Windows 95

"OSR2" redirects here. For the gene, see OSR2 (gene).
"Windows 4.0" redirects here. Not to be confused with Windows NT 4.0.

Windows 95
Version of the Windows 9x operating system
Windows 95 desktop, showing its icons, Start button, taskbar and welcome screen
DeveloperMicrosoft
Source modelClosed source
Released to
manufacturing		July 14, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-07-14)
General
availability		August 24, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-08-24)[1]
Latest releaseOEM Service Release 2.5 (4.0.950 C) / November 26, 1997; 26 years ago (1997-11-26)[2]
PlatformsIA-32
Kernel typeMonolithic
LicenseProprietary commercial software
Preceded byWindows 3.1 (1992–1993)
Succeeded byWindows 98 (1998)
Official websiteWindows 95 at the Wayback Machine (archived January 20, 1998)
Support status
Mainstream support ended on December 31, 2000 (December 31, 2000)[3]
Extended support ended on December 31, 2001 (December 31, 2001)[3]

Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of operating systems. The first operating system in the 9x family, it is the successor to Windows 3.1, and was released to manufacturing on July 14, 1995, and generally to retail on August 24, 1995, almost three months after the release of Windows NT 3.51. Windows 95 is the first version of Microsoft Windows to include the Modern Windows Feel (Taskbar, Start Menu.)[4][5] Windows 95 merged Microsoft's formerly separate MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows products, and featured significant improvements over its predecessor, most notably in the graphical user interface (GUI) and in its simplified "plug-and-play" features. There were also major changes made to the core components of the operating system, such as moving from a mainly cooperatively multitasked 16-bit architecture to a 32-bit preemptive multitasking architecture, at least when running only 32-bit protected mode applications.

Accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign,[1] Windows 95 introduced numerous functions and features that were featured in later Windows versions, and continue in modern variations to this day, such as the taskbar, notification area, and the "Start" button which summons the Start menu. It is considered to be one of the biggest and most important products in the personal computing industry.[6][7]

Three years after its introduction, Windows 95 was followed by Windows 98. Nevertheless, Windows 95 remained the most popular operating system in 1998, despite the release of Windows 98.[8] Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 95 on December 31, 2000. Like Windows NT 3.51, Windows 95 received only one year of extended support, ending on December 31, 2001.

  1. ^ a b Segal, David (August 24, 1995). "With Windows 95's Debut, Microsoft's Scales Heights of Hype". Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  2. ^ Thurrott, Paul (October 19, 1997). "Microsoft to release Windows 95 OSR 2.5". Windows IT Pro. Penton. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Microsoft Support Lifecycle". Microsoft. Archived from the original on November 22, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  4. ^ Segal, David (August 24, 1995). "With Windows 95's Debut, Microsoft Scales Heights of Hype". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  5. ^ Long, Tony (August 24, 2011). "Aug. 24, 1995: Say Hello to Windows 95". Wired.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  6. ^ Hickey, Matt. "Windows 95 Was The Most Important Operating System Of All Time". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  7. ^ admin-ectnews (August 31, 2020). "25-Year Anniversary: How Windows 95 Forever Changed Personal Computing". TechNewsWorld. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  8. ^ "Windows 95 remains most popular operating system". CNET. July 20, 1999. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2019.