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Windows History

Windows Through The Years

From Windows XP in 2001 to Windows 11 in 2021: two decades of Windows, one wallpaper at a time. Scroll through the timeline.

  1. 2001
  2. 2007
  3. 2009
  4. 2012
  5. 2013
  6. 2015
  7. 2019
  8. 2021

  1. Released October 2001

    Windows XP

    Windows XP brought the home and business versions of Windows together on one modern foundation. Its friendly Luna look and the Bliss wallpaper became some of the most recognizable images in computing, and Service Pack 2 in 2004 added Windows Firewall and the Security Center.

    • The Luna look and the Bliss wallpaper
    • Fast User Switching
    • ClearType for sharper text on flat screens
    • Windows Firewall on by default from Service Pack 2

    Unsupported Support ended April 8, 2014, 12 years ago.

  2. Released January 2007

    Windows Vista

    Windows Vista introduced the glassy Aero look, search built into the Start menu, and User Account Control, which asks before programs make changes to the computer. It asked a lot of the hardware of its day, but much of what it started carried on in Windows 7.

    • Aero glass windows and Flip 3D
    • User Account Control
    • Instant search in the Start menu
    • Windows Sidebar and gadgets

    Unsupported Support ended April 11, 2017, 9 years ago.

  3. Released October 2009

    Windows 7

    Windows 7 refined Vista into one of the most loved versions of Windows. A new taskbar with pinned programs, Aero Snap, and Aero Peek made everyday work faster, and many businesses kept running it for more than a decade.

    • Pinned programs and jump lists on the taskbar
    • Aero Snap and Aero Peek
    • Libraries for documents, music, and pictures
    • HomeGroup for sharing on a home network

    Unsupported Support ended January 14, 2020, 6 years ago.

  4. Released October 2012

    Windows 8

    Windows 8 reimagined Windows for touch screens. A full-screen Start screen of live tiles replaced the Start menu, and the Windows Store arrived with a new kind of app. It started up faster than ever, but many desktop users missed the Start button.

    • Start screen with live tiles
    • Windows Store apps
    • The Charms bar for touch
    • Faster startup

    Unsupported Support ended January 12, 2016, 10 years ago.

  5. Released October 2013

    Windows 8.1

    Windows 8.1 answered much of the feedback on Windows 8 as a free update. The Start button came back, PCs could start straight to the desktop, and cloud storage was built in.

    • The Start button returned
    • Start straight to the desktop
    • More ways to personalize the Start screen
    • Built-in cloud storage, now OneDrive

    Unsupported Support ended January 10, 2023, 3 years ago.

  6. Released July 2015

    Windows 10

    Windows 10 brought back the Start menu, now with live tiles, and was a free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8.1 users in its first year. It introduced Cortana and the Microsoft Edge browser, and Windows became a service, with new features arriving through regular updates.

    • The Start menu returned, with live tiles
    • Cortana and Microsoft Edge
    • Task View and virtual desktops
    • A free upgrade from Windows 7 and 8.1 for its first year

    Security Updates Only Support ended October 14, 2025. Consumer Extended Security Updates run until October 12, 2027.

  7. Released May 2019

    Windows 10 May 2019 Update

    The May 2019 Update, version 1903, gave Windows 10 a fresh light theme and a brighter wallpaper, along with Windows Sandbox for safely trying out programs. Windows 10’s last version, 22H2, followed in 2022.

    • A new light theme and wallpaper
    • Windows Sandbox
    • Search and Cortana separated on the taskbar
    • The final version, 22H2, in 2022

    Security Updates Only Support ended October 14, 2025. Consumer Extended Security Updates run until October 12, 2027.

  8. Released October 2021

    Windows 11

    Windows 11 introduced a clean, centered design with rounded corners, a simpler Start menu, Snap Layouts, and Widgets, with security built on TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. It gets a new version every year, and Copilot now brings AI help right into Windows.

    • Centered Start menu and taskbar
    • Snap Layouts and rounded corners
    • Widgets
    • Security built on TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot

    Supported Supported today. The newest version, 26H2, gets updates until October 10, 2028.

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