Some times doing tasks on Windows can become quite typical if using a mouse, therefore people use the keyboard shortcuts to work more efficiently and quickly as these shortcuts save time and also reduce physical strain.

In this article we will share some keyboard shortcuts in Windows that will help users in text editing, opening settings page and more.

Keyboard Shortcuts In Windows

Copilot keyboard Shortcuts

• Press Copilot key to open Copilot or another app as configured in Settings
• Press Copilot Key ( Copilot not available or disabled add no other app configured)- Open or close windows search

Desktop Shortcuts

• Alt + Esc –  Cycle through open windows.
• Alt + F4 –  Close active window. (If no active window is present, a shutdown box appears.)
• Alt + F8 –  Reveals typed password in Sign-in screen.
• Alt + Left arrow key –  Go back.
• Alt + Page Down –  Move down one screen.
• Alt + Page Up –  Move up one screen.
• Alt + Right arrow key –  Go forward.
• Alt + Spacebar –  Open context menu for the active window.
• Alt + Tab –  Switch between open apps while pressing Tab multiple times.
• Alt + Underlined letter –  Runs command for the underlined letter in apps.
• Ctrl + Alt + Tab –  View open apps.
• Ctrl + Arrow keys –  Change Start menu size.
• Ctrl + Arrow keys (to select) + Spacebar –  Select multiple items on desktop or File Explorer.
• Ctrl + Click a grouped app button –  Cycle through windows in the group from the Taskbar.
• Ctrl + Down arrow key –  Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph.
• Ctrl + F5 (or) Ctrl + R –  Refresh current window.
• Ctrl + Left arrow key –  Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word.
• Ctrl + Right arrow key –  Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word.
• Ctrl + Shift –  Switch keyboard layout.
• Ctrl + Shift + Arrow key –  Select block of text.
• Ctrl + Shift + Click app button –  Run app as administrator from the Taskbar.
• Ctrl + Shift + Esc –  Open Task Manager.
• Ctrl + Spacebar –  Enable or disable Chinese IME.
• Ctrl + Up arrow key –  Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
• Shift + Arrow keys –  Select multiple items.
• Shift + Click app button –  Open another instance of an app from the Taskbar.
• Shift + F10 –  Open context menu for selected item.
• Shift + Right-click app button –  Show window menu for the app from the Taskbar.
• Shift + Right-click grouped app button –  Show window menu for the group from the Taskbar.

Virtual Desktop Shortcuts

• Windows Key+ Tab –  Open Task view.
• Windows Key+ Ctrl + D –  Add a virtual desktop.
• Windows Key + Ctrl + Right arrow –  Switch between virtual desktops you’ve created on the right.
• Windows Key + Ctrl + Left arrow –  Switch between virtual desktops you’ve created on the left.
• Windows Key + Ctrl + F4 –  Close the virtual desktop you’re using.

Windows Key Shortcut

• Windows Key  –  Open Start menu.
• Windows Key  + A –  Open Action center.
• Windows Key  + Alt + D –  Open date and time in the Taskbar.
• Windows Key  + Alt + Number (0-9) –  Open Jump List of the app in number position in the Taskbar.
• Windows Key  + B –  Set focus notification area in the Taskbar.
• ​​​​​​​Windows Key  + Comma (,) –  Temporarily peek at the desktop.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + D –  Create a virtual desktop.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + Enter –  Open Narrator.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + F –  Open search for the device on a domain network.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + F4 –  Close active virtual desktop.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + Left arrow –  Switch to the virtual desktop on the left.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + Number (0-9) –  Switch to the last active window of the app in the number position in the Taskbar.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + Q –  Open Quick Assist.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + Right arrow –  Switch to the virtual desktop on the right.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + Shift + B –  Wake up the device when black or a blank screen.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + Shift + Number (0-9) –  Open another instance as an administrator of the app in the number position in the Taskbar.
• Windows Key  + Ctrl + Spacebar –  Change previous selected input option.
• Windows Key  + D –  Display and hide the desktop.
• Windows Key  + Down arrow key –  Minimize app windows.
• Windows Key  + E –  Open File Explorer.
• Windows Key  + Esc –  Exit magnifier.
• Windows Key  + F –  Launch Feedback Hub app.
• Windows Key  + Forward-slash (/) –  Start IME reconversion.
• Windows Key  + G –  Launch Game bar app.
• Windows Key  + H –  Open dictation feature.
• Windows Key  + Home –  Minimize or maximize all but the active desktop window.
• Windows Key  + I –  Open Settings.
• Windows Key  + J –  Set focus on a tip for Windows 10 when applicable.
• Windows Key  + K –  Open Connect settings.
• Windows Key  + L –  Locks computer.
• Windows Key  + Left arrow key –  Snap app or window left.
• Windows Key  + M –  Minimize all windows.
• Windows Key  + Minus (-) –  Zoom out using the magnifier.
• Windows Key  + Number (0-9) –  Open the app in number position in the Taskbar.
• Windows Key  + O –  Lock device orientation.
• Windows Key  + P –  Open Project settings.
• Windows Key  + Pause –  Show System Properties dialog box.
• Windows Key  + Period (.) or Semicolon (;) –  Open emoji panel.
• Windows Key  + Plus (+) –  Zoom in using the magnifier.
• Windows Key  + PrtScn –  Capture a full screenshot in the “Screenshots” folder.
• Windows Key  + R –  Open Run command.
• Windows Key  + Right arrow key –  Snap app or window right.
• Windows Key  + S (or Q) –  Open Search.
• Windows Key  + Shift + Down arrow key –  Windows 11: Restore the window if it is snapped or maximized. Windows 10: Maximize or minimize active windows vertically while maintaining width.
• Windows Key  + Shift + Left arrow key –  Move active window to monitor on the left.
• Windows Key  + Shift + M –  Restore minimized windows on the desktop.
• Windows Key  + Shift + Number (0-9)  –  Open another app instance in the number position in the Taskbar.
• Windows Key  + Shift + Right arrow key –  Move active window to monitor on the right.
• Windows Key  + Shift + S –  Create part of the screen screenshot.
• Windows Key  + Shift + Up arrow key –  Stretch desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen.
• Windows Key  + Shift + V –  Cycle through notifications.
• Windows Key  + Spacebar –  Change keyboard layout and input language.
• Windows Key  + T –  Cycle through apps in the Taskbar.
• Windows Key  + Tab –  Open Task View.
• Windows Key  + U –  Open Ease of Access settings.
• Windows Key  + Up arrow key –  Maximize app windows.
• Windows Key  + V –  Open Clipboard bin.
• Windows Key  + W –  Open the Windows Ink Workspace.
• Windows Key  + X –  Open Quick Link menu.
• Windows Key  + Y –  Change input between desktop and Mixed Reality.
• Windows Key  + Z –  Switch input between the desktop experience and Windows Mixed Reality.

File Explorer Shortcuts

• Alt + D –  Select address bar.
• Alt + Enter  –  Open Properties settings for the selected item.
• Alt + Left arrow key (or Backspace) –  View previous folder.
• Alt + P –  Display preview panel.
• Alt + Right arrow key –  View next folder.
• Alt + Up arrow –  Move up a level in the folder path.
• Ctrl + E (or F) –  Select search box.
• Ctrl + F (or F3) –  Start search.
• Ctrl + L –  Focus on the address bar
• Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel –  Change view file and folder.
• Ctrl + N –  Open new window.
• Ctrl + Shift + E –  Expands all folders from the tree in the navigation pane.
• Ctrl + Shift + N –  Creates a new folder on desktop or File Explorer.
• Ctrl + Shift + Number (1-8) –  Changes folder view.
• Ctrl + W –  Close active window.
• End –  Scroll to the bottom of the window.
• F11 –  Switch active window full-screen mode.
• F2 –  Rename selected item.
• F4 –  Switch focus to address bar.
• F5 –  Refresh File Explorer’s current view.
• F6 –  Cycle through elements on the screen.
• Home –  Scroll to the top of the window.
• Windows key  + E  –  Open File Explorer.

Windows Setting Page Shortcut

• Alt + underline letter –  Actions the setting identified by the letter.
• Arrow keys –  Select a button of the active setting.
• Backspace –  Opens the folder one-level app in the Open or Save As dialog.
• Ctrl + number of tab –  Jumps to tab position.
• Ctrl + Shift + Tab –  Cycles back through the tabs.
• Ctrl + Tab –  Cycles forward through the tabs.
• Shift + Tab –  Moves back through the settings.
• Spacebar –  Checks or clears the option in focus.
• Tab –  Moves forward through the settings.

Command Prompt Shortcuts

• Ctrl + A –  Select all content of the current line.
• Ctrl + C (or Ctrl + Insert) –  Copy selected items to clipboard.
• Ctrl + Down arrow key  –  Move screen down one line.
• Ctrl + End –  Scroll to the bottom of the console.
• Ctrl + F –  Open search for Command Prompt.
• Ctrl + Home –  Scroll to the top of the console.
• Ctrl + M  –  Starts mark mode.
• Ctrl + Up arrow key –  Move the screen up one line.
• Ctrl + V (or Shift + Insert) –  Paste content from clipboard.
• Left or right arrow keys –  Move the cursor left or right in the current line.
• Page Down –  Move cursor one page down.
• Page Up –  Move cursor one page up.
• Up or down arrow keys –  Cycle through the command history of the current session.

Text Editing Shortcuts

• Backspace –  Delete characters to the left
• Ctrl + = –  Make selected text subscript
• Ctrl + A –  Select all text
• Ctrl + B –  Make selected text bold
• Ctrl + Backspace –  Delete words to the left
• Ctrl + C –  Copy text
• Ctrl + Del –  Delete words to the right
• Ctrl + Down Arrow –  Go to end of line break
• Ctrl + End –  Go to the end of the document
• Ctrl + F –  Find text
• Ctrl + H –  Find and replace text
• Ctrl + Home –  Go to the beginning of the document
• Ctrl + I –  Make selected text italic
• Ctrl + Left Arrow –  Go to beginning of previous word
• Ctrl + Right Arrow –  Go to beginning of next word
• Ctrl + Shift + = –  Make selected text superscript
• Ctrl + U –  Underline selected text
• Ctrl + Up Arrow –  Go to beginning of line break
• Ctrl + V –  Paste text
• Ctrl + X –  Cut text
• Ctrl + Y –  Redo text
• Ctrl + Z –  Undo text
• Delete –  Delete characters to the right
• Down Arrow –  Go down one row
• End –  Go to the end of the current line
• Home –  Go to the beginning of the current line
• Left Arrow –  Go to the left or to the end of previous line break
• Page Down –  Move down one frame
• Page Up –  Move up one frame
• Right Arrow –  Go to the right or to the beginning of next line break
• Shift + Ctrl + Down –  Select paragraphs to the right
• Shift + Ctrl + End –  Select text between the cursor and the end of the document
• Shift + Ctrl + Home –  Select text between the cursor and the beginning of the document
• Shift + Ctrl + Left –  Select words to the left
• Shift + Ctrl + Right –  Select words to the right
• Shift + Ctrl + Up –  Select paragraphs to the left
• Shift + Down Arrow –  Select lines downwards
• Shift + End –  Select text between the cursor and the end of the current line
• Shift + Home –  Select text between the cursor and the beginning of the current line
• Shift + Left Arrow –  Select characters to the left
• Shift + Page Down –  Select one frame at a time of text below the cursor
• Shift + Page Up –  Select one frame at a time of text above the cursor
• Shift + Right Arrow –  Select characters to the right
• Shift + Tab –  Outdent
• Shift + Up Arrow –  Select lines upwards
• Tab –  Indent
• Up Arrow –  Go up one row

Taskbar Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl + Shift + click a taskbar button  –  Open an app as an administrator.
• Ctrl + click a grouped taskbar button –  Cycle through the windows of the group
• Shift + click a taskbar button  –  Open an app or quickly open another instance of an app.
• Shift + right-click a grouped taskbar button –  Show the window menu for the group.
• Shift + right-click a taskbar button  –  Show the window menu for the app.

Dialog Box Shortcuts

• Alt + underlined letter –  Perform the command (or select the option) that is used with that letter.
• Arrow keys –  Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
• Backspace –  Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.
• Ctrl + 1, 2, 3,… –  Move to that tab number.
• Ctrl + Shift + Tab –  Move back through tabs.
• Ctrl + Tab –  Move forward through tabs.
• F4 –  Display the items in the active list.
• Shift + Tab –  Move back through options.
• Spacebar –  Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.
• Tab –  Move forward through options.

Copy, paste and other general shortcuts

• Alt + A –   Set focus to the first icon in the Suggested actions menu.
• Alt + Shift + arrow keys –  When a group or tile is in focus on the Start menu, move it in the direction specified.
• Ctrl + A –  Select all items in a document or window.
• Ctrl + arrow keys –  Resize the Start menu when it’s open.
• Ctrl + C (or) Ctrl + Insert –  Copy the selected item.
• Ctrl + D (or) Delete –  Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin.
• Ctrl + E –  Open Search (in most apps).
• Ctrl + Esc –  Open Start.
• Ctrl + F4 –  Close the active document (in apps that are full-screen and let you have multiple documents open at the same time).
• Ctrl + Shift + arrow keys –  When a tile is in focus on the Start menu, move it into another tile to create a folder.
• Ctrl + Shift + V –  Paste as plain text
• Ctrl + Shift with an arrow key –  Select a block of text.
• Ctrl + Shift –  Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available.
• Ctrl + Up arrow –  Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
• Ctrl + V (or) Shift + Insert –  Paste the selected item.
• Ctrl + X–  Cut the selected item.
• Ctrl + Y –  Redo an action.
• Ctrl + Z –  Undo an action.
• Esc –  Stop or leave the current task.
• F2–  Rename the selected item.
• F3–  Search for a file or folder in File Explorer.
• F4–  Display the address bar list in File Explorer.
• F5–  Refresh the active window.
• F6–  Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
• F10–  Activate the Menu bar in the active app.
• Left arrow  –  Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
• Right arrow –  Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
• Shift + Delete –  Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
• Shift with any arrow key –  Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document.
• PrtScn –  Take a screenshot of your whole screen and copy it to the clipboard.

The post Check Out Some Keyboard Shortcuts In Windows That Offer A Faster Alternative To Perform Tasks appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

Microsoft has leaked its internal tool which enables secret Windows 11 features. The leak was accidental and the leaked app was the “StagingTool”. It was used by the employees to enable secret and unreleased Windows 11 features.

Windows typically tests experimental and hidden Windows 11 features in public builds of the operating system. Windows enthusiasts have until now had to rely on third-party tools to access these features. These hidden features were not yet enabled for all testers by Microsoft.

This accidental release of the StagingTool was part of the company’s “bug bash” event this week. Bug bash is a procedure where all the developers, testers, program managers, usability researchers, designers, documentation folks and even sometimes marketing people put aside their regular day-to-day duties and “pound on the product”- that is, each exercises the product in every way they can think of.

Because each person will use the product in slightly different (or very different) ways, and the product is getting a great deal of use in a short amount of time and this approach may reveal bugs relatively quickly.

XenoPanther, a Twitter user, was the first one to discover the Staging Tool on Wednesday. But hours later, Microsoft quickly removed it without getting much attention. The internal tool is now being widely shared by the Windows community.

StagingTool is very similar to the third-party ViveTool app which Windows enthusiasts have been using for years to enable the hidden Windows 11 features. This app is a command line app that lets you toggle feature IDs that enable certain unreleased parts of Windows 11.

Microsoft is expected to deliver their next big Windows 11 update in September, including native support for RAR and 7-Zip files.

Source

The post Microsoft Accidently Leaks Its Internal Tool Which Enables Secret Windows 11 Features appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

PCs and Macs have nowadays become even more personal to people especially after the pandemic as now everything in our personal and professional life keeps us connected to the outer world through these devices. And who doesn’t want that their devices look more appealing and interesting? You can download the exclusive and attractive Bloom Wallpapers for your PC or Mac to make them look more fascinating to the eyes.

Windows 11 introduced Bloom to the world which was a desktop wallpaper that served as a symbolic image of starting new with this operating system. Microsoft designers used technology very efficiently to showcase their creativity. Microsoft has created the 4K resolution Bloom flower wallpapers for the devices like PC or Macs to be the beautiful centerpiece. It is a clear fluid design that is completely new yet familiar to the users.

Some of the variants of Bloom Wallpapers are –

1. White theme bloom wallpaper

2. Green Bloom wallpaper

3. Blue Bloom wallpaper

4. Red Bloom wallpaper

You can download these amazing wallpapers from the link given below :

http://drive.google.com/drive/folders/%E2%80%A6

The post Download these fascinating Bloom wallpapers to make your pc or mac look more eye-catchy appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

Microsoft is to end security support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. The support for Windows 7 and 8.1 was withdrawn earlier in 2020 but it was extended for those who paid Microsoft’s Extended Security Update. This allowed users of these OSes to extend the security support by three years back in early 2020. This was a deliberate move by Microsoft to push the users towards Windows 11.

The date that has been decided to withdraw this is January 10 when Microsoft will release Microsoft Edge 109. The Edge will be the last version of the browser to support Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Though the browser will work even after the withdrawal of security support, it will be prone to security issues and bugs. Microsoft has clearly said that it won’t be offering ESU after January 10 for Windows 8.1 and continuing usage of it will increase the security risk.

A large number of users will have to shift towards Windows 10, and Windows 11, or they will have to buy a new laptop. Though we suggest you go with Windows 11 because it supports the usage of  Android applications on laptops.

The post Either you update your Windows 7,8.1 or your data become prone to bugs and security issue  appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

Yesterday, on August 9 2022, the U.S Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) updated their catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities with two more flaws. The CISA updated the catalog based on evidence of active exploitation. 

One of those two flaw has exploit code publicly available. That code has spent more than two years as a zero-day bug in the Windows Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT). 

The flaws have received a high severity score and are recognized as directory traversal vulnerabilities, which could help the attackers plant malware on a targeted system. 

The first bug is officially tracked as CVE-2022-34713 and informally referred to as DogWalk. This flaw in MSDT facilitates the threat actor to deploy a malicious executable into the Windows Startup folder. 

Researcher Imre Rad first reported the issue to Microsoft in January 2022. However, his report was dismissed as it was found misclassified as not describing a security risk. Consequently, the bug made its comeback to public attention this year. 

On the other hand, the second bug added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog is tracked as CVE-2022-30333. This bug is a path traversal bug in the UnRar utility for Linux and Unix systems. 

This bug facilitates an attacker to plant a malicious file on the target system by extracting it to an arbitrary location during the unpack operation. 

The federal agencies in the US will apply the updates from the vendors by August 30. 

The post CISA adds two new bugs to their Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

Recently discovered Luna ransomware, now can encrypt the devices that manages various operating systems like Windows, Linux and ESXi systems.

Accordingly, Luna’s operators uses languages like Rust and Golang to create malware and target multiple operating systems by this malware.

It is assumed that the group behind this new ransomware are Russian-speaking affiliates. They developed this new malware in Rust and took advantage of the platform’s agnostic nature to pass it to multiple platforms.

However, Luna is still under development with less capabilities to hide the devices. The group behind the ransomware has been caught by the officials and their activities using Luna is still being monitored.

Also, other new ransomwares have been reported this month like Lilith, C/C++ ransomware that has targeted around 64-bit Windows devices demanding millions of dollars from the victims. Both the threat actors stole the data from the victim’s system and then demanded ransoms from them.

The post Luna ransomware hides the Windows, Linux, and ESXi systems; read more appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

Microsoft has confirmed internet connectivity issues causing major problems for Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) while Windows updates are enabled. RRAS is a software router and an open platform for networking. It is a Windows-specific service that provides additional routing and remote access connectivity features with the help of Virtual Private Networks (VPN).

Devices that are connected to the RRAS servers are having severe issues with routing traffic. According to a report, a Windows admin also become familiar with similar issues once they installed the June Patch Tuesday updates which doesn’t even resolve after removing the updates.

Not only Windows 11 but also Windows 10. Windows 8.1, Windows 7 SP1, and several other Windows servers faced a similar issue once they installed the updates. However, Microsoft corp. has explained, “We are presently investigating and will provide an update in an upcoming release.”

The giant tech corporation has stated that they are working on a fix to resolve this connectivity problem. The corp. has already disabled the Network Address Translation (NAT) feature on RRAS servers until the next fix is released to dissolve the issue.

Microsoft said, “If it’s not possible to install the latest Windows updates on an affected server, the issue can be avoided by temporarily disabling the NAT feature on the RRAS servers.” The tech giant is currently working on the fix and will release it as soon as possible for the customers.

The post Microsoft confirmed the connectivity issue of RRAS, VPN will be fixed within July appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

The National Security Agency (NSA) advises Windows device users to use PowerShell for protecting their devices along with cybersecurity partner agencies.

What is a PowerShell?

PowerShell is a task automation and software-hardware management program from Microsoft. It includes a command-line shell and the combined script language.

Moreover, PowerShell was built on the .NET Framework, the latter on .NET Core in 2016 with the introduction of PowerShell Core.

When is it used? 

Simultaneously, PowerShell is constantly used to detect malicious changes on windows devices and for cyberattacks. Moreover, it is mostly supported in the post-exploitation stage.

The NSA and Cybersecurity centres in the U.S. (CISA), New Zealand (NZ NCSC), and the U.K. (NCSC-UK) have also recommended using PowerShell to prevent cyber threats.

How to use PowerShell on your Windows?

There are various versions of PowerShell available for various windows devices. It has a more powerful command-line shell and script language than the command prompt.

So, for starting PowerShell, the power user appears in the taskbar when you press Windows +X from the menu bar and click on ‘Windows PowerShell’ or ‘Windows PowerShell (Admin).’

One can add and delete accounts, edit groups, and create a list of specific types of users or groups.

And to run a script, open the PowerShell windows, type the script’s names, add an extension if there is any and click on the search button.

Moreover, in a recent documents, the NSA states that ‘PowerShell is essential to secure the Windows operating system,’ particularly the newer versions that dealt away with previous limitations.

When properly configured and managed, PowerShell can be a reliable tool for system maintenance, forensics, automation, and security, the document added.

The post NSA advices to use PowerShell for protecting Windows devices appeared first on The Tech Outlook.

At the beginning of the journey, it wasn’t always known as Windows. Windows began in 1981 when Microsoft began developing a program called “Interface Manager.” Although “Windows” was promised in November 1983, Windows 1.0 was not delivered until November 1985. This is where Microsoft’s initiative began when the initial version of Windows was being developed. Windows has been a major player in the consumer and corporate Computer industry from its original launch in 1985 through its continuous constant evolution in 2022 and even beyond.

Let’s take a peek at how the Microsoft Windows has developed and evolved as we discover more about the future Windows editions:

Windows 1.0

Release date: November 1985

Initially, Windows was nothing more than a DOS add-on operating system. Another moniker that was dropped was MS-DOS Executive, which more correctly characterized the user-friendly GUI element to computing. Before the Macs, Microsoft focused on desktop accessories for Apple computers, and much of the Windows look was licensed from Apple. Because there could be no overlapping windows, tiling was utilized to place them side by side instead, and there was no trash can like in the Apple OS.

Although the introduction of certain iconic features such as Calculator, Calendar, Cardfile, Clipboard Viewer, Clock, Control Panel, Notepad, Paint, Reversi, Terminal, and Word’s forerunner, Write, the system did not enjoy widespread adoption.

Windows 2.0

Release date: December 1987

After two years, the second installment focused primarily on memory management and the user interface, two of the most critical aspects of any operating system. Windows 2.0 made additional RAM available to programs, which was previously reserved for operating peripherals. It meant more multitasking capability, and the design began to resemble the actual thing, with Microsoft sneaking overlapping windows into the design.

New keyboard shortcuts and the now-famous Excel and Word apps were introduced with the system. The extremely popular desktop publishing software Aldus PageMaker which was eventually followed by Adobe InDesign, was introduced in a Windows variant, which gave the OS a tremendous boost.

Windows 3.0

Release date: May 22, 1990

In a highly competitive sector, this was Microsoft’s first success. Critical operations had been rewritten in Assembly rather than C, making them lighter and faster, and the addition of virtual memory and VGA cards meant a more efficient, powerful, and graphically competent platform. Virtual memory was able to deceive applications into thinking they were using big blocks of address space when they were fragmented and spilled into the storage disk rather than being used in RAM.

It meant that Windows could run multiple apps at the same time. The system was also configurable, meaning that if you wanted to provide apps with the security of running in a single block, you could automatically assign specified space for that as well.

In its first six months, Windows 3.0 sold 2 million copies, growing to 10 million in the following 18 months. In response to IBM’s OS/2 2.0 operating system software, which was originally a joint effort with Microsoft, 3.1 was published. Bug fixes and multimedia support were included. By the time 3.11 was released, Microsoft had defeated IBM’s threat and switched to a 32-bit operating system.

Windows 95

Release date: August 24, 1995

It was time for a substantial facelift ten years after the release of the first edition of Windows. Windows 95, codenamed Chicago at the time, saw a dramatic change in the user interface with the addition of the Start menu and taskbar, as well as considerable under-the-hood enhancements. It brought pre-emptive multitasking to the operating system, which ensured that each application received a fair share of the CPU while running. It’s feasible thanks to an interrupt system that can suspend running apps and prioritize their power resource demands.

Any 32-bit program now had its own address space, ensuring that a single defective program would not bring the entire system down. Windows had become much more stable as a result of these two improvements. Plug & Play, combined with a plethora of CD-ROMs that came with various kinds of peripheral hardware, was a terrific addition from the user’s perspective, making past driver hunts a lot less relevant. The technique allowed for the automatic detection and setup of devices on PCs with far less fuss than previously possible.

Windows 98

Release date: June 25, 1998

Having the improved support for the FAT-32 file system, new hardware drivers, and the ability to create disk partitions larger than 2GB, Windows 98 was widely panned for its slowness and instability when compared to its predecessor. The majority of the issues were fixed in the second edition (Windows 98 SE) a year later, however, there was more critical in the user interface due to Internet Explorer’s incorporation into the design and Windows Explorer. The Millennium Edition of Windows ME was never well welcomed and must be considered a failure. ME shared the same core as Windows 98 but included many of the capabilities of the most recent NT entrant, the widely used Windows 2000.

With the advent of Windows Movie Maker and Universal Plug and Play, it improved multimedia and internet capabilities, allowing for a considerably more fluid, automatic method of connecting network devices. It was the last version without the online Product Activation system and could no longer boot into DOS. ME was chastised for its instability, and it was frequently referred to by alternate acronyms such as Mistake Edition. Perhaps it’s one shining moment was the creation of System Restore, which is still in use today.

Windows XP

Release date: October 25, 2001

Although its controversial design, Windows XP, codenamed Whistler, was perhaps the best version of Windows ever. It brought Microsoft’s corporate and consumer Windows products together, making the consumer version more secure and stable. Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional are examples of the new method of one OS with multiple variations. It received a slew of new features with the massive Service Pack 2 upgrade, and it went on to become the longest-selling Windows operating system, selling from 2001 to 2007.

Windows Vista

Release date: January 30, 2007

Vista, on the other hand, was a flop in comparison to XP. It quickly rose to become one of Microsoft’s most divisive operating systems. The program (codenamed Longhorn) was first made available to businesses before being released to the general public in early 2007. With a brand-new user interface, it received some scathing criticism.

Vista featured a heavy focus on security, though User Account Control – the pop-ups you get when you install programs – upset customers. It also introduced the Windows Aero appearance with its more beautiful designs. However, UAC is still around today, but in a more relaxed form.

Windows 7

Release date: October 22, 2009

This was Microsoft’s eighth consumer operating system, substantially similar to Vista. However, with numerous refinements and technology, Win 7 had the capability of running it considerably more successfully. In both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, it was codenamed Blackcomb and Vienna. It offered a much faster boot time, greater power management choices for notebook users, and multi-touch support. It was so brilliant that it made Windows 8 difficult to use.

Windows 8

Release date: October 26, 2012

Windows 8 was released just a few years after Windows 7, and it featured a slew of new graphical and user-interface modifications. The issue was that it wasn’t very intuitive, and Microsoft failed to communicate the changes well. This new version was developed with a new user-interface approach with a focus on touch screen devices, which left many puzzled and frustrated. While touch is now common on PCs, it wasn’t always the case in 2012.

Apps were also a major deal in this OS, and Microsoft was eager to promote the Windows Store as a place to download and buy new software. Microsoft has had varying levels of success in this area.

Windows 8.1

Release date: October 18, 2013

Microsoft released Windows 8.1 in late 2013 as a free upgrade for Windows 8 users, intending to address many of the issues that were being reported at the time. This included changes to the user interface, including the return of the original Start button. Other enhancements included app enhancements, modifications to the Start screen, and a range of usability and overall design improvements. It performed far better on traditional laptops and desktops than on Windows 8.

Windows 10

Release date: July 29, 2015

In the foggy days of 2015, Microsoft released Windows 10. This version of Windows was a free upgrade for all Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 customers at the time, making it an attractive option for practically everyone. The system requirements were nearly identical to those for Windows 7. Windows 10 effectively maintained the design while infusing it with a fresh, clean, and modern look. On tablets and mobile devices, support for both fingerprint and facial recognition login has surfaced, enabling considerably more user-friendly login experiences.

With Windows 10, Microsoft also modified the way the operating system received updates, to the point where fixes, drivers, and other items are now automatically downloaded and installed without the need for users to intervene.

Windows 11

Release Date: 5 October 2021

Windows 11 was released in October 2021, with some minor differences but many similarities to Windows 10. It was a free upgrade for Windows 10 users, and many people appreciated it. It had a few teething bugs, but they were minor, and it has a lot of useful improvements, such as enhanced window snapping, grouping, and more.

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For Windows 10, the Windows Feature Experience Pack will come with improvements to a small range of features.

Microsoft is exploring a new way to use its ‘Windows Feature Experience Kit’ to roll out app upgrades. Tiny updates to only a few features in Windows 10 can come with these feature packs. With Windows Insiders, Microsoft is exploring this for the first time with no word on whether it will hit businesses and consumers.

For Windows 10, the Windows Features Experience Packs could mean that Microsoft is carrying out minor updates. At present, in April and October, it provides two significant Windows 10 upgrades. It also periodically rolls out service packs that come with changes in security and efficiency. Insiders will be rolling out the Windows Feature Experience Packs the same way they get builds and combined updates.

Microsoft said in a blog post that they will expand those functionalities and interactions that are now generated independently of the OS with the Windows Feature Experience Pack.

The beta channel has launched Microsoft’s first Windows Feature Interface Pack. Microsoft said it begins with a small range of features, “very scoped”. For only two parts, also the first one has changed. It helps Windows Insiders to “create a screen snippet and one can paste it directly into a folder of their choice in File Explorer to save the screenshot there using the built-in screen snipping method.

This feature pack can be tested for by Windows Insiders by heading to Configuration > Upgrade & Security > Windows Update. The upgrade also allows beta testers to have their computers updated with 20H2 Build 19042.662.

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