When was Microsoft Windows first released?
Windows 1.0 was released on the 20th of November 1985 as a graphical operating system shell for MS-DOS. Work on the underlying program, originally called Interface Manager, had begun in 1981.
Questions about Microsoft Windows
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the market share of Microsoft Windows on desktop computers?
Windows holds a 79% market share among desktop operating systems, making it the most popular desktop operating system in the world. As of April 2026, Windows 11 accounts for over 70% of all desktop Windows usage.
What was the first version of Microsoft Windows to achieve broad commercial success?
Windows 3.0, released in 1990, was the first Windows version to achieve broad commercial success, selling 2 million copies in its first six months. Microsoft rewrote critical operations from C into assembly language to improve its performance.
Why did Apple sue Microsoft over Windows?
Apple Computer sued Microsoft after Windows 2.03 introduced overlapping windows, which Apple alleged infringed on its copyrights. The case was eventually settled in Microsoft's favor in 1993.
What caused 8.5 million Windows PCs to crash in 2024?
A CrowdStrike software update in July 2024 caused 8.5 million Windows PCs to crash. The incident prompted Microsoft to announce plans to limit kernel access and to rewrite parts of Windows in the memory-safe language Rust.
What is Windows 365 and how does it work?
Windows 365 is a Microsoft subscription service that delivers virtualized Windows desktops accessible through any web browser on any operating system. Microsoft announced it in July 2021 and made it available to business and enterprise customers on the 2nd of August 2021.