What is oc windows. Windows - what is it? Availability of commercial support for OpenJDK on the Microsoft Windows platform
TEST
By discipline Informatics
On the topic Windows operating system
Moscow - 2006
operating system Windows
The operating system organizes all the work of the computer. The operating system program is loaded into RAM after the computer is turned on and runs in parallel with all other programs until it is turned off.
IBMPC computers typically used the MSDOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) operating system.
With the development of computers, the increase in their productivity, speed, RAM and disk memory, it became possible to significantly improve the way a person works with a computer, provide parallel solution of several problems, create mechanisms for exchanging information within the environment, etc. These capabilities were provided by the MSDOS operating system shell developed by Microsoft, which received Windows name. The first versions of this environment, Windows 1.0 (1985) and Windows 2.0 (1987), were not widely used.
Windows 3.0, released in 1990, was significantly different from previous ones. It really provided multitasking, and the graphical interface and special software tool Program Manager made it possible to switch to “mouse” operating technology. However, low reliability Windows operation required further modifications.
Windows 3.1 (1992) and Windows 3.11 (1993), in addition to eliminating defects of the previous version, acquired a number of additional features. Thus, the “virtual memory” technology was implemented. A special “swap file” is created on the hard drive, which is used as an extension of virtual memory. If there is not enough space in random access memory some information is temporarily transferred to this file. Consequently, insufficient memory is no longer an obstacle to working with large tasks.
However, all these modifications remained only shells, add-ons of the MSDOS operating system, which did not allow efficient use of the capabilities of modern powerful computers.
Therefore, it was replaced by a new operating system from Microsoft - Windows 95 (1995) - the first graphical operating system for IBMPC computers.
The next improved version of the new operating system was called Windows 98.
In 2000, Microsoft released the following modification: Windows2000.
On October 25, 2001, the WindowsXP operating system was officially released, which is currently a universal user operating system from Microsoft. The WindowsXP system continues the line of WindowsNTWorkstation and Windows 2000 Professional systems and is based on a reliable and secure kernel.
Object-oriented approach
When working in the operating system, MSDOS used a software-oriented approach. The user selected and downloaded the required program, and then, using its tools, created a document or downloaded and edited previously created documents.
Thus, software tools were primary, and created documents were secondary.
The object-oriented approach assumes that objects are primary, and the tools that process them are secondary.
A person selects the desired object, and the computer offers a choice of possible actions and automatically provides the tools necessary to process this object.
An object in Windows is something that has certain properties and with which you can perform any actions, starting with a desktop, whose surface can be changed, and ending with a symbol, the shape, size and design of which can also be changed. Each object is unique, i.e. has its own original set of properties.
Moving and copying objects. OLE - technology
Windows provides the Clipboard, which allows you to move or copy objects from one place to another, including pasting information created by one program into a document created by another program.
The most important manifestation of integration properties is the ability to combine objects of different structures in one document: texts, pictures, tables, etc. and subsequently edit each object using the tools of the program that created it.
These capabilities are provided by OLE technology (Object Linking and Embedding), which is supported by most applications running in Windows environment.
Window Windows
All work in the Windows environment is done in windows. The main work windows open on the Desktop; there are four main types of work windows in Windows.
The folder window is designed to display objects nested in it and work with these objects.
The application window is intended for working with the program.
A dialog box opens after selecting a command to set conditions and define parameters for its execution. A type of dialog box is the help window. Dialog boxes use special elements that allow you to conveniently select or set parameters.
Information window. A message appears. As a rule, it has one OK button, which must be pressed after reading the text of the message.
Operation menu. The operating menu of the folder window has 6 standard items.
The file contains operations for working with objects located in the window. The scope of operations depends on the selected object and the purpose of the folder. So, for example, in the window of the Trash folder, in which files deleted from other folders are placed, the File menu contains a specific “Restore” command, which returns the selected file to its original location.
Editing includes operations for working with the Clipboard, which allow you to move or copy selected objects.
A view includes operations that determine what is displayed and how it is displayed in the window.
The transition is mainly intended for Internet use.
Favorites. In Windows 95, this folder was used only on the Internet. It could contain links to the most frequently accessed Web pages. In Windows 98/2000, the purpose of the folder has been expanded: it also contains links to frequently used folders and documents.
Reference. Calling help Windows
Toolbars. Toolbars are enabled and disabled using the View-Toolbar command, which has several options:
Regular buttons – turns on/off the main toolbar, which has standard set buttons
Address line – enables/disables the line containing the combo box. It shows the address open folder. From the drop-down list, you can select another device or folder that has an icon on your desktop. Accordingly, the title, address bar and content of the window change.
Links. The link bar initially contains a number of buttons to Internet pages offered by Microsoft. Unnecessary links can be removed using the context menu. The panel can contain links to any Web pages and files stored on your hard drive. To add a link, you need to drag the icon of the desired page onto the panel from the address bar, from any folder or from the Desktop.
Captions for buttons. The name of the button is displayed below the picture. The button size increases accordingly.
Setting folder properties
The Folder Options dialog box (Tools – Folder Options) allows you to make a number of general settings for the active folder or all folders equally.
The window has four tabs.
Are common. General setting of the system operation style:
Web style - general design and working methods, as on the Internet;
Classic style - design and operation, like in Windows 95;
Style based on the selected settings - the “Customize” button opens a window in which you can set individual parameters style of design and operation of the Desktop and folders.
View. Additional settings representation of objects and image parameters.
File types. List of registered types - extensions and characters. For document files, this means that the programs that process them are known. You can add an unknown extension by assigning it a program to process.
Offline files. List of settings for network files when using a computer offline.
Desktop
Desktop- a place to work. Formally, the Desktop is a folder on a disk. When installing Windows, icons for special Windows folders and icons for programs for working with the Internet, e-mail and teleconferencing - InternetExplorer and OutlookExpress - are placed on the Desktop.
In Windows, the desktop can be presented in the classic style (as in Windows 95) or in the style of a Web page.
Special folders - special Windows objects, are created during system installation and cannot be deleted. These are My Computer, Network Neighborhood and My Documents. In addition, there is usually a Briefcase folder icon on the Desktop.
My computer - computer disk drives, the Dial-up Network Access folder, shortcuts to the Control Panel and Printers folders. Used to work with devices, folders and files.
Recycle Bin is a folder for files deleted from the hard drive. Incorrectly deleted files can be restored. Everything is deleted from the disk only when you empty the Recycle Bin.
Network environment – local network devices. The Properties item from the context menu when you click on the icon on the Desktop opens the Network window, in which you can check the presence and, if necessary, add Windows software components for working with global and local networks.
My Documents – the default folder for saving created documents. It is not the folder itself that is placed on the Desktop, but its shortcut - an icon indicating the location of the folder.
Portfolio is a special tool for reconciling two versions of a document that are used on different computers.
Channels panel - appears by default on the Desktop if its fork matches the image of the Web page. This is one of the means of integration into the Internet.
Microsoft's Windows operating system, without a doubt, has become a milestone in the development of not only the information industry, but also all of humanity. It is largely thanks to Windows that hundreds of millions of people around the world have personal computers and laptops on their desks. In parallel with the operating system for home computers, Microsoft was developing a server version of Windows intended for companies and corporations. This version was called Windows NT and later Windows Server. This family of operating systems has gained significant popularity and has seriously displaced the former king of servers - the UNIX operating system.
The history of Windows resembles a victorious march that began back in 1985, when the first Windows with the number 1.01 was released. However, the history of Microsoft begins even earlier, back in 1975, when a young student Bill Gates created a version of the BASIC software language for one of the first personal computers, Altair 8800 models.
Contrary to popular belief, the first Windows version was not at all an independent operating system. In reality, Windows was a graphical “add-on” to the DOS operating system and was designed to make working with the dark and gloomy command line easier. Many DOS users did not understand this innovation.
The history of Windows begins in November 1985, when the first version of Windows 1.0 appeared. It was a set of programs that expanded the capabilities of existing operating systems for greater ease of use. A few years later, the second version (Windows 2.0) was released, but did not gain much popularity.
Time passed, and in 1990 the next version was released - Windows 3.0, which began to be used on many personal computers.
The popularity of the new version of Windows was due to several reasons. The graphical interface made it possible to work with data not using commands entered on the command line, but using visual and understandable actions on graphic objects, representing this data. The ability to simultaneously work with several programs has also significantly increased the convenience and efficiency of work. In 1995, the famous Windows 95 appeared, which became a new stage in the history of Windows and personal computers in general. Compared to Windows 3.1, the interface has changed significantly and the speed of programs has increased. The new operating system made it possible to automatically configure additional computer devices to eliminate conflicts when interacting between them. In addition, Windows 95 took the first steps to support the then nascent Internet.
The Windows 95 interface became the main one for the entire Windows family, and in 1996 a redesigned version of the server operating system Windows NT 4.0 appeared, which has the same interface as Windows 95.
In 1998, Windows 98 appeared with a significantly redesigned structure compared to Windows 95. In the new version, much attention was paid to working with the Internet and modern protocols.
The next stage in the development of Windows was the appearance of Windows 2000 and Windows Me (Millenium Edition). The Windows 2000 system was developed on the basis of Windows NT and inherited from it high reliability and security of information from outside interference. Two versions were released: Windows 2000 Server for servers and Windows 2000 Professional for workstations, which many installed on their home computers.
The Windows Me operating system became, in fact, an enhanced version of Windows 98 with improved multimedia support. It is believed that Windows Me became one of the most unsuccessful versions of Windows, characterized by unstable operation, often freezing and crashing.
As a result, just a year after its release, a new operating system, Windows XP, appeared. This happened in 2001.
The Windows XP operating system was based on the Windows NT kernel and therefore had the highest stability and performance compared to previous versions of Windows. It also seriously redesigned the graphical interface and introduced support for new functions and programs.
In 2003, a new version of Windows Server 2003 was released, replacing Windows 2000. After some time, an update was released, called Windows Server 2003 R2. The Windows Server 2003 operating system set a new standard for reliability and performance, becoming one of Microsoft's most successful server systems.
Before Windows release XP, Microsoft was actively developing a new version of the operating system, codenamed Windows Longhorn. Then the name was changed to Windows Vista.
The new operating system Windows Vista appeared in 2007. It was based on the Windows Server 2003 kernel.
In 2009, the next version was released - the remarkable Windows 7. What made it different? Let's start with the fact that the key errors of Windows Vista were fixed in this operating system. As a result, the “seven” turned out to be very fast, reliable and productive. In fact, it became what was expected from Vista from the very beginning.
With the release of the first service package, its position in the market only strengthened. And after some time, the seven supplanted Windows XP, which had lingered on computers. Seven has essentially become a replacement for XP, a system that supports everything and works relatively quickly.
But Microsoft was not enough. Losing the race in the tablet and smartphone markets, the company desperately needed a new product that would unite all devices - smartphones, laptops, desktop computers and tablets - within a single Metro interface. It was necessary to create some kind of hybrid operating system.
And the result is the Windows 8 operating system, which was released in October 2012. For the first time, Microsoft decided to radically change the interface, which was much more shocking than the changes in Vista. Instead of the usual desktop, the user was greeted with strange tiles, and the Start button was completely absent. The interface intrigued some, scared others away.
By technical capabilities Windows 8 is an optimized version of Windows 7. The new system has become much faster to boot, however, again there are some problems with drivers and launching games - but this is clearly a temporary situation.
In 2013, the process of market acceptance of the new system is in full swing. It’s too early to say how successful it has become – time will tell. We can only say unequivocally that the fate of Windows 8 will not be easy. Some experts predict the fate of Windows Vista, a system that has never recovered from its negative image.
The “eight” was followed by version 8.1, and not the expected “nine”. At the same time, 8.1 did not bring with it any fundamental changes; Microsoft simply tried to make adjustments to Windows 8, since multiple negative reviews and bugs required immediate solutions. The developers took into account the shortcomings and wishes of the user audience, but the innovations of 8.1 turned out to be a weak reason to purchase a license for the updated product.
Meanwhile, a beta version of Windows 9 will be released in the fall of 2014. As Microsoft promises, this version will be available for download to all users, but the official release of the new operating system is planned for the spring of 2015, which the developers believe is sufficient to complete work on the release.
We, as ordinary users, can only follow the innovations from the software industry giant Microsoft, and look forward to the next version of our favorite product in the form of Windows.
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A person who has very little understanding of computers, or simply, has heard the word “windows” applied in context to a computer. What is Windows and what role does it play in a PC?
Windows operating system.
For ease of understanding, an operating system (OS) is the most important program (more precisely, a set of programs) on a computer, automatically launched after it is turned on and self-testing. Windows provides interaction between the computer and the user in a graphical mode that is understandable to humans. Those. Windows is an intermediary translator between a machine and a person.
Thanks to Windows, you can use various programs (office programs, Internet browsers, various music and video players, etc.), both initially included in this operating system and installed by the user independently. The Windows operating system distributes computer resources when several programs are running simultaneously, processes keyboard button presses and mouse movements, together with the video card and sound card displays the image on the monitor and sound on speakers or headphones. But the most important thing for the average user is not the management of Windows computer devices, but the extreme ease of using the computer through graphic elements, the so-called window interface. This is where the name of this OS comes from; in English, Windows means windows. Windows are the basis of the graphical interface of this operating system, each running program opens in its own separate working field, called a window. The window can be maximized to full screen ( full screen mode program work), have your own resizable or be completely minimized to invisible mode.
It was Windows that ensured the explosive growth in the popularity of PCs. After all, previously, in order to control a computer, it was necessary to enter many commands from the keyboard, which was the lot of only professionals. With the advent and development of Windows with its intuitive, simple and convenient graphical shell, the computer has become truly personal - a PC.
The Windows operating system is the most popular in the world; it is installed on the vast majority of computers in the world. Almost all programs and games are developed for this OS. The advantage of this system is that it is easy to maintain; it was not without reason that it was once called a system for housewives.
In the world of Windows you won't surprise anyone. In our country, its name has become almost a household name. But most ordinary users do not think at all about what Windows systems are and how they work. And of course, few people have a complete understanding of the organizational structure of these operating systems.
What is Windows?
Most users are accustomed to the fact that when they turn on the computer, the OS loads, in which they can then work with various programs. But what is the role of the operating system itself?
The system on a computer, not to mention the hardware components present, plays both a dominant and an intermediate role. The intermediate role is that it is link between installed software(software), user and hardware. In other words, it is through the functional Windows set the user can launch various applications that can interact with each other. But calculations are already performed by the central processor with parallel loading of components of currently active programs (not counting their own processes necessary for the operation of the system itself) into RAM. That is, what is “Windows”? A bridge connecting the user and application applications with hardware components, which are entrusted with the functions of executing all processes (computational operations, issuing results and their subsequent processing).
On the other hand, speaking about what Windows is, the system can be compared to some semblance of the organization of human society. “Windows” is a kind of leader who gives instructions to other members of a lower rank, and also establishes rights or prohibits the execution of certain processes.
A little history
But the family of these operating systems has not always been so popular. Previously, when mostly DOS-like systems were used on computers, and to interact with the computer it was necessary to enter quite a lot of commands, there was no need to talk about any ease of operation.
It wasn't until 1985, when the first version of Windows 1.01, developed using the latest principles object-oriented programming, users were able to work with the computer through a graphical interface, which later became even more convenient, but did not undergo fundamental changes.
Then modifications 2.0, 3.x followed, but the system as we see it today was finally formed only with the release of the then revolutionary Windows 95. This was followed by desktop versions 98, 2000, Millennium (ME), XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10 (latest version of Windows), not counting huge amount server modifications.
Basic interface elements
But the main element since the appearance of the system has been and remains windows (where, in fact, the name comes from). They are used to display absolutely all programs, processes, etc.
In version 95, several more elements appeared, without which today the system is almost impossible to imagine - the “Start” button (which, however, the developers tried to abandon in the eighth modification, but returned to its place in the tenth) and various types of panels, the main of which is "Taskbars".
Brief description of the Windows system and its competitors
But why did Windows become one of the most common operating systems, even if only until recently all modifications were paid? This is due not only to ease of use or the presence of hacked versions, the majority of which are accounted for by users in the post-Soviet space.
The fact is that the developers initially tried to create a universal system that could work with most known hardware devices (motherboards, processors, RAM, hard drives, etc.), and in which any program could be run regardless of its developer or purpose.
Of course, today Windows systems are being followed on the heels of both Linux (a system that was originally free) and Mac OS X. But the first is quite specific and is especially popular only among a narrow circle of users, while the second can only function on special equipment ( It’s not for nothing that Windows platforms are classified as PCs, and Mac systems are classified as Intel). But the most interesting thing is that competing operating systems are not affected by viruses, while Windows has quite a lot of security holes (this will be discussed separately).
How to find out the system version?
Now let's look at how to look at the characteristics of Windows version 7, for example, or any other. In each system, you can get brief information through the RMB menu on the computer icon and selecting the properties item (almost everyone knows this).
But to clarify system parameters or determine the exact build number, it is better to use the msinfo32 command entered in the Run console, or the winver line entered in the same menu. For convenience, you can also use the system section in the “Control Panel”.
Why does the system fail?
Naturally, the possibilities of Windows are very wide, but not limitless. Many users complain that this particular OS often crashes and causes a huge number of errors to appear.
Here it is worth clarifying that in almost 99.9% of cases it is not the system that is “buggy”, but the installed software, or the installed hardware does not meet the requirements of the OS itself. The same incorrectly installed drivers, different strips memory and many other things can cause conflicts. By the way, one of the latest modifications of Windows 10 Pro is the least susceptible to failures.
Security and update installation issues
The security system, despite many protective measures, is far from at the highest level. It was only in Windows 10 Pro and other versions of the tenth group that a built-in antivirus appeared, and before that it was necessary to use third-party developments. In addition, the firewall is quite problematic. And there are plenty of holes in the system through which viruses or malicious codes can penetrate.
This is why constant installation of Windows updates is required. In most cases, the release of such updates is precisely related to patching holes in the security system, although you can also install updates for other Microsoft software products, including office suites or specialized platforms like DirectX, .NET Framework, Visual C++, etc., which essential for correct operation many modern programs that are demanding on system resources.
As a rule, in any version, installing Windows updates in automatic mode activated by default. But if failures occur, you can find and install them yourself by performing a manual search in the Update Center. But, unfortunately, some updates themselves can cause system errors due to their incorrect or incomplete installation, or even because they were initially performed incorrectly, but this is the fault of Microsoft programmers.
Rollback and restoration of system functionality
Finally, many users are interested in the question of whether it is possible to restore Windows. Can. Starting with the ME version, this family has become smarter. This was expressed in the fact that on the hard disk were created (and are being created) backups state of the OS at a certain point in time. In addition, in modern modifications you can not wait for the automation of these processes, but create a disk or flash drive for quick system recovery, not to mention a complete copy hard drives.
Typically, after critical failures occur, recovery starts automatically without user intervention. If this does not happen, you can always use the additional boot menu, which in all systems except Windows 10 is called up by pressing the F8 key at startup, and select loading the latest successful configuration. True, the latest version of Windows (tenth) uses slightly different paths to enter such a menu, although if you wish, you can easily return to using F8.
If this does not help, when starting from removable media, you can launch the command line and restore the operating system using a specialized set of tools (checking the disk or file system, online recovery, overwriting boot sectors or the bootloader itself, etc.) . In some cases, it is enough to use Safe Mode, which allows you to eliminate many problems if the system cannot boot into normal mode(installing and uninstalling programs, including drivers, removing viruses, changing settings of the OS itself, manually launching the “Recovery Center”, etc.).
Brief conclusions
That's all about Windows systems in a nutshell. Purely technical issues related to the operating principles of the OS were not touched upon here, since the average user does not particularly need this. But to summarize, we can say that Windows is a unified shell that allows you to manage all elements of the computer (hardware and software) and interact between the computer and the user. It is quite problematic to describe all the capabilities of modern operating systems, since it will take more than one page. But we can say with confidence that the development of the family of these OSes does not stand still, and in the future we can expect the emergence of quite large quantities innovations
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows (/ˈwɪndoʊz/) is a family of proprietary operating systems from Microsoft. Windows operating systems run on x86, x86-64, IA-64, ARM platforms. There were also versions for DEC Alpha, MIPS and PowerPC.
Microsoft Windows Versions
The following versions of Microsoft Windows exist:
1. Windows 1.0 (1985)
2. Windows 2.0 (1987)
3. Windows 3.0 (1990)
4. Windows 3.1 (1992)
5. Windows For Workgroups 3.1 (1992)
6. Windows NT 3.1 (1993)
7. Windows NT 3.5 (1994)
8. Windows NT 3.51 (1995)
9. Windows 95 (1995)
10. Windows NT 4.0 (1996)
11. Windows 98 (1998)
12. Windows 98 SE (1999)
13.Windows 2000 (2000)
14. Windows Me (2000)
15. Windows XP (2001)
16. Windows XP 64-bit Edition (2003)
17. Windows Server 2003 (2003)
18. Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (2006)
19. Windows Vista (2007)
20.Windows Home Server (2007)
21. Windows Server 2008 (2008)
23. Windows Server 2008 R2 (formerly known as Windows Server 7) (release date scheduled for late 2009 early 2010)
24. Windows 8 (release date scheduled for 2012)
Let's take a closer look at each of the listed operating systems.
Windows 1.x
Windows 1.01, released November 20, 1985, was Microsoft's first attempt at multitasking. operating environment for IBM PC with graphical interface.
Unlike subsequent versions, Windows 1.0 provided only limited multitasking support for existing MS-DOS programs, concentrating primarily on creating a paradigm environment for application execution and interaction, as well as a stable API for future Windows programs. Today, twenty-three years after the release of Windows 1.0, you can not only run many of the programs created for that version on a modern Windows XP system, but you can also compile their source code into fully functional "modern" applications (with minor modifications).
Windows 1.0 is often considered a "shell" for the MS-DOS operating system (this definition is often applied to later versions of Windows as well). In fact, Windows 1.0 ran from MS-DOS, its programs could call MS-DOS functions, and GUI programs ran from the same executable EXE files as regular MS-DOS programs. However, executable Windows files had a different format (NE - new executable), which could only be processed by Windows and which, for example, allowed loading code and data upon request. Applications were required to manage memory only using Windows' native memory management system, which allowed the use of virtual memory.
The definition of Windows 1.0 as a "shell for DOS" comes from the fact that it was created only as a graphical environment for running applications, and not as a full-featured OS. However, Windows 1.0 included its own drivers for video cards, mice, keyboards, printers, and serial ports. Applications were expected to only call APIs built on top of these drivers. Considering that graphics support and peripheral devices in MS-DOS is extremely limited, applications had to go directly to the hardware (or, in some cases, the BIOS) to perform the necessary actions. Thus, Windows 1.0 was not just a shell for MS-DOS, but complemented and partially replaced features not provided in MS-DOS. The level of replacement for MS-DOS increased in subsequent versions of Windows.
The first version of Windows released was version 1.01. Version 1.0 was not released due to a serious bug that prevented this version from being released.
Version 1.02, released in May 1986, was international and had localizations for various European languages.
Version 1.03, released in August 1986, was a US-only release and contained improvements that made it more similar to an international release. It included drivers for European keyboards and additional drivers for screens and printers.
Version 1.04, released in April 1987, added support for VGA graphics adapters introduced in IBM's new PS/2 series computers. At the same time Microsoft time Together with IBM, they announced the OS/2 operating system with a graphical interface - Presentation Manager, which, according to the companies' plans, was supposed to eventually replace both MS-DOS and Windows.
Windows 1.0 was superseded by the one released in November 1987 year Windows 2.0.
Windows 2.x
Instead of the tiling of windows that was in Windows 1.x, Windows 2.x implements a system of overlapping windows. In addition, the advantages of the protected mode of the 80286 and higher processors are used, which allows programs to go beyond the DOS main memory capacity of 640 KB. In June 1988, version 2.1 was released, renamed Windows 286. Also on December 9, 1987, Windows 386 was released - an edition of Windows 2.0 optimized for the latest Intel CPU. It has some impact on the market, but mainly due to the ability to run multiple DOS programs in<виртуальных машинах>CPU 386; it laid the foundation for most of the future features of Windows 3.0.
Windows 3.x
Windows 3.x is the generic name for a family of Microsoft operating systems released from 1990 to 1994. The first widely used version of Microsoft Windows was 3.0, allowing Microsoft to compete with the Macintosh and Commodore Amiga in the field of graphical user interface operating systems.
Windows 3.0 was released on May 22, 1990 and featured significant updates user interface, as well as technical improvements to take advantage of the memory management capabilities of the Intel 80286 and 80386 processors. Text programs created for MS-DOS could be launched in a window (this feature was previously available in a more limited form in Windows/386 2.1). This made the system suitable for use as a simple multitasking base for older programs; however, for home computers this feature was not of great importance, since most games and entertainment applications still required direct access to DOS.
The MS-DOS Executive tool, previously used to launch programs and manage files, has been replaced by the Program Manager and File Manager tools, which have simplified these actions. However, MS-DOS Executive still came with the system as an alternative user interface. The Control Panel, previously an ordinary applet, has been redesigned and began to look more like its counterpart in the Mac OS operating system. It was centralized system settings, including limited control over the interface color scheme. Several simple applications were included in the package, for example, the text editor Notepad and word processor Write (both of these were inherited from previous versions of Windows), Macro Recorder (new Windows feature 3.0; was subsequently removed), and a calculator (also from previous versions). The older game Reversi was supplemented by the solitaire card game Solitaire.
Windows 3.0 was the last version of Windows that Microsoft stated supported full compatibility with older Windows applications.
Media extensions were released in the fall of 1991 to support CD drives and sound cards as they became more common. These extensions were released to OEMs, primarily CD drive and sound card manufacturers. They added simple audio I/O and an audio CD player to Windows 3.0. New media extension capabilities were not available when running in real mode. Subsequently, many of the features of these extensions were included in Windows 3.1.
Windows 3.1 (originally codenamed Janus), released on March 18, 1992, was an extension of Windows 3.0. It included the TrueType font system (and a pre-installed set of pretty good fonts), making Windows a serious desktop publishing platform for the first time. Similar capabilities could be obtained in Windows 3.0 using the Adobe Type Manager application. This version of Windows also included a simple antivirus program, Microsoft Anti-Virus for Windows, which later became famous for identifying Windows 95 Setup as containing a computer virus. Starting with this version, Windows systems support 32-bit hard disk access.
Windows 3.1 was designed to have the maximum level of backward compatibility with older Windows platforms. Like version 3.0, Windows 3.1 had a File Manager and Program Manager.
A special version was also released, called Windows 3.1 for Central and Eastern Europe, which supported the Cyrillic alphabet and had fonts with diacritics.
Built-in networking support was introduced in Windows for Workgroups 3.1, an enhanced version of Windows 3.1. It included SMB support for file sharing over NetBEUI and/or IPX protocols, and also contained the computer game Hearts and VSHARE.386, a virtual device driver for the SHARE.EXE program. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 supported 32-bit file access, full 32-bit network redirectors, and the VCACHE.386 file cache. In addition, version 3.11 removed support for the standard mode and the Reversi game. Support for TCP/IP protocols in Windows 3.x relied on separate packages from third parties (for example, Winsock). An add-on from Microsoft (codenamed Snowball) also provided TCP/IP support in Windows for Workgroups, but this package did not become widely available.
Limited compatibility with the new 32-bit Win32 API used in Windows NT was provided additional package Win32s.
Windows 3.2 was a Chinese-only version.
Over time, Windows 3.x was replaced by Windows 95, Windows 98 and later versions, which integrated MS-DOS and Windows components into a single product.
Later, Windows 3.x found application in embedded systems. On November 1, 2008, Microsoft stopped issuing licenses for its use.
Windows NT
Windows NT (colloquially simply NT) is a line of operating systems (OS) produced by Microsoft Corporation and the name of the first versions of the OS.
Windows NT was developed from scratch, developed separately from other operating systems of the Windows family (Windows 3.x and Windows 9x) and, unlike them, was positioned as a reliable solution for workstations (Windows NT Workstation) and servers (Windows NT Server ). Windows NT gave rise to a family of operating systems that includes Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 7.
Development of Windows NT, under the working title NT OS/2, began in November 1988 by a group of specialists led by David Cutler, who moved to Microsoft from DEC, where they developed VAX and VMS. The work proceeded in parallel with IBM's development of its own OS, OS/2 2.0, which was finally released only in April 1992. Simultaneously Microsoft company continued to develop its operating systems of the DOS and Windows families, characterized by lower requirements for computer resources than IBM OS/2. After Windows 3.0 was released in May 1990, Microsoft decided to add a Windows API compatible programming interface (API) to NT OS/2. This decision caused serious friction between Microsoft and IBM, which ended in a break in their collaboration. IBM continued to develop OS/2 on its own, while Microsoft began working on the system that was eventually released under the name Windows NT. Although it did not achieve immediate popularity like DOS or Windows, Windows NT was significantly more successful than OS/2.
It should be noted that OS/2 and then POSIX APIs were initially planned as NT OS programming interfaces; Windows API support was added last. In addition, Intel i860 and then MIPS were initially planned as the hardware platform for NT, support for Intel x86 was also added later. Then, as the OS evolved, support for both originally planned software interfaces and both originally planned hardware platforms disappeared. There was not even a single release version of this OS for the i860, although the name of the NT OS itself comes from the code name of this processor, N10. Microsoft now deciphers the abbreviation NT as New Technology. And as an alternative to the POSIX subsystem, Microsoft began to offer the Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX package.
Portability of NT was one of her top priorities. That is why the development of this OS was initially carried out for the i860 processor, although binary compatibility with OS/2, which was one of the conditions of the NT OS/2 project, in any case would have required the creation of a version of NT for x86, or the inclusion of emulation of this platform in it. The number of platforms for which there were release versions of the Windows NT family of operating systems is impressive: in addition to the aforementioned MIPS and Intel x86, this includes PowerPC, DEC Alpha, Itanium and AMD x86-64. Independent computer system manufacturers have also developed versions of Windows NT for the Clipper and SPARC architectures; however, these versions were not released as standalone software products. Unix and Mach operating systems were taken as examples for highly portable operating systems during the development of NT.
To develop the NT OS, Microsoft invited a group of specialists from DEC, led by David Cutler, with experience in creating multitasking operating systems such as VAX/VMS and RSX-11. Some similarities noted between internal architectures Windows NT and the VMS family OS gave grounds for accusing newly hired Microsoft employees of stealing DEC intellectual property. The resulting conflict was resolved peacefully: DEC recognized Microsoft's ownership of the technologies underlying Windows NT, and Microsoft created and supported a version of Windows NT for the DEC Alpha architecture.
Despite their common roots, the compatibility of Windows NT and OS/2 decreased with each new release of this OS. OS/2 2.0 API support, although planned for NT, was never completed; Windows NT 4.0 removed support for the HPFS file system, and Windows XP removed the program support subsystem for OS/2 1.x.
The user interface subsystem in Windows NT implements a window interface similar to that of previous versions of Windows. Two types of objects in this subsystem that were not present in 16-bit versions of Windows and Windows 9x are window stations and desktops. A window station corresponds to one Windows NT user session - for example, when connecting via the Remote Desktop Service, a new window station is created. Each running process belongs to one of the window stations; Services other than those marked as being able to interact with the desktop run in separate, invisible window stations.
Each window station has its own clipboard, a set of global atoms (used for DDE operations), and a set of desktops. The desktop is the context of everyone global operations UI subsystems such as installing hooks and broadcasting messages. Each running thread belongs to one of the desktops - the one where the windows it serves are located; in particular, one thread cannot create multiple windows belonging to different desktops. One of the desktops can be active (visible to the user and able to respond to his actions), the remaining desktops are hidden. The ability to create several desktops for one work session and switch between them has not been provided until now standard means custom Windows interface, although there are third-party programs that provide access to this functionality.
Window stations and desktops are the only Windows NT user interface subsystem objects that can be assigned access rights. The remaining types of objects - windows and menus - provide full access to any process that is in the same window station with them. This is why Windows NT services run in separate window stations by default: they run with elevated privileges, and allowing user processes to manipulate service windows indefinitely could lead to crashes and/or security problems.
Windows NT provides several sets of APIs for application programs. The most basic of them is the so-called “native” API (NT Native API), implemented in the dynamically linked library ntdll and consisting of two parts: NT kernel system calls (functions with the Nt and Zw prefixes, transferring execution to ntoskrnl kernel functions with the same names ) and functions implemented in user mode (prefixed with Rtl). Some of the functions of the second group use system calls internally; the rest consist entirely of unprivileged code, and can be called not only from user-mode code, but also from drivers. In addition to the Native API functions, ntdll also includes functions of the C standard library.
Official documentation for the Native API is very sparse, but communities of enthusiasts have managed to gather quite a lot of information about this interface through trial and error. In particular, in February 2000, Gary Nebbett's book “A Guide to Basic Windows NT/2000 API Functions” () was published; in 2002 it was translated into Russian (). The source of information about the Native API can be the Windows DDK, which describes some of the kernel functions available through the Native API, as well as studying Windows code (reverse engineering) - through disassembling or using the original ones Windows texts 2000, which became available as a result of a leak, or using the Windows 2003 source code available through the Windows Research Kernel program.
Programs that run before loading the subsystems that provide the rest of the Windows NT APIs are limited to using the Native API. For example, the autochk program, which checks disks when loading the OS after an incorrect shutdown, uses only the Native API.
Most often, application programs for Windows NT use the Win32 API - an interface created in API based Windows 3.1 OS, and allows you to recompile existing programs for 16-bit versions of Windows with minimal changes to the source code. The compatibility of the Win32 API and the 16-bit Windows API is so great that 32-bit and 16-bit applications can freely exchange messages, work with each other's windows, etc. In addition to supporting the functions of the existing Windows API, a number of new features, including support for console programs, multithreading, and synchronization objects such as mutexes and semaphores. Documentation for the Win32 API is included in the Microsoft Platform SDK and is available on the website.
The Win32 API support libraries are basically named the same as the Windows 3.x system libraries, with the addition of a 32 suffix: these are the kernel32, advapi32, gdi32, user32, comctl32, comdlg32, shell32 and several others. Win32 API functions can either independently implement the required functionality in user mode, or call the Native API functions described above, or access the csrss subsystem via the LPC mechanism, or make a system call to the win32k library, which implements the necessary mode support for the Win32 API kernels. The four options listed can also be combined in any combination: for example, the Win32 API WriteFile function calls the Native API NtWriteFile function to write to a disk file, and calls the corresponding csrss function to output to the console.
Win32 API support is included in the Windows 9x family of operating systems; in addition, it can be added to Windows 3.1x by installing the Win32s package. To make it easier to port existing Windows applications that use MBCS encodings to represent strings, all Win32 API functions that accept string parameters have been created in two versions: functions with the A (ANSI) suffix accept MBCS strings, and functions with the W (wide) suffix ) accept Unicode strings. In Win32s and Windows 9x, only A-functions are supported, whereas in Windows NT, where all strings within the OS are stored exclusively in Unicode, each A-function simply converts its string parameters to Unicode and calls the W version of the same function. When a function name is specified without a suffix in a program's source code, whether the A or W version of that function is used is determined by the compilation options. It is important to note that most of the new features introduced in Windows 2000 or later Windows NT operating systems exist only in the Unicode version, because the task of ensuring compatibility with older programs and with Windows 9x is no longer as pressing as before
Unlike most "free" Unix-like operating systems, Windows NT is certified by NIST to be compliant with the POSIX.1 standard, and even with the more stringent FIPS 151-2 standard. The psxdll library exports standard POSIX functions, as well as some Native API functions that have no analogues in POSIX - for example, for working with the heap, with structural exceptions, with Unicode encoding. These functions use both the Native API and LPC calls to the psxss subsystem, which is a regular Win32 process. The posix console shell program is used to load this subsystem and execute the POSIX program. The POSIX support included in Windows NT does not include extensions for graphics or multithreaded applications.
To run 16-bit programs written for OS/2 1.x, Windows NT includes two OS/2 system libraries (doscalls and netapi) and an os2 console emulator program that loads and uses the os2srv and subsystems via LPC calls. os2ss. The rest of the OS/2 system libraries, except for the two mentioned (kbdcalls, mailslot, moncalls, nampipes, quecalls, viocalls and a dozen more), are not stored as separate files, but are emulated. Programs written for OS/2 2.0 and higher, as well as window programs and programs that directly work with computer devices, including drivers, are not supported by Windows NT.
Both of these subsystems, which are optional for most applications, were removed in Windows XP and subsequent releases of Windows. Using registry manipulations, they could be disabled in previous versions Windows NT, which was recommended by computer security experts in order to reduce the attack surface of a computer system.
To provide binary compatibility with existing programs for previous Microsoft OS families, Windows NT added the ntvdm emulator program, which implements a VDM (virtual DOS machine) within which a DOS program can run. Each DOS program executed has its own VDM, while several 16-bit Windows programs can be executed in separate threads within a single VDM, which in this case plays the role of a subsystem. In order for Windows programs to be executed inside the VDM, the wowexec program must first be loaded into it, which establishes a connection between the VDM and the WOW platform (“Windows on Win32”), which allows the use of 16-bit Windows applications along with 32-bit ones. The ntvdm emulator program itself runs inside the Win32 subsystem, which allows Win32 programs to access DOS program windows as regular console windows, and Win16 program windows as regular graphical windows.
Another binary compatibility technology implemented in Windows NT is thunks, which allow 32-bit programs to use 16-bit DLLs (for Windows or OS/2), and vice versa. Thunks for Win16 are implemented in the wow32 (32-bit entry points) and krnl386 (16-bit entry points) libraries; thunks for OS/2 - in the doscalls library (16-bit entry points). The 16-bit system libraries included in Windows NT for use by WOW technology include krnl386, gdi, user, commctrl, commdlg, shell, etc. Support for DOS programs by the Windows NT virtual DOS machine is not limited to emulating the real mode of the x86 processor : DPMI interface is supported, allowing DOS programs to access extended memory. However, support for programs for DOS and Win16 in Windows NT is limited by security requirements: programs that directly work with computer devices, including drivers, are not supported.
Due to hardware limitations of 64-bit platforms, support for VDM and WOW has been removed from 64-bit versions of Windows, and it is not possible to run 16-bit programs on them. The main API of these versions of Windows NT is the 64-bit version of the Win32 API; To run 32-bit programs, WOW64 technology is used, similar to traditional WOW.
As already noted, the creation of an x86 version of NT was required to ensure compatibility with OS/2, but in order to ensure the portability of the generated code, NT development began with versions for RISC architectures, and only then x86 support was added. Initially, the development of the x86 version of Windows NT was focused on the 80486 processor, but by the time Windows release NT 3.1 also added support for 80386. The last version to support i386 was Windows NT 3.51, and starting with Windows 2000, support for i486 was also discontinued.
The i860 processor, for which the NT OS was initially developed, did not receive the support from computer manufacturers that Intel and Microsoft were counting on by the time work on Windows NT was completed. As a result, the three platforms that were included in Windows NT 3.1 were x86, Alpha, and MIPS. In the releases of Windows NT 3.x, support for these platforms was retained, and in Windows NT 3.51 it was also supplemented with the PReP architecture based on the PowerPC processor. However, Windows NT 3.51 was not compatible with Macintosh computers with the same processor; in fact, only IBM PC clones with a PowerPC processor instead of an x86 were supported. Such computers were produced mainly by the creators of PowerPC - IBM and Motorola.
The first release of Windows NT 4 supported four platforms (x86, Alpha, MIPS and PowerPC), but support for less common platforms was reduced as service packs were released: MIPS support was removed from SP1, and PowerPC support from SP3. Latest releases Windows NT 4 only supported x86 and Alpha; although Alpha support was planned for inclusion in Windows 2000, it was removed from the RC2 release.
Windows 95
Windows 95 (codename Chicago) is a hybrid 16-bit and 32-bit graphical operating system released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft Corporation. The Russian version went on sale on November 10, 1995.
This is the first system of the Windows family, the interface of which is used in all subsequent versions of Windows: it was in it that graphical interface elements such as the desktop with icons, the taskbar and the Start menu appeared.
Windows 95 is the result of the merger of MS-DOS and Windows products, which were previously distributed separately. Windows 95 is the third (after Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and Windows NT) Windows system that lacks support for standard and real mode x86 processors and requires an Intel 80386-level processor or higher in protected mode. Windows 95 contains significant improvements to the graphical interface and internal device systems, including the desktop and Start menu, support for long (up to 256 characters) file names, and a plug and play system.
The main innovation in Windows 95 was the ability to run 32-bit applications based on the Win32 API. This feature first appeared in Windows NT, but systems of this family had higher hardware requirements and therefore could not compare in popularity with the “regular” one. Windows series(which, before the release of Windows 95, was represented by the Windows 3.x family).
Windows 95 provided only a fraction of the Win32 capabilities available in Windows NT. However, this was enough to ensure that many applications developed based on the Win32 API could run on both Windows NT (which was positioned as a system for business applications) and Windows 95 (targeted for the consumer market). This contributed to the popularity of Windows 95.
The introduction of 32-bit file access in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 meant that 16-bit MS-DOS real mode was no longer used for working with files at Windows runtime, and the introduction of 32-bit disk access in Windows 3.1 avoided the use BIOS for managing hard drives. As a result, the role of MS-DOS was essentially reduced to loading the Windows kernel, which runs in protected mode. DOS could still be used to run older device drivers for compatibility purposes, but Microsoft recommended against using them as it interfered with proper multitasking and reduced system stability. Using the Control Panel, the user could determine which MS-DOS components were still in use on their system; optimal performance was achieved if there were none. The Windows kernel still used the old "MS-DOS-style" calls in what was known as failsafe mode, but this mode was only used to correct problems loading native protected mode drivers.
32-bit file access was required for long file names, a feature available in Windows 95 through the use of the VFAT file system (a variant of FAT16). This feature was available as Windows programs, as well as MS-DOS programs running from Windows (they needed a little tweaking, since accessing files with long names required using a larger buffer for the path and, as a result, other system calls). Other DOS-compatible operating systems required an update to take advantage of long file names. Using older versions of DOS file management utilities could corrupt long file names when copying and moving them. During the automatic upgrade process from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95, DOS and third party utilities that could corrupt long file names were detected and disabled. For those cases where there was a need to use older disk utilities that did not accept long file names (for example, the defrag program from the MS-DOS 6.22 package), the LFNBACK program was provided to save and restore long names. The program is located in the \ADMIN\APPTOOLS\LFNBACK directory on the Windows 95 CD.
The graphical interface of Windows 95 became much more powerful and easier to use, resulting in the competition in the desktop operating system market ending in victory for Microsoft. Windows 95 was an undoubted success on the market, and within a year or two of its release, it became the most successful operating system ever created. Windows 95 made GUI features such as the Start button and taskbar available to the masses (although similar features had been implemented earlier - in the Arthur and RISC OS operating systems - the market for these systems was extremely limited). These functions became a permanent feature of all subsequent versions of Windows, and were subsequently copied in other graphical interfaces.
The “plug and play” system implemented in Windows 95 automatically installs device drivers, assigns interrupt numbers to them, etc. - previously this had to be done manually. In turn, the advent of Windows 95 led to the emergence of devices specifically designed to be “plug and play” - for example, they are inactive until the system assigns addresses and interrupts to them. At the early stage of implementation, numerous equipment recognition errors occurred, so “plug and play” was often jokingly called “plug and pray.”
The release of Windows 95 was accompanied by a massive advertising campaign (by many estimates, the largest in software history), including a commercial featuring the song “Start Me Up” (a reference to the Start button) performed by the Rolling Stones. The campaign also included stories from people queuing outside stores to purchase a copy of the system; there were even tales of people who didn't own computers buying Windows 95 simply because of all the hype, without even knowing what Windows even was.
Initially, Windows 95 was sold on 13 floppy disks in a special DMF format (Distribution Media Format, capacity 1.68 MB) or on CDs (the CD version included many useful additional files). Some developments that could not be completed by the time Windows 95 was officially released were later included in Microsoft Plus! (for example Internet Explorer).
The first versions of Windows 95 did not have built-in support for working with the Internet, but there was a “Microsoft Network” icon on the desktop - it was later removed.
Windows 95 was replaced by other operating systems in the Windows 9x line - Windows 98, Windows 98 SE and Windows ME. The Windows NT kernel, used in Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista, is much more stable and functional than its predecessors used in the Windows 9x line, but does not support older MS-DOS games and applications well. To date, all operating systems in the Windows 9x line, especially Windows 95, are almost obsolete. On December 31, 2002, Microsoft ended support for Windows 95.
Windows 98
Windows 98 (codename Memphis) is a graphical operating system released by Microsoft on June 25, 1998.
Essentially, this operating system is an updated version of Windows 95, which is still a hybrid 16/32-bit product based on MS-DOS. AGP support has been improved, USB drivers have been improved, support for working with multiple monitors and WebTV support have been added. As in Windows 95 OSR 2.5, Internet Explorer 4 (Active Desktop function) is integrated into the system interface.
The internal number of the "first edition" of Windows 98 is 10/4/1998, SE - 10/4/2222.
System requirements for Windows 98: 486DX/66 MHz processor or better, 16 MB of RAM and at least 195 MB of free disk space with a standard installation.
Windows 98 Second Edition (Windows 98 SE) was released on May 5, 1999. The updated version includes many fixes, Internet Explorer 4 has been replaced by the much faster and lighter Internet Explorer 5, and a new feature has been added: Internet Connection Sharing. MS NetMeeting 3 and support for DVD playback have also been added.
System requirements for RAM for Windows 98 SE have increased to 24 MB.
Microsoft planned to end support for Windows 98 on July 16, 2004. However, due to the incredible popularity of this operating system, support was extended until July 30, 2006.
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 (also called Win2k, W2k or Windows NT 5.0, codenamed Cairo) is a Microsoft Windows NT family operating system designed to run on computers with 32-bit processors (Intel IA-32 compatible architecture).
The first beta version of the system was released on September 27, 1997. The system was originally called Windows NT 5.0 because it was the next major version of Windows NT after Windows NT 4.0. However, on October 27, 1998, it received its own name, Windows 2000. The final version of the system was released to the general public on February 17, 2000.
Windows 2000 comes in four editions: Professional (for workstations and power users), Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server (for use on servers). In addition, there is a "Limited Edition" of Windows 2000 Advanced Server Limited Edition and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Limited Edition, designed to run on 64-bit Intel Itanium processors.
Some of the most significant improvements in Windows 2000 over Windows NT 4.0 are: Support for the Active Directory directory service. The Active Directory server side comes with Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server editions, while full support Client-side services are provided by the Professional edition. Internet Information Services version 5.0. Compared to IIS 4.0, this version includes, among other things, version 3.0 of the ASP web programming system. File NTFS system version 3.0 (also called NTFS 5.0 according to the internal version of Windows 2000 - NT 5.0). In this version of NTFS, support for quotas appeared for the first time, that is, restrictions on the maximum volume of stored files for each user. Updated user interface, including Active Desktop based on Internet Explorer version 5 and thus similar to the interface of Windows 98. Language integration: previous versions of Windows were released in three versions - for European languages (single-byte characters, writing only from left to right), for Far Eastern languages (multi-byte characters) and for Middle Eastern languages (right-to-left writing with contextual letter variations). Windows 2000 combines these capabilities; all its localized versions are made on a single basis.
Windows 2000 was subsequently replaced by Windows XP (client side) and Windows Server 2003 (server side). However, Windows 2000 remains popular, especially in large companies, where updating operating systems on a large number of computers involves serious technical and financial difficulties. As of early 2005, Windows 2000 had more than 50% share of Windows workstation operating systems in companies with more than 250 computers, according to research from Assetmetrix. At the same time, in companies with fewer than 250 computers, Windows XP is more popular. Microsoft ended mainstream support for the Windows 2000 operating system on June 30, 2005. Extended support will continue until June 30, 2010.
Windows ME
Windows Millennium Edition (Windows ME; also abbreviated as Windows Me) is a mixed 16/32-bit operating system released by Microsoft Corporation on September 14, 2000. It was named so in honor of the new III millennium (Latin millennium - millennium).
It differs from its predecessors - Windows 95 and Windows 98 - in relatively minor updates, such as new Internet Explorer 5.5 and Windows Media Player 7. Also appeared Windows Movie Maker with basic digital video editing features. The system interface has changed - features that first appeared in Windows 2000 have been added to it.
One of the most noticeable changes in Windows ME is that in the standard system configuration, the real MS-DOS mode is blocked, which is why you cannot use programs that require this mode. However, with the help special utilities this feature can be unlocked. Booting Windows ME is no different from the same process in Windows 95 and 98.
Windows XP
Windows XP (code name during development - Whistler; internal version - Windows NT 5.1) is an operating system of the Windows NT family from Microsoft Corporation. It was released on October 25, 2001 and is an evolution of Windows 2000 Professional. The name XP comes from the English. experience. The name came into use as a professional version.
Unlike the previous Windows 2000, which came in both server and client versions, Windows XP is a client-only system. Its server version is the later released Windows Server 2003. Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are built on the same operating system kernel, as a result of their development and update in progress more or less in parallel.
Microsoft stopped providing free support for the Windows XP operating system (OS) on April 14, 2009. Windows users XP users will not be able to contact Microsoft for free technical support in case of incidents, design changes, or other situations. Now they will have to use “extended support” services for this - this means that all calls will become paid. Extended support will continue until April 8, 2014.
In addition, it stopped free support office suite Office 2003 as well as Windows Server 2003.
Windows XP analyzes system performance with certain visual effects and, depending on this, activates them or not, taking into account a possible drop or increase in performance. Users can also change these settings using dialog boxes settings, while you can either flexibly select the activity of certain visual effects, either give it to the system to manage, or choose maximum performance or the best type of graphical interface. Some effects, such as alpha blending, etc., require a powerful graphics subsystem; on older video cards, performance may drop significantly and Microsoft recommends disabling these features in this case.
In Windows XP, it became possible to use “Visual Styles” to change the graphical user interface. Luna- a new style graphical interface included with XP and is the default interface for PCs with more than 64 megabytes of RAM. It is possible to use other “Visual Styles”, but they must be digitally signed by Microsoft (as they are important in the functioning of the system).
To bypass this limitation, some users use special software such as TGTSoft's StyleXP, and sometimes a modified version of the uxtheme.dll library.
There is also a "Classic" style, which replicates the Windows 2000 interface style (which uses 4 MB less memory than Luna), as well as numerous styles created by third-party developers. For Media versions Center Microsoft developed the "Royale" visual style, which is included in this version of Windows XP and is available for installation in other versions of XP.
Over 100 icons have been created for Windows XP by The Iconfactory, known for its selection of free operating system icons. Mac systems OS X
Windows XP also has a command line interface (CLI), cmd.exe, for controlling the system with commands from the console or running scripts called "batch files" (with cmd extensions), based on "batch" MS-DOS files. The Windows XP CLI syntax is not very well documented in the built-in help system. More general information can be obtained by typing "help" at the command prompt for an overview of available commands and "command name /?". The command line interface is available in both window and full-screen views (switch between them by pressing Alt+Enter), the preferred view can be specified in the corresponding settings dialog, along with parameters such as font size and type, etc. When When working in this mode, the user can call previous commands (for example, the “up” key returns the previous command), use auto-completion of file and directory names, as well as commands.
Microsoft periodically releases service packs for its operating systems that fix identified problems and add new features. At the moment there are three of them.
Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows XP was released on September 9, 2002. The most important innovations were support for USB 2.0, a utility that allows you to select default programs for web browsing, mail, sharing instant messages, as well as various implementations of the Java virtual machine. Starting with SP1, the EFS encryption file system was able to use the AES encryption algorithm with a 256-bit key.
Starting with SP1, LBA-48 is supported, which allows the operating system to work with HDDs with a capacity of more than 137 GB, activated by default.
Service Pack 2 (SP2) (codenamed "Springboard") was released on August 6, 2004. SP2 added new features to Windows XP, including an improved firewall; support for Wi-Fi with a setup wizard and Bluetooth, as well as improvements in IE6 - for example, the ability to block “pop-up” windows. This service pack has made significant changes to the security of Windows XP. Thus, the built-in firewall has undergone significant changes, which has been renamed Windows Firewall and is now activated for all created connections by default. Expanded memory protection has appeared, in particular, against buffer overflow attacks using NX-bit technology and a number of other techniques. The changes also affected services - services such as telnet and the messaging service are disabled by default, a number of services are launched with reduced rights, etc. Changes in the security area also affected mail program Outlook Express and IE browser. Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes Windows Security Center, which makes it easier to monitor system security by monitoring and reminding the user to install or update an antivirus and its databases, activate a built-in or third-party firewall, update the operating system, or change web browser settings . Third-party antiviruses and firewalls have the ability to interact with it using the API interface. Autorun functions have also been improved when loading a CD or connecting flash drives and similar devices.
In early August 2007, Microsoft began beta testing SP3 with a limited group of beta testers. Despite the fact that the beta version was distributed only to a select few, its distribution appeared on peer-to-peer networks. Since December 12, 2007, version RC1 SP3 is available for download and testing to everyone.
The final version of Windows XP Service Pack 3 was released on April 21, 2008, but only to business customers such as OEMs and MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Other users were able to obtain the third service pack from the Windows Update online service or through the Microsoft Download Center on May 6, as well as using the automatic update service in early summer. Initially RTM version of Windows XP SP3 was released in Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. [source not specified 72 days] And only on May 5 the remaining 18 localizations were released.
The package includes all updates released since Windows XP Service Pack 2 was released in 2004, as well as a number of other new items. These include Network Access Protection and new model activations borrowed from Windows Vista, in addition, an improved function has appeared for detecting so-called “black hole” routers, etc.
On July 1, 2008, Microsoft stopped selling Windows XP SP2 to its suppliers. At the moment, Windows XP SP3 is available in OEM and BOX deliveries; downgrade is possible within the framework of corporate licensing. And also on sale is the Get Genuine Kit Windows XP SP3 intended for licensing the installed pirated software, as part of volume licensing, the Get Genuine Solution Windows XP package.
Windows XP Service Pack 3 will also be distributed as part of the Windows 7 "Windows XP Mode" component
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 (code name during development - Whistler Server, internal version - Windows NT 5.2) is an operating system of the Windows NT family from Microsoft, designed to work on servers. It was released on April 24, 2003.
Windows Server 2003 is a development of Windows 2000 Server and a server version of the Windows XP operating system. Microsoft originally planned to call this product "Windows .NET Server" to promote its new platform Microsoft .NET. However, this name was later dropped to avoid causing misconceptions about .NET in the software market.
Windows Server 2008 is the next server version of Windows NT, which will replace Windows Server 2003.
Windows Server 2003 mainly develops the functions contained in the previous version of the system - Windows 2000 Server. This was also indicated by the NT 5.2 version of the system kernel (NT 5.0 for Windows 2000). Below are some of the most notable changes compared to Windows 2000 Server.
Windows Server 2003 is the first Microsoft operating system to come with the .NET Framework pre-installed. This allows this system to act as an application server for the Microsoft .NET platform without installing any additional software.
Windows Server 2003 ships with version 6.0 of Internet Information Services, which has a significantly different architecture than IIS 5.0 available in Windows 2000. In particular, to improve stability, it is now possible to isolate applications from each other in separate processes without impacting performance. A new HTTP.sys driver has also been created to handle HTTP requests. This driver runs in kernel mode, resulting in faster request processing.
According to Microsoft, Windows Server 2003 placed a lot of emphasis on system security. In particular, the system is now installed in the most limited form, without any additional services, which reduces the attack surface. Windows Server 2003 also includes software firewalling Internet screen Connection Firewall. Subsequently, a service pack was released for the system, which is entirely focused on improving the security of the system and includes several additional features to protect against attacks. According to American standard Security Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC) Windows Server 2003 system belongs to security class C2 - Controlled Access Protection
Windows Server 2003 debuted the Volume Shadow Copy Service, which automatically saves old versions of user files, allowing you to return to a previous version of a document if necessary. Working with shadow copies is only possible if a “shadow copy client” is installed on the user’s PC whose documents need to be restored.
Also in this version of the system, the set of administration utilities called from the command line has been expanded, which simplifies the automation of system management.
A new concept has been introduced - “roles”; server management is based on them. Simply put, to get a file server, you need to add a role - “file server”.
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
Windows FLP or Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (Code Name: Eiger) is a version of Microsoft Windows released on July 8, 2006. - Compact OS from Microsoft for legacy PCs, on Microsoft database Windows XP Embedded Service Pack 2. Intended for use with terminal servers (Microsoft, Citrix). It is also possible to launch small quantity local applications.
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system in the Microsoft Windows NT family, a line of operating systems used on consumer personal computers. At the development stage, this operating system was codenamed “Longhorn”.
In the Windows NT product line, Windows Vista is version 6.0 (Windows 2000 - 5.0, Windows XP - 5.1, Windows Server 2003 - 5.2). The abbreviation "WinVI" is sometimes used to refer to "Windows Vista", which combines the name "Vista" and the version number written in Roman numerals.
Windows Vista, like Windows XP, is a client-only system. Microsoft also released a server version of Windows Vista - Windows Server 2008.
On November 30, 2006, Microsoft officially released Windows Vista and Office 2007 for enterprise customers. On January 30, 2007, sales of the system began for ordinary users.
Early in development, the system was known by the code name Longhorn (named after the Longhorn Saloon near the Whistler ski resort in British Columbia). The name "Vista" was announced on July 22, 2005. A few months later, Microsoft also renamed Windows Longhorn Server to Windows Server 2008. Since November 8, 2006, a full version of Windows Vista has been available to hardware manufacturers. Public release for end users took place on January 30, 2007.
It's worth noting that many of the features planned for Windows Vista were dropped by Microsoft due to public outcry. For example, it was assumed that OpenGL would be implemented as an add-on to Direct3D. This would lead to a serious drop in OpenGL performance compared to Direct3D and would result in the OpenGL version being fixed. The fears were not justified; OpenGL support remained in Windows Vista. The WinFS file system was also not included in Windows Vista - this time due to performance problems.
Features of Windows Wista include:
1. According to Microsoft itself, the system boot time is less than in Windows XP and on most computers it is less than a minute. Reduced the time to enter and exit sleep mode to 6 seconds. But with the advent of the user interface, you have to wait much longer to begin full-fledged work, while background processes that greatly complicate the work will pass third party programs There is an opinion that Windows Vista is the worst operating system released by Microsoft. Windows Vista also took first place in the “Failure of the Year” competition held by the Pwnie award website, created in 2007. Moreover, according to the website The Inquirer.net, based on a number of unprecedented promotions related to the promotion of WV on the market, it can be concluded that Microsoft management recognized Windows Vista as a failure
2. Thanks to technology " Windows ReadyBoost» it became possible to use the capacity of external USB flash drives as RAM, which in some cases increases performance by 40%.
3. The logical model of interaction with graphic devices has been completely redesigned.
4.User Account Control(UAC) is a user account control system that requires explicit user permission when performing any action that requires administrative rights, regardless of the rights of the current user account. If the user is not an administrator, a prompt will be displayed in which you can select an administrative account and perform the operation with its rights by entering a password - this allows you to configure the system and install applications from a limited user account without explicitly using the runas mechanism and without having to switch to another account (which was required in XP, for example, in case of changing TCP/IP parameters). If the user is a member of the “Administrators” group, then he will need (with default settings) to confirm the use of rights by responding to the system prompt. UAC requests data in Secure Desktop mode, which protects against data interception and control of the input window by third-party programs (approximately the same mode was used when entering an NT domain with the requirement to press Ctrl-Alt-Del twice). UAC can be disabled for certain categories of accounts and reconfigured using a local (or group when used in a domain) security policy: for example, you can set a password to be required for all users (including administrators) to use administrative rights, prohibit these actions for users of limited accounts, and etc.
5. Bitlocker Drive Encryption - Provides the ability to encrypt the system drive using the command line interface and other partitions. This uses a USB key or Trusted Platform Module to store encryption keys. To encrypt partitions, by default, the AES algorithm is used with a key length of 128 bits in CBC encryption mode. This opportunity present in Vista Enterprise or Ultimate editions.
6. EFS file encryption system. This system, which first appeared in Windows 2000, works in Vista Business, Enterprise or Ultimate editions and provides the ability to transparently encrypt files at the file system level using AES (with a 256-bit key) or 3-DES algorithms. For each file, an encryption key is randomly generated, which, in turn, is encrypted with the public key to users (default 2048 bits). In Vista, using policies, it became possible to set different lengths of the user's public key (1024, 2048, 4096,...), save the key on smart cards (by default, the key is stored locally, protected by the user's password) and encrypt the page file, as well as require mandatory encryption custom folder with documents.
7. Preventing virus infection from retrievable media. By default, in Windows Vista, autorun of programs from flash cards and USB devices is disabled. This prevents your computer from being infected by viruses that spread through flash cards. There are also policies that control access to external media (including USB), which also helps protect confidential data.
8. Blocking direct recording to disk. Windows Vista prevents direct writing to the disk (\\.\PhysicalDriveX) if the disk has a mounted file system.
There is an opinion that Windows Vista is the worst operating system released by Microsoft. Windows Vista also took first place in the “Failure of the Year” competition held by the Pwnie award website, created in 2007. Moreover, according to the website The Inquirer.net, based on a number of unprecedented promotions related to the promotion of WV on the market, it can be concluded that Microsoft management recognized Windows Vista as a failure.
Windows Home Server
Windows Home Server is a server operating system from Microsoft, which is built on the basis of Windows Server 2003 SP2 and is aimed at home users (as the name suggests - home) for use in home networks.
Windows Server 2008
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 (codename "Longhorn Server") is a new version of the server operating system from Microsoft. This version should replace Windows Server 2003 as a representative of the Vista generation operating systems (NT 6.x).
Windows Server 2008 includes an installation option called Server Core. Server Core is a significantly lightweight installation of Windows Server 2008 that does not include a shell Windows Explorer. All configuration and maintenance are performed using the Windows command line interface, or by connecting to the server remotely using the Management Console. Notepad and some control panel elements are available, for example, Regional Settings.
Windows Server 2008 has a significant update to Terminal Services. Terminal Services now supports Remote Desktop Protocol 6.0. The most notable improvement, called Terminal Services RemoteApp, lets you publish one specific application instead of your entire desktop.
Another important feature added to Terminal Services is Terminal Services Gateway and Terminal Services Web Access (now completely web-based). Terminal Services Gateway allows authorized computers to securely connect to Terminal Services or Remote Desktop from the Internet using RDP over HTTPS without using a VPN. This does not require opening an additional port on firewall; RDP traffic is tunneled over HTTPS. Terminal Services Web Access allows administrators to provide access to terminal services through a Web interface. When using TS Gateway and TS RemoteApp, data transfer occurs via HTTP(S) and remote applications appear to the user as if they were running locally. Multiple applications run in a single session to ensure there is no need for additional licenses per user.
With Terminal Services Easy Print, administrators no longer need to install any printer drivers on the server. In this case, Easy Print Driver redirects the user interface and all the features of the original printer. In addition, it improves performance when submitting print jobs by converting jobs to XPS format before sending them to the client.
Windows Server 2008 is the first Windows operating system released with built-in Windows PowerShell, an extensible command-line shell and accompanying scripting language developed by Microsoft. The PowerShell scripting language was designed specifically for administrative tasks and can replace the need for cmd.exe and Windows Script Host.
Self-healing NTFS
If in previous versions Windows operating system the system detected errors in the file system of the NTFS volume, it marked the volume as “dirty”; Error correction on the volume could not be performed immediately. With self-healing NTFS, instead of locking the entire volume, only the damaged files/folders are locked and remain inaccessible during the repair. Thanks to this, there is no longer a need to reboot the server to correct file system errors.
Also, the operating system now displays S.M.A.R.T. information. hard drives to help identify possible hard drive failures. This feature first appeared in Windows Vista.
Server Manager is a new, role-based management tool for Windows Server 2008. It is a combination of Server Management and the Security Configuration Wizard from Windows Server 2003. Server Manager is an enhancement of the Server Configuration Wizard dialog that launched by default in Windows Server 2003 upon logon. Now it allows you not only to add new roles, but also combines all the operations that users can perform on the server, and also provides a consolidated display of the current status of each role in the form of a single portal.
It is currently not possible to use Server Manager remotely, but a client version is planned.
Windows 7
Windows 7 (formerly known by the codenames Blackcomb and Vienna) is a version of the Windows NT family of computer operating systems that follows Windows Vista. In the Windows NT line, the system has version number 6.1 (Windows 2000 - 5.0, Windows XP - 5.1, Windows Server 2003 - 5.2, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 - 6.0). The server version is Windows Server 2008 R2.
Microsoft announced that the operating system would go on sale on October 22, 2009, less than three years after the release of the previous operating system, Windows Vista. Partners and clients with a Volume Licensing license were granted access to RTM on July 24, 2009.
Windows 7 includes some developments excluded from Windows Vista, as well as innovations in the interface and built-in programs.
Windows 7 will have an option to disable or enable Internet Explorer.
Windows 7 will have support for multitouch monitors. This capability was demonstrated by Microsoft at its annual TechEd'08 conference in Orlando. During the demonstration, build 6.1.6856 was used, as well as a prototype laptop model with a multitouch screen. According to some reports, Windows 7 will partially implement the functionality planned in Windows Vista (codenamed “Longhorn”). Closer integration with Windows Live programs and services is also planned.
Windows 7 implements a more flexible setting for User Account Control (UAC), which, unlike Windows Vista, has two more intermediate states between the “Enable” and “Disable” modes.
Changes have been made to the BitLocker encryption technology, and the BitLocker to go removable media encryption function has been added, which allows you to encrypt removable media, even in the absence of a TPM module.
Improvements have also been made to the Windows Firewall - the function of notifying the user that a program is blocked when trying to access the network has returned.
Windows 7 will not be able to play licensed Blu-Ray discs with video, but will be able to read and write information to them.
Using Group Policy and AppLocker, you can prevent certain applications from running.
The Branch Cache feature will reduce latency for users working with their computer remotely. For example, a file accessible over the network is cached locally, so it is no longer downloaded from remote server, but from the local computer. This feature can work in two modes - Hosted Cache and Distributed Cache. In the first case, the file is stored on a dedicated local server running Windows Server 2008 R2, in the second - on the client’s computer.
DirectAccess allows you to install secure connection with a server running in the background, unlike a VPN that requires user interaction. DirectAccess can also use group policies before the user logs in.
Remote Desktop Host allows the user to connect to to a remote computer with administrator rights.
Microsoft is also considering the possibility of releasing Windows 7 not only in optical disks, but also on flash media, which should simplify the process of installing the platform on netbooks that do not have a built-in drive for optical media.
Windows 7 will also use sandbox mode, the implementation of which was discussed during alpha and beta testing (during the development stage of Longhorn). All unmanaged code will run in an environment (sandbox) in which the operating system will restrict the program's access to the computer hardware and network. Access to low-level sockets, as well as direct access to the file system, hardware abstraction layer (HAL), full access to a memory address will be prohibited. All access to external applications, files and protocols will be regulated by the operating system and immediately stopped (in theory). If this approach is successful, it promises almost complete security, since with this approach it is theoretically impossible for the malware to cause any damage to the system if it is locked inside the metaphorical “glass box”. This approach evokes associations with Virtual PC. If everything is correct, this environment will be able to adapt to the code base that was written in its language. This will alleviate most of the problems that arise as a result of backward compatibility when moving to a new operating system.
When using applications in Beta 1, memory leaks were discovered in some applications that resulted in complete freezes, despite the sandbox mode. Theoretically, if the regime does not become more effective, this could lead to a surge in the development of programs that deliberately exploit these vulnerabilities for their own purposes.
Bill Gates mentioned the ubiquitous string instant search(analogous to Spotlight). The Content Indexing service has been evolving since Windows XP, and a similar search bar was included in Windows Vista. Windows 7 also uses DirectX 11.
Will Windows 7 get a new kernel?
No. Although it must be said that similar developments were carried out. At least that's what one Microsoft engineer said back in October last year. According to him, 200 of the company's programmers worked on reducing the kernel for Windows 7. The kernel even received its own name MinWin and was supposed to take up six times less memory than the Vista kernel.
However, Flores and Sinofsky said that Windows 7 will not receive a new kernel. "Contrary to some speculation, Microsoft is not creating a new kernel for Windows 7," Flores said. However, Sinofsky said a little differently, “...the kernel in Windows Server 2008 is an evolution of the Windows Vista kernel, and the Windows 7 kernel will be a further evolution of this kernel.”
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008 R2 is a server version of Windows 7 in development. It will be released on October 22, 2009. Like Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 will use the Windows NT 6.1 kernel. New features include improved virtualization, a new version of Active Directory, Internet Information Services 7.5 and support for up to 256 processors. The system will be released only in 64-bit version. Support has also been removed Windows boot from partitions containing MBR.
Microsoft announced Windows Server 2008 R2 at the Professional Developers Conference as a server Windows option 7. On January 7, 2009, the beta version of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 was made available to Microsoft TechNet and MSDN subscribers who participated in the Windows 7 Insider Program. On January 9, the beta version became publicly available for download on the Microsoft Download Center. April 30, 2009 - the release candidate (RC) became available to TechNet and MSDN subscribers. May 5, 2009 - Windows Server 2008 R2 RC is available from the Microsoft Download Center June 2, 2009 - Microsoft announced that the RTM version will be available to Microsoft partners in the second half of July 2009. The release will take place on October 22, 2009.
Currently, Microsoft Windows is installed on approximately 88% of personal computers and workstations. In addition, its competitor, Mac OS X, is also gaining momentum (about 10%). Despite the competition, Microsoft and Apple cooperate, constantly increasing the compatibility of the two systems.
