Development and History[]
System Requirements[]
- 33MHz 386 Processor
- 4MB RAM
- 40MB Hard Drive Free Space
- VGA-Grade Graphics Card.
- CD-ROM Drive or 3.5" Floppy Drive, depending on Install Method.
Differences over Windows 3.x[]
- Windows 95 is a Full 32-Bit Operating System, supporting Pre-Emptive MultiTasking
- Came on either CD-ROM, or 3.5" Floppies
New Features[]
- Start Button
- Hardware Plug and Play support
- Software Registry, that eliminated the need for per-program INI files to store settings.
- MS-DOS 7.0
- New GUI
- Recycle Bin, for recovering accidentally-deleted files (Almost like the MS-DOS Undelete Command)
- Full TCP/IP Support.
- VFAT, That allows more characters (Up to 256) on a FAT16/FAT32 Disk Volume for a filename (which includes the File Extension, compared to Windows 3.1, that only supports a Maximum of 8 characters for a filename, and a Maximum of 3 for the File Extension.
- Internet Explorer 3.0 (Included In Version B, version C shipped with IE4)
- FAT32 (In Versions B and later)
- USB Support (In Versions B and Later, provided as a Stand-Alone Installer)
- New Safe Mode Diagnostic Operating Environment
Available Versions[]
| Windows 95 Version List |
| Windows 95 Version List: Base | A | B | C | D |
Service Packs[]
| Complete Microsoft Windows Service Pack List |
| Complete Microsoft Windows Service Pack List:
Windows 95: SP1 Windows NT 3.1: SP1 | SP2 | SP3 Windows NT 4.0: SP1 | SP2 | SP3 | SP4 | SP5 | SP6 | SP6a Windows 2000: SP1 | SP2 | SP3 | SP4 Windows XP: SP1 | SP2 | SP3 Windows Server 2003: SP1 | SP2 |
Differences between Windows 95 and Windows 3.1[]
Windows 95 is a major upgrade over Windows 3.1. Windows 95 is a 16/32-bit hybrid operating system, meaning it can run 32-bit applications as well as 16-bit ones. However, it is not compatible with Windows NT, its pure 32-bit Cousin.
Major differences:
- 32-bit front-end
- A new file system (FAT32) that support filenames up to 256-characters long
- A new shell (That would later be ported to Windows NT 4.0)
Limitations[]
- Windows 95 is unstable if 512MB or more RAM is installed.
- Cannot use Software Higher than:
- Internet Explorer 5.5 SP2
- DirectX 8.0a
- Windows Media Player 6.4
- MSN Messenger 5.0
| Microsoft Operating System Versions |
| Microsoft Operating System Versions:
MS-DOS: QDOS | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.11 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.21 | 3.3 | 3.3A | 3.31 | 4.0 | 4.01 | 4.01A | 5.0 | 5.0A | 6.0 | 6.2 | 6.21 | 6.22 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 8.0 Windows 1.x: 1.0 | 1.01 | 1.02 | 1.03 | 1.04 Windows 2.x: 2.0 | 2.01 | 2.1 | 2.2 Windows 3.x: 3.0 | 3.0A | 3.1 | 3.11 | 3.2 Windows for Workgroups 3.x: 3.1 | 3.11 Windows 9x: 95 | 98 | ME Windows NT: 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.51 | 4.0 | 2000 | XP | 2003 Windows NT: Vista | Longhorn Server | Blackcomb Server Windows NT: Windows 8 | Windows 10 | Windows 11 Windows CE: 1.0 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.11 | 2.12 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 5.0 Windows Embedded: NT | XP Windows Mobile: 2003 | 5.0 Previous Windows Codenames: Janus | Snowball | Kato | Daytona | Chicago | Memphis | Millennium | Cairo | Odyssey | Neptune | Whistler | Longhorn | Blackcomb |