Ever since the dawn of the Windows operating system,\r\nMicrosoft has used splash screens to distract us while the OS is loading. In\r\naddition to their entertainment value, the Windows splash screens have typically\r\nprovided us with feedback on the progress of the (sometimes lengthy)\r\nstartup process.
In this gallery, you’ll be\r\nable to browse through all the splash screens from Windows 1.01 to Windows 10.
Microsoft released Windows 1.01 on November 20, 1985
Microsoft released Windows 2.03 on November 1, 1987
Microsoft released Windows 3.0 on May 22, 1990
Microsoft released Windows For Workgroups 3.11 on November 1, 1993
Microsoft released Windows NT 3.1 on July 27, 1993
Microsoft released Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server on July 27, 1993
Microsoft released Windows NT Workstation 3.5 on September 21, 1994
Microsoft released Windows NT Server 3.5 on September 21, 1994
Microsoft released Windows NT Workstation 3.51 on May 30, 1995
Microsoft released Windows NT Server 3.51 on May 30, 1995
Microsoft released Windows 95 on August 24, 1995
Microsoft released Windows NT Workstation 4.0 on August 24, 1996
Microsoft released Windows NT Server 4.0 on August 24, 1996
Microsoft released Windows 98 on June 25, 1998
Microsoft released Windows 98 SE on May 5, 1999
Microsoft released Windows 2000 Professional on February 17, 2000
Microsoft released Windows 2000 Server on February 17, 2000
Microsoft released Windows ME on September 14, 2000
Microsoft released Windows XP Home on October 25, 2001
Microsoft released Windows XP Professional on October 25, 2001
Microsoft released Windows XP 64-Bit Edition on October 25, 2001
Microsoft released Windows XP SP2 on August 6, 2004
Microsoft released Windows Vista on January 30, 2007
Windows Vista’s splash screen actually has two parts to it, here we have the progress bar…
Microsoft released Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on\r\nOctober 22, 2009. Both had the same splash screen.
Microsoft released Windows 8 on October 26, 2012. Almost one\r\nyear later, on October 17, 2013, Microsoft released Windows 8.1.
Windows 8 and 8.1 had\r\nthe same splash screen. (Windows Server 2012 was released on September 4, 2012. Windows\r\nServer 2012 R2 was released on October 18, 2013. Both shared the same splash screen as Windows 8/8.1)
My first computer was a Kaypro 16 \"luggable\" running MS-DOS 2.11 which I obtained while studying computer science in 1986. After two years, I discovered that I had a knack for writing documentation and shifted my focus over to technical writing.
