^[181]

In order to comply with European antitrust regulations, Microsoft proposed the use of a 'ballot' screen containing download links to competing web browsers, thus removing the need for a version of Windows completely without Internet Explorer, as previously planned.^[182] In response to criticism involving Windows 7 E and concerns from manufacturers about possible consumer confusion if a version of Windows 7 with Internet Explorer were shipped later, after one without Internet Explorer, Microsoft announced that it would discard the separate version for Europe and ship the standard upgrade and full packages worldwide.^[183]

As with the previous version of Windows, an N version, which does not come with Windows Media Player, has been released in Europe, but only for sale directly from Microsoft sales websites and selected others.^[184]

See also[edit]

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Further reading[edit]

• Bott, Ed; Siechert, Carl; Stinson, Craig (2010). Windows 7 Inside Out. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press. ISBN978-0-7356-2665-2.

External links[edit]

Free Windows 7 Patch Download