windowsonwindows

windowsonwindows, 8 days ago to random

Windows has traditionally included hidden media called Easter eggs. Many referenced the team working on a particular version. In 2002, Microsoft ended the practice via its Trustworthy Computing Initiative. In 2022, a 35-year-old Windows 1 Easter egg was found by @mswin_bat. 🤯

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windowsonwindows, 13 days ago to random

Windows 1 (1985) included an analogue clock app to show users the time. Simply called Clock, a digital mode was added in Windows 3 (1990). In Windows 95 (1995), its function was absorbed into the Notification Area in the new Taskbar. It last appeared in Windows NT 4 (1996). ⏰

windowsonwindows, 14 days ago to random

Before the Start menu & Taskbar, the Windows 95 (1995) team tested this UI. They found users had issues deciding what each button on the Taskbar (at this point called the Tray) did. E.g. to search Help, do you go to Find or Help? 😵‍💫 Did they make the right call scrapping this? 👀

windowsonwindows, 21 days ago to random

Windows has shipped with 3 main GUIs (or shells). The first was Windows 1’s (1985) text-based MS-DOS Executive. This was replaced in Windows 3 (1990) by the icon-based Program Manager. Later, Windows 95 (1995) debuted Explorer, which included the famous Start Menu & Taskbar. 💪

windowsonwindows, 27 days ago to random

Windows Codename Longhorn build 4093, from 19th August 2004, is the last available build of what would become Windows Vista (2006) before its infamous “development reset”. It contains many prototype features that were either vastly reworked for Vista, or scrapped altogether. 👀

windowsonwindows, 1 month ago to random

Windows Vista dropped the word “Start” from the Start button. But, it may never have been there at all. Derek Hoiem, who worked on usability testing for Start, explained: “One thing that became controversial was whether or not to put the word “Start” next to the Windows logo.” 👀

windowsonwindows, 1 month ago to random

The Windows 95 Usability Testing Builds are the earliest known builds of Windows 95. They are shown in a Microsoft video demonstrating part of the usability testing process for Windows 95, from late 1992/early 1993. They showcase an early taskbar with no clock or Start button.

windowsonwindows, 1 month ago to random

In 1989, Steve Sinofsky joined Microsoft as a software design engineer. 20 years later, he became president of the Windows division. Under his leadership, Microsoft released Windows 7 (2009). It became a massive success, remaining one of the most known & loved versions of Windows. 7️⃣

windowsonwindows, 1 month ago to random

Microsoft Bob (1995) aimed to provide a more user-friendly UI for Windows. It used the metaphor of a house, with rooms containing objects representing apps. Assistants - such as Rover the dog - offered help. With its poor reception, Bob is one of Microsoft’s biggest failures. 🏠

windowsonwindows, 1 month ago to random

On 1st April 1996, Microsoft Coffee appeared in stores. ☕️ This “Java-compatible Internet development tool” (Java…coffee…get it?) was designed for Windows 95 (1995), inspired by Sun Microsystem’s new Java programming language. The only issue? It was fake. 👀

windowsonwindows, 2 months ago to random

Windows has an undocumented “Emergency Shutdown” feature. Introduced in Windows NT 3.1 (1993), to access it, a user must 1st press Ctrl+Alt+Delete. Then, if the Shut Down option is chosen while holding Ctrl, a dialog box will allow the user to confirm an immediate shut down. 🚨‼️

windowsonwindows, 2 months ago to random

Windows 98 (1998) was the last version of Windows able to be purchased on floppy disks. The 3½" floppy disk edition of Windows 98 was mail order only and came on THIRTY NINE(!!!) specially-formatted disks - each could hold 1.68MB (versus the 1.44MB of a standard floppy). 💾👀😱

windowsonwindows, 2 months ago to random

Plates were UI elements tested for Windows 95 (1995). Aimed to make it easier to manage open apps, they were superseded by the Taskbar. 95 team member Kent Sullivan said: “We hoped [managing apps] would be solved by giving minimised apps a large, distinctive look. We were wrong!”

windowsonwindows, 2 months ago to random

ScanDisk is a program included in Windows 9x - though introduced in MS-DOS 6.2 (1993) - to check and/or repair disk file systems errors. The successor to the simpler Chkdsk (“Check Disk”) utility, it infamously appeared on boot up if the system detected an improper shutdown. 🤕

windowsonwindows, 2 months ago to random

The Browser Choice Screen was a mandatory screen shown to Windows Internet Explorer users in the European Union between March 2010-December 2014. It resulted from the EU ruling the inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows gave Microsoft an unfair advantage in the browser market.

windowsonwindows, 2 months ago to random

User account pictures debuted in Windows XP (2001). They are used to represent system users on the Start menu & lock screen. Windows 7 (2009) offered a choice of 37(!) user pictures - more than any other Windows version. Most originated from Getty Images. Which was yours? 👀🤓

windowsonwindows, 2 months ago to random

Windows XP (2001) brought the biggest visual changes to Windows since Windows 95 (1995). According to the Program Manager for its UI team, Greg Raiz, “The design philosophy of the OS was to move Microsoft away from mechanical, rigid & gray design & to make the OS feel more natural.”

windowsonwindows, 2 months ago to random

Windows 98 (1998) introduced a new user interface for the Windows setup process. Known during development as “Red Carpet”, the windowed tips (or “billboards”) of Windows 95’s (1995) setup were replaced by shorter, snappier “tagline-esque” ones, set against a graphical background.

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windowsonwindows, 3 months ago to random

Microsoft Reversi debuted in Windows 1 (1985). It featured an AI opponent & was included through Windows 3 (1990). It was replaced in Windows 3.1 (1992) by Microsoft Solitaire (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?). An online co-op version of the game appeared in Windows ME (2000) & XP (2001). 🔵

windowsonwindows, 3 months ago to random

Fast Start was a feature tested in Windows Codename Neptune, an unreleased Windows version from the late 1990s. It sped up boot times by saving an initial system snapshot that was restored on each boot. A similar feature eventually debuted over a decade later in Windows 8 (2012).

windowsonwindows, 3 months ago to random

Plug & Play, introduced in Windows 95 (1995), was a standard that allowed the automatic detection & installation of drivers for the system’s hardware on boot, or for peripherals when connected by the user. This negated the need for users to do so manually, saving time & know-how.

windowsonwindows, 3 months ago to random

Windows 3 with Multimedia Extensions (1991) brought screensavers to Windows. These full-screen, (mostly) animated images &/or text aimed to prevent burn-in on CRT screens. Many were kept in later Windows versions, such as Flying Windows, Mystify & Starfield. What was your fav? 🤓

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windowsonwindows, 3 months ago to random

Windows 10 build 19587, from 13th March 2020, introduced a new boot screen loading “spinner”. Though disabled by default, it can be activated via a registry key. It would later be used in Windows 10X (cancelled) & Windows 11 (2021), beginning with the Windows 11 2022 Update. ⭕️

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windowsonwindows, 3 months ago to random

Windows XP featured 4 sample images: Blue Hills (by Mark Karrass) depicts a hilly blue forest in Washington, US; Sunset (by Mick Roessler) shows a sunset over Lake Pichola, India; Winter (also by Karrass) is of an unknown snowy forest; Water Lilies’ author & location are unknown.

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windowsonwindows, 3 months ago to random

Chess is a wallpaper from Windows 3 (1990). It depicts six chess pieces falling on a chess board. Its author is unknown. In Windows XP builds 2475 & 2486, the Chess user picture is replaced by this wallpaper, possibly caused by an error during the compilation of these builds.