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There might be a discussion about this on <a href="/wiki/Talk:Architecture_of_Windows_9x" title="Talk:Architecture of Windows 9x">the talk page</a>.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">January 2018</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-More_citations_needed plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Architecture_of_Windows_9x" title="Special:EditPage/Architecture of Windows 9x">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Architecture+of+Windows+9x%22">"Architecture of Windows 9x"</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Architecture+of+Windows+9x%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Architecture+of+Windows+9x%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Architecture+of+Windows+9x%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Architecture+of+Windows+9x%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Architecture+of+Windows+9x%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">January 2018</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> </div> </div><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Windows_95_architecture.gif" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Windows_95_architecture.gif" decoding="async" width="321" height="184" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="321" data-file-height="184" /></a><figcaption> The Windows 95 architecture<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="margin-left:0.1em; white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify" title="Wikipedia:Please clarify"><span title="This sketch is misleading, as it does not show the DOS portion of the system, which is essential for this hybrid system to work. Also, the image originates from Microsoft and is not licensed by us and therefore should be replaced by our own image. See "Unauthorized Windows 95" for a more accurate description of the architecture. (May 2016)">clarification needed</span></a></i>]</sup></figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Windows_9x" title="Windows 9x">Windows 9x</a> series of operating systems refers to a series of Microsoft Windows <a href="/wiki/Operating_system" title="Operating system">operating systems</a> produced from 1995 to 2000. They are based on the Windows 95 kernel which is a <a href="/wiki/Monolithic_kernel" title="Monolithic kernel">monolithic</a> <a href="/wiki/Kernel_(operating_system)" title="Kernel (operating system)">kernel</a>. The basic code is similar in function to <a href="/wiki/MS-DOS" title="MS-DOS">MS-DOS</a>. They are 16-/32-bit hybrids and require support from <a href="/wiki/MS-DOS" title="MS-DOS">MS-DOS</a> to operate. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Critical_files">Critical files</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Critical files"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>To start up or boot, Windows 95 and other Windows 9x operating systems require the following set of files:<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>32-bit shell and command line interpreter: </p> <ul><li><a href="/w/index.php?title=SHELL.DLL&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="SHELL.DLL (page does not exist)">SHELL.DLL</a> and <a href="/w/index.php?title=SHELL32.DLL&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="SHELL32.DLL (page does not exist)">SHELL32.DLL</a> - Shell API</li> <li><a href="/wiki/EXPLORER.EXE" class="mw-redirect" title="EXPLORER.EXE">EXPLORER.EXE</a> - Windows shell and file manager</li> <li><a href="/wiki/COMMAND.COM" title="COMMAND.COM">COMMAND.COM</a> - Command line <a href="/wiki/Shell_(computing)" title="Shell (computing)">shell</a> executable</li></ul> <p>Windows 95 core: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/KERNEL32.DLL" class="mw-redirect" title="KERNEL32.DLL">KERNEL32.DLL</a> and <a href="/w/index.php?title=KRNL386.EXE&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="KRNL386.EXE (page does not exist)">KRNL386.EXE</a> – Windows API for Windows resources</li> <li><a href="/wiki/ADVAPI32.DLL" class="mw-redirect" title="ADVAPI32.DLL">ADVAPI32.DLL</a> - Functionality additional to the kernel with included functions for the Windows registry and shutdown and restart functions</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Graphics_Device_Interface" title="Graphics Device Interface">GDI32.DLL</a> and <a href="/w/index.php?title=GDI.EXE&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="GDI.EXE (page does not exist)">GDI.EXE</a> - Graphic device interface</li> <li><a href="/wiki/USER32.DLL" class="mw-redirect" title="USER32.DLL">USER32.DLL</a> and <a href="/w/index.php?title=USER.EXE&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="USER.EXE (page does not exist)">USER.EXE</a> - GUI implementation</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=COMMCTRL.DLL&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="COMMCTRL.DLL (page does not exist)">COMMCTRL.DLL</a> and <a href="/wiki/COMCTL32.DLL" class="mw-redirect" title="COMCTL32.DLL">COMCTL32.DLL</a> - Common controls (user interface)</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=DDEML.DLL&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="DDEML.DLL (page does not exist)">DDEML.DLL</a> <a href="/wiki/Dynamic_Data_Exchange" title="Dynamic Data Exchange">Dynamic Data Exchange</a> Management Library (DDEML) - Provides an interface that simplifies the task of adding DDE capability to an application</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=MSGSRV32.EXE&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="MSGSRV32.EXE (page does not exist)">MSGSRV32.EXE</a> - Acts as a 32-bit message server and will never appear in the Windows task list</li> <li><a href="/wiki/WIN.COM" title="WIN.COM">WIN.COM</a> - Responsible for loading the GUI and the Windows portion of the system</li></ul> <p>Registry and other configuration files: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/SYSTEM.DAT" class="mw-redirect" title="SYSTEM.DAT">SYSTEM.DAT</a>, <a href="/wiki/USER.DAT" class="mw-redirect" title="USER.DAT">USER.DAT</a> - Contains the <a href="/wiki/Windows_Registry" title="Windows Registry">Windows Registry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSDOS.SYS" title="MSDOS.SYS">MSDOS.SYS</a> - Contains some low-level <a href="/wiki/Booting" title="Booting">boot</a> settings and resources such as disabling double-buffering and the <a href="/wiki/GUI" class="mw-redirect" title="GUI">GUI</a> logo</li> <li><a href="/wiki/WIN.INI" title="WIN.INI">WIN.INI</a> and <a href="/wiki/SYSTEM.INI" title="SYSTEM.INI">SYSTEM.INI</a> - Configuration files from Windows 3.1 which are processed in Windows 9x also</li></ul> <p>Virtual Machine Manager and configuration manager: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/VMM32#Virtual_Machine_Manager" class="mw-redirect" title="VMM32">VMM32.VXD</a> - Virtual machine manager and default drivers. It takes over from io.sys as kernel</li></ul> <p>Installable file System Manager: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/IFSHLP.SYS" class="mw-redirect" title="IFSHLP.SYS">IFSHLP.SYS</a> - Enables Windows to make direct file system calls; bypassing MS-DOS methods</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=IFSMGR.VXD&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="IFSMGR.VXD (page does not exist)">IFSMGR.VXD</a> - 32-bit driver for the installable file system</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=IOS.VXD&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="IOS.VXD (page does not exist)">IOS.VXD</a> - I/O supervisor that controls and manages all protected-mode file system and block device drivers</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=MPREXE.EXE&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="MPREXE.EXE (page does not exist)">MPREXE.EXE</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=MPRSERV.DLL&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="MPRSERV.DLL (page does not exist)">MPRSERV.DLL</a> and <a href="/w/index.php?title=MPR.DLL&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="MPR.DLL (page does not exist)">MPR.DLL</a> - Multiple Provider Router for network authentication and user profiles</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=MSPWL32.DLL&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="MSPWL32.DLL (page does not exist)">MSPWL32.DLL</a> - Password list management library</li></ul> <p>Device drivers: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/IO.SYS" title="IO.SYS">IO.SYS</a> - Executable handling all of the basic functions, such as <a href="/wiki/I/O" class="mw-redirect" title="I/O">I/O</a> routines and also serves as kernel until vmm32.vxd takes over</li> <li><a href="/wiki/HIMEM.SYS" title="HIMEM.SYS">HIMEM.SYS</a> - DOS device driver which allows DOS programs to store data in extended memory via the Extended Memory Specification</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=SYSTEM.DRV&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="SYSTEM.DRV (page does not exist)">SYSTEM.DRV</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=MMSOUND.DRV&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="MMSOUND.DRV (page does not exist)">MMSOUND.DRV</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=COMM.DRV&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="COMM.DRV (page does not exist)">COMM.DRV</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=VGA.DRV&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="VGA.DRV (page does not exist)">VGA.DRV</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=MOUSE.DRV&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="MOUSE.DRV (page does not exist)">MOUSE.DRV</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=BIGMEM.DRV&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="BIGMEM.DRV (page does not exist)">BIGMEM.DRV</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=KEYBOARD.DRV&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="KEYBOARD.DRV (page does not exist)">KEYBOARD.DRV</a> - 16-bit drivers</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=CP_1252.NLS&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="CP 1252.NLS (page does not exist)">CP 1252.NLS</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=CP_437.NLS&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="CP 437.NLS (page does not exist)">CP 437.NLS</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=UNICODE.NLS&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="UNICODE.NLS (page does not exist)">UNICODE.NLS</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=LOCALE.NLS&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="LOCALE.NLS (page does not exist)">LOCALE.NLS</a> - Keyboard layouts</li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=RMM.PDR&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="RMM.PDR (page does not exist)">RMM.PDR</a> - Real Mode Mapper Virtual Device</li></ul> <p>The system may also use <a href="/wiki/CONFIG.SYS" title="CONFIG.SYS">CONFIG.SYS</a>, which contains settings and commands executed before loading the <a href="/wiki/Command_interpreter" class="mw-redirect" title="Command interpreter">command interpreter</a> and <a href="/wiki/AUTOEXEC.BAT" title="AUTOEXEC.BAT">AUTOEXEC.BAT</a>, which is a <a href="/wiki/Batch_file" title="Batch file">batch file</a> automatically executed after loading <a href="/wiki/COMMAND.COM" title="COMMAND.COM">COMMAND.COM</a>. However, these two files are not critical to the boot process, as <a href="/wiki/IO.SYS" title="IO.SYS">IO.SYS</a> contains a default setting for both, in case of absence from the system. In <a href="/wiki/Windows_ME" class="mw-redirect" title="Windows ME">Windows ME</a>, CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT are not processed and <a href="/wiki/LOGO.SYS" title="LOGO.SYS">LOGO.SYS</a> may be used as a splash screen. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Boot_sequence">Boot sequence</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Boot sequence"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Windows 9x startup process consists of 6 phases. The first two of these steps are common to any <a href="/wiki/Operating_system" title="Operating system">operating system</a> booting using the traditional combination of <a href="/wiki/BIOS" title="BIOS">BIOS</a> and <a href="/wiki/Master_Boot_Record" class="mw-redirect" title="Master Boot Record">Master Boot Record</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Phase_1_-_The_ROM_BIOS_bootstrap_process">Phase 1 - The ROM BIOS bootstrap process</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Phase 1 - The ROM BIOS bootstrap process"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/ROM_BIOS" class="mw-redirect" title="ROM BIOS">ROM BIOS</a> starts the execution at the physical memory address 000FFFF0h. During this phase, BIOS first executes the <a href="/wiki/Power-on_self-test" title="Power-on self-test">Power-on self-test</a>, then checks for the existence of a boot disk on drive A. If it is not found in drive A, the ROM BIOS checks for a hard disk. If the computer has a Plug and Play BIOS, in addition, BIOS checks the RAM for I/O port addresses, interrupt lines and DMA channels for <a href="/wiki/Plug_and_Play" class="mw-redirect" title="Plug and Play">Plug and Play</a> devices, disables found devices, creates maps of used and unused resources and re-enables devices. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Phase_2_-_The_master_boot_record_and_boot_sector">Phase 2 - The master boot record and boot sector</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Phase 2 - The master boot record and boot sector"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Master_boot_record" title="Master boot record">Master boot record</a> is loaded at address 7C00h and loads the <a href="/wiki/Boot_sector" title="Boot sector">boot sector</a> of the Windows <a href="/wiki/Disk_partition" class="mw-redirect" title="Disk partition">Disk partition</a>. The boot sector contains the disk boot program and <a href="/wiki/BIOS_Parameter_Block" class="mw-redirect" title="BIOS Parameter Block">BIOS Parameter Block</a> table which searches for the location of the root directory and IO.SYS file, which then loads the IO.SYS file into memory. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Phase_3_-_IO.SYS_file_initialisation">Phase 3 - <a href="/wiki/IO.SYS" title="IO.SYS">IO.SYS</a> file initialisation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Phase 3 - IO.SYS file initialisation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/IO.SYS" title="IO.SYS">IO.SYS</a> initialises the minimal <a href="/wiki/File_Allocation_Table" title="File Allocation Table">File Allocation Table</a> driver and loads <a href="/wiki/MSDOS.SYS" title="MSDOS.SYS">MSDOS.SYS</a> into memory. It then displays "Starting Windows" depending on the Boot-Delay line in the MSDOS.SYS file. It then loads the <a href="/wiki/LOGO.SYS" title="LOGO.SYS">LOGO.SYS</a> file and displays a <a href="/wiki/Splash_Screen" class="mw-redirect" title="Splash Screen">startup image</a> on the screen. If the <a href="/wiki/DRVSPACE.INI" class="mw-redirect" title="DRVSPACE.INI">DRVSPACE.INI</a> or <a href="/wiki/DBLSPACE.INI" class="mw-redirect" title="DBLSPACE.INI">DBLSPACE.INI</a> file exists, it also loads drivers for compressed disks. Windows then attempts to open the registry file SYSTEM.DAT. If that fails, it attempts to open SYSTEM.DA0. If configured in MSDOS.SYS or in the registry, double buffering is also enabled. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Phase_4_-_CONFIG.SYS_and_real_mode_configuration">Phase 4 - CONFIG.SYS and real mode configuration</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Phase 4 - CONFIG.SYS and real mode configuration"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Windows_95" title="Windows 95">Windows 95</a> and <a href="/wiki/Windows_98" title="Windows 98">Windows 98</a> now analyse CONFIG.SYS and load MS-DOS <a href="/wiki/Real_mode" title="Real mode">real mode</a> drivers. Windows ME ignores this. If the CONFIG.SYS file does not exist, the IO.SYS file loads the drivers <a href="/wiki/IFSHLP.SYS" class="mw-redirect" title="IFSHLP.SYS">IFSHLP.SYS</a>, <a href="/wiki/HIMEM.SYS" title="HIMEM.SYS">HIMEM.SYS</a> and <a href="/wiki/SETVER.EXE" class="mw-redirect" title="SETVER.EXE">SETVER.EXE</a>. Windows reserves all <a href="/wiki/Upper_Memory_Block" class="mw-redirect" title="Upper Memory Block">upper memory blocks</a> for Windows 95 operating system use or for <a href="/wiki/Expanded_memory" title="Expanded memory">expanded memory</a>. Windows 95 and 98 execute <a href="/wiki/COMMAND.COM" title="COMMAND.COM">COMMAND.COM</a> to process AUTOEXEC.BAT. It loads <a href="/wiki/Terminate_and_stay_resident" class="mw-redirect" title="Terminate and stay resident">terminate and stay resident</a> programs into memory. Windows ME ignores this step, as Real Mode DOS support is disabled and TSRs being loaded can compromise system stability. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Phase_5_-_Initialise_drivers">Phase 5 - Initialise drivers</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Phase 5 - Initialise drivers"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>IO.SYS now runs <a href="/wiki/WIN.COM" title="WIN.COM">WIN.COM</a>. WIN.COM loads the <a href="/wiki/VMM32#Virtual_Machine_Manager" class="mw-redirect" title="VMM32">VMM32.VXD</a> file into memory or accesses it from the hard disk. This file contains the most important drivers and the 9x kernel. The real-mode <a href="/wiki/Device_driver#Virtual_device_drivers" title="Device driver">virtual device driver</a> loader checks for duplicate virtual device drivers that exist both in the Windows\System\Vmm32 folder and the VMM32.VXD file. In a case of duplicates, the driver in the Windows\System\Vmm32 directory will be loaded. </p><p>Windows 95 to 98 now query real mode drivers calling <a href="/w/index.php?title=INT_2Fh&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="INT 2Fh (page does not exist)">INT 2Fh</a> and search for drivers in registry entry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD marked to be loaded as an external file. Vmm32 then analyzes the [386 Enh] section of the Windows\System.ini file and loads drivers listed there. Some important drivers are loaded even if they are not listed in the <a href="/wiki/Windows_Registry" title="Windows Registry">Windows Registry</a>, <a href="/wiki/SYSTEM.INI" title="SYSTEM.INI">SYSTEM.INI</a> or in the Windows\System\Vmm32 directory. </p><p>Once the real-mode virtual device drivers are loaded, driver initialisation on Windows 95 and 98 occurs. Vmm32 then switches the CPU from <a href="/wiki/Real_mode" title="Real mode">real mode</a> to <a href="/wiki/Protected_mode" title="Protected mode">protected mode</a>. The next step is the initialisation of protected mode drivers, executed in three phases for each device: a critical part of initialisation (while interrupts are disabled), device initialisation (when file I/O is allowed) and InitComplete phase. After initialisation of the display driver, Windows switches to <a href="/w/index.php?title=Graphical_mode&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Graphical mode (page does not exist)">graphical mode</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Phase_6_-_Win32_initialisation">Phase 6 - Win32 initialisation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Phase 6 - Win32 initialisation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Once all of the drivers are loaded, the <a href="/wiki/Kernel32.dll" class="mw-redirect" title="Kernel32.dll">kernel32.dll</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Krnl386.exe&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Krnl386.exe (page does not exist)">krnl386.exe</a>, <a href="/wiki/Gdi32.dll" class="mw-redirect" title="Gdi32.dll">gdi32.dll</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Gdi.exe&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Gdi.exe (page does not exist)">gdi.exe</a>, <a href="/wiki/User32.dll" class="mw-redirect" title="User32.dll">user32.dll</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=User.exe&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="User.exe (page does not exist)">user.exe</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Shell32.dll&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Shell32.dll (page does not exist)">shell32.dll</a> and <a href="/wiki/Explorer.exe" class="mw-redirect" title="Explorer.exe">explorer.exe</a> files are loaded. The next step in the startup process is to load the <a href="/wiki/Computer_network" title="Computer network">network</a> environment. The user is prompted to log on to the network that is configured. When a user logs on, their desktop settings are loaded from the registry, or the desktop configuration uses a default desktop. Windows then starts programs defined in the <a href="/w/index.php?title=StartUp_folder&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="StartUp folder (page does not exist)">StartUp folder</a>, <a href="/wiki/WIN.INI" title="WIN.INI">WIN.INI</a> and programs defined in registry keys Run, RunOnce, RunServices and RunServicesOnce inside the branches HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\. After each program in the RunOnce registry key is started, the program is removed from the key. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Kernel">Kernel</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Kernel"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Windows 9x kernel is a 32-bit kernel with <a href="/wiki/Virtual_memory" title="Virtual memory">virtual memory</a>. Drivers are provided by <a href="/w/index.php?title=.VXD_files&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title=".VXD files (page does not exist)">.VXD files</a> or, since Windows 98, the newer <a href="/wiki/Windows_Driver_Model" title="Windows Driver Model">WDM</a> drivers can be used.<sup id="cite_ref-Microsoft_WDM_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Microsoft_WDM-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, the <a href="/wiki/MS-DOS" title="MS-DOS">MS-DOS</a> kernel stays resident in memory. Windows will use the old MS-DOS 16-bit drivers if they are installed, except on <a href="/wiki/Windows_Me" title="Windows Me">Windows Me</a>. In Windows Me, DOS is still running, but Windows will ignore any attempt to load its device drivers when parsing the AUTOEXEC.BAT, and will move the environment variables that it still recognizes from the CONFIG.SYS into the Windows Registry. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Architecture_of_Windows_NT" title="Architecture of Windows NT">Architecture of Windows NT</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Windows" title="Microsoft Windows">Microsoft Windows</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Caldera_v._Microsoft" class="mw-redirect" title="Caldera v. Microsoft">Caldera v. Microsoft</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/WinGlue" class="mw-redirect" title="WinGlue">WinGlue</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/FreeWin95" class="mw-redirect" title="FreeWin95">FreeWin95</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://winworldpc.com/product/windows-95/osr-2">"Windows 95 OSR 2"</a>. <i>WinWorld</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-07-31</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=WinWorld&rft.atitle=Windows+95+OSR+2&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwinworldpc.com%2Fproduct%2Fwindows-95%2Fosr-2&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Microsoft_WDM-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Microsoft_WDM_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMicrosoft2002" class="citation web cs1">Microsoft (2002-04-15). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130118011706/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/gg463453.aspx">"Windows Driver Model (WDM)"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/gg463453.aspx">the original</a> on 2013-01-18<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-05-27</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Windows+Driver+Model+%28WDM%29&rft.pub=Microsoft&rft.date=2002-04-15&rft.au=Microsoft&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fmsdn.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Flibrary%2Fwindows%2Fhardware%2Fgg463453.aspx&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSchulman1994" class="citation book cs1">Schulman, Andrew (November 1994). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/unauthorizedwind00schu"><i>Unauthorized Windows 95 - Developer's Resource Kit</i></a> (1st ed.). Foster City, California, USA: <a href="/wiki/John_Wiley_%26_Sons,_Inc." class="mw-redirect" title="John Wiley & Sons, Inc.">John Wiley & Sons, Inc.</a> <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-56884-305-4" title="Special:BookSources/1-56884-305-4"><bdi>1-56884-305-4</bdi></a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-56884-305-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-56884-305-6">978-1-56884-305-6</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Unauthorized+Windows+95+-+Developer%27s+Resource+Kit&rft.place=Foster+City%2C+California%2C+USA&rft.edition=1st&rft.pub=John+Wiley+%26+Sons%2C+Inc.&rft.date=1994-11&rft.isbn=1-56884-305-4&rft.aulast=Schulman&rft.aufirst=Andrew&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Funauthorizedwind00schu&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSchulmanBrownMaxeyMichels1994" class="citation book cs1">Schulman, Andrew; <a href="/wiki/Ralf_D._Brown" class="mw-redirect" title="Ralf D. Brown">Brown, Ralf D.</a>; Maxey, David; Michels, Raymond J.; Kyle, Jim (1994) [November 1993]. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/undocumenteddosp00andr_0"><i>Undocumented DOS: A programmer's guide to reserved MS-DOS functions and data structures - expanded to include MS-DOS 6, Novell DOS and Windows 3.1</i></a> (2 ed.). Reading, Massachusetts: <a href="/wiki/Addison_Wesley" class="mw-redirect" title="Addison Wesley">Addison Wesley</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-201-63287-X" title="Special:BookSources/0-201-63287-X"><bdi>0-201-63287-X</bdi></a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-201-63287-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-201-63287-3">978-0-201-63287-3</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Undocumented+DOS%3A+A+programmer%27s+guide+to+reserved+MS-DOS+functions+and+data+structures+-+expanded+to+include+MS-DOS+6%2C+Novell+DOS+and+Windows+3.1&rft.place=Reading%2C+Massachusetts&rft.edition=2&rft.pub=Addison+Wesley&rft.date=1994&rft.isbn=0-201-63287-X&rft.aulast=Schulman&rft.aufirst=Andrew&rft.au=Brown%2C+Ralf+D.&rft.au=Maxey%2C+David&rft.au=Michels%2C+Raymond+J.&rft.au=Kyle%2C+Jim&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fundocumenteddosp00andr_0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span> (xviii+856+vi pages, 3.5"-floppy) Errata: <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190417215556/http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/ralf/pub/books/UndocumentedDOS/errata.ud2">[1]</a><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190417212906/https://www.pcjs.org/pubs/pc/programming/Undocumented_DOS/#errata-2nd-edition">[2]</a></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPaul2002" class="citation web cs1">Paul, Matthias R. (2002-04-10). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://marc.info/?l=freedos-dev&m=101846072627263&w=4">"[fd-dev] HMA access from TSR"</a>. <i>freedos-dev</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.today/20170909125117/https://marc.info/?l=freedos-dev&m=101846072627263&w=4">Archived</a> from the original on 2017-09-09<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2017-09-09</span></span>. <q>[...] <a href="/wiki/MS-DOS_7.0" class="mw-redirect" title="MS-DOS 7.0">MS-DOS 7.0</a>+ [...] introduced a [...] for the most part undocumented RMD data structure usually located in the <a href="/wiki/High_memory_area" title="High memory area">HMA</a>. The kernel collects and records configuration and Real Mode Driver data during boot (type of driver, interrupts hooked by driver, <a href="/wiki/CONFIG.SYS" title="CONFIG.SYS">CONFIG.SYS</a> line of invocation, etc.) and stores this information in a [...] complicated [...] growing data structure. Presumably [...] meant to be used by the Windows core to get a better picture of the loaded Real Mode drivers [...] or even attempt to unhook or unload some of them, [...] it is only used to a very limited extent ([...] some of the info reflected in the log files created on [...] startup, and some parts of the [...] configuration manager also make use of it), [...] leaving room [...] beyond the technical side [...] because nothing of the interesting stuff is documented [...]</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=freedos-dev&rft.atitle=%5Bfd-dev%5D+HMA+access+from+TSR&rft.date=2002-04-10&rft.aulast=Paul&rft.aufirst=Matthias+R.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fmarc.info%2F%3Fl%3Dfreedos-dev%26m%3D101846072627263%26w%3D4&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPaul2002" class="citation newsgroup cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source">Paul, Matthias R. (2002-08-13). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://groups.google.com/d/msg/de.comp.lang.assembler.x86/boKnIpqPl-Q/ZLDFDX9E1e0J">"Suche freien Speicherbereich unterhalb von 1 MB, der nicht von OS überschrieben wird"</a> (in German). <a href="/wiki/Usenet_newsgroup" title="Usenet newsgroup">Newsgroup</a>: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="news:de.comp.lang.assembler.x86">de.comp.lang.assembler.x86</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.today/20170904001428/https://groups.google.com/forum/%23!msg/de.comp.lang.assembler.x86/boKnIpqPl-Q/ZLDFDX9E1e0J">Archived</a> from the original on 2017-09-04<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2017-09-03</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Suche+freien+Speicherbereich+unterhalb+von+1+MB%2C+der+nicht+von+OS+%C3%BCberschrieben+wird&rft.pub=de.comp.lang.assembler.x86&rft.date=2002-08-13&rft.aulast=Paul&rft.aufirst=Matthias+R.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsg%2Fde.comp.lang.assembler.x86%2FboKnIpqPl-Q%2FZLDFDX9E1e0J&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span> (NB. Also on MS-DOS 7+ HMA usage and \WINDOWS\IOS.LOG.)</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSweger2007" class="citation web cs1">Sweger, Kristofer (2007) [2002-07-15]. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sweger.com/ansiplus/TechNotesWindows.html">"ANSIPLUS and Windows"</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211128093722/http://www.sweger.com/ansiplus/TechNotesWindows.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2021-11-28<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2021-11-28</span></span>. <q>[…] ANSIPLUS's code cannot be loaded to the <a href="/wiki/High_memory_area" title="High memory area">HMA</a> under <a href="/wiki/MS-DOS_7" title="MS-DOS 7">MS-DOS 7</a> (Windows 9x only) because there apparently is not enough unused HMA memory available. […]</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=ANSIPLUS+and+Windows&rft.date=2007&rft.aulast=Sweger&rft.aufirst=Kristofer&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sweger.com%2Fansiplus%2FTechNotesWindows.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPaul2004" class="citation web cs1">Paul, Matthias R. (2004-06-17). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.today/20190428181749/https://fidonet.ozzmosis.com/echomail.php/alt_dos/e812a919c10339d0.html">"Re: Random Lockups with DR-DOS 7.03"</a>. <i>opendos@delorie.com; <a href="/wiki/FidoNet" title="FidoNet">FidoNet</a> conference: ALT_DOS</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://fidonet.ozzmosis.com/echomail.php/alt_dos/e812a919c10339d0.html">the original</a> on 2019-04-28<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-04-28</span></span>. <q>[...] all MS-DOS versions prior to Windows 95 [...] used a COM style COMMAND.COM file which has a special signature at the start of the file [...] queried by the MS-DOS BIOS before it loads the shell, but not by the DR-DOS BIOS [...] COMMAND.COM would [...] check that it is running on the "correct" DOS version, so if you would load their COMMAND.COM under DR-DOS, you would receive a "Bad version" error message and their COMMAND.COM would exit, so DR-DOS would [...] display an error message "Bad or missing command interpreter" (if DR-DOS was trying to load the SHELL= command processor after having finished CONFIG.SYS processing). In this case, you could enter the path to a valid DR-DOS COMMAND.COM (C:\DRDOS\COMMAND.COM) and everything was fine. Now, things have changed since MS-DOS 7.0 [...] COMMAND.COM has internally become an EXE style file, so there is no magic [...] signature [...] to check [...] thus no way for DR-DOS to rule out an incompatible COMMAND.COM. Further, their COMMAND.COM no longer does any version checks, but [...] does not work under DR-DOS [...] just crashes [...] the PC DOS COMMAND.COM works fine under DR-DOS [...]</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=opendos%40delorie.com%3B+FidoNet+conference%3A+ALT_DOS&rft.atitle=Re%3A+Random+Lockups+with+DR-DOS+7.03&rft.date=2004-06-17&rft.aulast=Paul&rft.aufirst=Matthias+R.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Ffidonet.ozzmosis.com%2Fechomail.php%2Falt_dos%2Fe812a919c10339d0.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="https://archive.today/20190501023329/http://www.delorie.com/opendos/archives/browse.cgi?p=opendos/2004/06/17/06:23:16">[3]</a><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="https://archive.today/20190428182007/http://www.fybertech.com/misc/qwkview/qwkview.pl?conf=3010">[4]</a></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKing1994" class="citation book cs1">King, Adrian (1994). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/insidewindows9500king"><i>Inside Microsoft Windows 95</i></a> (2nd ed.). Redmond, Washington, USA: <a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Press" title="Microsoft Press">Microsoft Press</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-55615-626-X" title="Special:BookSources/1-55615-626-X"><bdi>1-55615-626-X</bdi></a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55615-626-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55615-626-7">978-1-55615-626-7</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Inside+Microsoft+Windows+95&rft.place=Redmond%2C+Washington%2C+USA&rft.edition=2nd&rft.pub=Microsoft+Press&rft.date=1994&rft.isbn=1-55615-626-X&rft.aulast=King&rft.aufirst=Adrian&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Finsidewindows9500king&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=MLZQAAAAMAAJ"><i>Programmer's Guide to Microsoft Windows 95: Key Topics on Programming for Windows from the Microsoft Windows Development Team</i></a> (1st ed.). Redmond, Washington, USA: <a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Press" title="Microsoft Press">Microsoft Press</a>. 1995-07-01. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-55615-834-3" title="Special:BookSources/1-55615-834-3"><bdi>1-55615-834-3</bdi></a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55615-834-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55615-834-6">978-1-55615-834-6</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-05-26</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Programmer%27s+Guide+to+Microsoft+Windows+95%3A+Key+Topics+on+Programming+for+Windows+from+the+Microsoft+Windows+Development+Team&rft.place=Redmond%2C+Washington%2C+USA&rft.edition=1st&rft.pub=Microsoft+Press&rft.date=1995-07-01&rft.isbn=1-55615-834-3&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DMLZQAAAAMAAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span> <span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: </span><span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">|work=</code> ignored (<a href="/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#periodical_ignored" title="Help:CS1 errors">help</a>)</span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFOney1995" class="citation book cs1">Oney, Walter (1995). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/systemsprogrammi00oney"><i>Systems Programming for Windows 95</i></a> (1st ed.). Redmond, Washington, USA: <a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Press" title="Microsoft Press">Microsoft Press</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-55615-949-8" title="Special:BookSources/1-55615-949-8"><bdi>1-55615-949-8</bdi></a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-55615-949-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-55615-949-7">978-1-55615-949-7</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Systems+Programming+for+Windows+95&rft.place=Redmond%2C+Washington%2C+USA&rft.edition=1st&rft.pub=Microsoft+Press&rft.date=1995&rft.isbn=1-55615-949-8&rft.aulast=Oney&rft.aufirst=Walter&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fsystemsprogrammi00oney&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPietrek1995" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Matt_Pietrek" title="Matt Pietrek">Pietrek, Matt</a> (November 1995). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=E9Q7KAAACAAJ"><i>Windows 95 System Programming Secrets</i></a> (1st ed.). <a href="/wiki/John_Wiley_%26_Sons,_Inc." class="mw-redirect" title="John Wiley & Sons, Inc.">John Wiley & Sons, Inc.</a> <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-56884-318-6" title="Special:BookSources/1-56884-318-6"><bdi>1-56884-318-6</bdi></a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-156884-318-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-156884-318-6">978-156884-318-6</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-05-26</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Windows+95+System+Programming+Secrets&rft.edition=1st&rft.pub=John+Wiley+%26+Sons%2C+Inc.&rft.date=1995-11&rft.isbn=1-56884-318-6&rft.aulast=Pietrek&rft.aufirst=Matt&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DE9Q7KAAACAAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span> <span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: </span><span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">|work=</code> ignored (<a href="/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#periodical_ignored" title="Help:CS1 errors">help</a>)</span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHazzah1997" class="citation book cs1">Hazzah, Karen (1997). <i>Writing Windows VxDs and Device Drivers - Programming Secrets for Virtual Device Drivers</i> (2nd printing, 2nd ed.). Lawrence, Kansas, USA: <a href="/wiki/Miller_Freeman,_Inc." title="Miller Freeman, Inc.">Miller Freeman, Inc.</a> <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87930-438-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-87930-438-3"><bdi>0-87930-438-3</bdi></a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87930-438-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-87930-438-6">978-0-87930-438-6</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Writing+Windows+VxDs+and+Device+Drivers+-+Programming+Secrets+for+Virtual+Device+Drivers&rft.place=Lawrence%2C+Kansas%2C+USA&rft.edition=2nd+printing%2C+2nd&rft.pub=Miller+Freeman%2C+Inc.&rft.date=1997&rft.isbn=0-87930-438-3&rft.aulast=Hazzah&rft.aufirst=Karen&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMitchell1997" class="citation book cs1">Mitchell, Stan (1997-05-11). Schulman, Andrew (ed.). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=-3cZAQAAIAAJ"><i>Inside the Windows 95 File System</i></a> (1st ed.). Sebastopol, California, USA: <a href="/wiki/O%27Reilly_%26_Associates,_Inc." class="mw-redirect" title="O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.">O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.</a> <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-56592-200-X" title="Special:BookSources/1-56592-200-X"><bdi>1-56592-200-X</bdi></a>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-56592-200-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-56592-200-6">978-1-56592-200-6</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-05-26</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Inside+the+Windows+95+File+System&rft.place=Sebastopol%2C+California%2C+USA&rft.edition=1st&rft.pub=O%27Reilly+%26+Associates%2C+Inc.&rft.date=1997-05-11&rft.isbn=1-56592-200-X&rft.aulast=Mitchell&rft.aufirst=Stan&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D-3cZAQAAIAAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span> <span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: </span><span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">|work=</code> ignored (<a href="/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#periodical_ignored" title="Help:CS1 errors">help</a>)</span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Architecture_of_Windows_9x&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMicrosoft" class="citation web cs1">Microsoft. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc751120.aspx">"Windows 95 Architecture Components"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141017053409/http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc751120.aspx">Archived</a> from the original on 2014-10-17<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-05-27</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Windows+95+Architecture+Components&rft.pub=Microsoft&rft.au=Microsoft&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Ftechnet.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Flibrary%2Fcc751120.aspx&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMicrosoft2006" class="citation web cs1">Microsoft (2006-11-15). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/174018">"Description of the Windows 95 Startup Process"</a>. 1.1. <a href="/wiki/Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a>. Q174018. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140214111626/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/174018">Archived</a> from the original on 2014-02-14<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-05-27</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Description+of+the+Windows+95+Startup+Process&rft.series=1.1&rft.pub=Microsoft&rft.date=2006-11-15&rft.au=Microsoft&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fsupport.microsoft.com%2Fkb%2F174018&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMicrosoft2013" class="citation web cs1">Microsoft (2013-10-26). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140116075219/http://smallbusiness.support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/125867">"Understanding Win16Mutex"</a>. 5.0. <a href="/wiki/Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a>. KB125867. Q125867. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://smallbusiness.support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/125867">the original</a> on 2014-01-16<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-05-27</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Understanding+Win16Mutex&rft.series=5.0&rft.pub=Microsoft&rft.date=2013-10-26&rft.au=Microsoft&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fsmallbusiness.support.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fkb%2F125867&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AArchitecture+of+Windows+9x" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol 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title="Driver Verifier">Driver Verifier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Event_Viewer" title="Event Viewer">Event Viewer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/IExpress" title="IExpress">IExpress</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Management_Console" title="Microsoft Management Console">Management Console</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Netsh" title="Netsh">Netsh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Performance_Monitor" title="Performance Monitor">Performance Monitor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/PowerShell" title="PowerShell">PowerShell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Recovery_Console" title="Recovery Console">Recovery Console</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Resource_Monitor" title="Resource Monitor">Resource Monitor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Settings_(Windows)" title="Settings (Windows)">Settings</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sysprep" title="Sysprep">Sysprep</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSConfig" title="MSConfig">System Configuration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/System_File_Checker" title="System File Checker">System File Checker</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/System_Information_(Windows)" title="System Information (Windows)">System Information</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/System_Policy_Editor" title="System Policy Editor">System Policy Editor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/System_Restore" title="System Restore">System Restore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Task_Manager_(Windows)" title="Task Manager (Windows)">Task Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Error_Reporting" title="Windows Error Reporting">Windows Error Reporting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Ink" title="Windows Ink">Windows Ink</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Installer" title="Windows Installer">Windows Installer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Update" title="Windows Update">Windows Update</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Insider" title="Windows Insider">Windows Insider</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Preinstallation_Environment#Windows_Recovery_Environment" title="Windows Preinstallation Environment">WinRE</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Management_Instrumentation" title="Windows Management Instrumentation">WMI</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Application_software" title="Application software">Apps</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_3D_Viewer" title="Microsoft 3D Viewer">3D Viewer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Calculator" title="Windows Calculator">Calculator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Calendar_(Windows)" title="Calendar (Windows)">Calendar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Camera" title="Windows Camera">Camera</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Character_Map_(Windows)" title="Character Map (Windows)">Character Map</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Clipchamp" title="Clipchamp">Clipchamp</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Clock" title="Windows Clock">Clock</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Copilot" title="Microsoft Copilot">Copilot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Edge" title="Microsoft Edge">Edge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Fax_and_Scan" title="Windows Fax and Scan">Fax and Scan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Feedback_Hub" title="Feedback Hub">Feedback Hub</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Get_Help" title="Get Help">Get Help</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magnifier_(Windows)" title="Magnifier (Windows)">Magnifier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mail_(Windows)" title="Mail (Windows)">Mail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Maps" title="Windows Maps">Maps</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Media_Player" title="Windows Media Player">Media Player</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Media_Player_(2022)" title="Windows Media Player (2022)">2022</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Mesh" title="Microsoft Mesh">Mesh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Messaging" title="Microsoft Messaging">Messaging</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Mobility_Center" title="Windows Mobility Center">Mobility Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSN#Money" title="MSN">Money</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Movies_%26_TV" title="Microsoft Movies & TV">Movies & TV</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Narrator_(Windows)" title="Narrator (Windows)">Narrator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Notepad" title="Windows Notepad">Notepad</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/OneDrive" title="OneDrive">OneDrive</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_OneNote" title="Microsoft OneNote">OneNote</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Paint" title="Microsoft Paint">Paint</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/People_(Windows)" title="People (Windows)">People</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phone_Link" title="Phone Link">Phone Link</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Photos_(Windows)" title="Photos (Windows)">Photos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quick_Assist" title="Quick Assist">Quick Assist</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Remote_Desktop_Connection" class="mw-redirect" title="Remote Desktop Connection">Remote Desktop Connection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Skype" title="Skype">Skype</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Snipping_Tool" title="Snipping Tool">Snipping Tool</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Speech_Recognition" title="Windows Speech Recognition">Speech Recognition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSN#Sports" title="MSN">Sports</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Start" title="Microsoft Start">Start</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sticky_Notes" title="Sticky Notes">Sticky Notes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Store" title="Microsoft Store">Store</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Tips" title="Microsoft Tips">Tips</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sound_Recorder_(Windows)" title="Sound Recorder (Windows)">Voice Recorder</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSN#Weather" title="MSN">Weather</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Xbox_(app)" title="Xbox (app)">Xbox</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Windows_shell" title="Windows shell">Shell</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Action_Center" title="Action Center">Action Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Aero" title="Windows Aero">Aero</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/AutoPlay" title="AutoPlay">AutoPlay</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/AutoRun" title="AutoRun">AutoRun</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/ClearType" title="ClearType">ClearType</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_Explorer" title="File Explorer">Explorer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Search" title="Windows Search">Search</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/IFilter" title="IFilter">IFilter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indexing_Service" title="Indexing Service">Indexing Service</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Shell_namespace" title="Windows Shell namespace">Namespace</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Virtual_folder#Windows" title="Virtual folder">Saved search</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Special_folder" title="Special folder">Special folder</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Start_menu" title="Start menu">Start menu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Task_View" title="Task View">Task View</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Taskbar" title="Taskbar">Taskbar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Spotlight" title="Windows Spotlight">Windows Spotlight</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_XP_visual_styles" title="Windows XP visual styles">Windows XP visual styles</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Windows_service" title="Windows service">Services</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Background_Intelligent_Transfer_Service" title="Background Intelligent Transfer Service">BITS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Common_Log_File_System" title="Common Log File System">CLFS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Error_Reporting" title="Windows Error Reporting">Error Reporting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Multimedia_Class_Scheduler_Service" title="Multimedia Class Scheduler Service">Multimedia Class Scheduler</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Service_Control_Manager" title="Service Control Manager">Service Control Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shadow_Copy" title="Shadow Copy">Shadow Copy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Task_Scheduler" title="Windows Task Scheduler">Task Scheduler</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wireless_Zero_Configuration" title="Wireless Zero Configuration">Wireless Zero Configuration</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/File_system" title="File system">File systems</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/ISO_9660" title="ISO 9660">CDFS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Distributed_File_System_(Microsoft)" title="Distributed File System (Microsoft)">DFS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/ExFAT" title="ExFAT">exFAT</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_Allocation_Table" title="File Allocation Table">FAT</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Installable_File_System" title="Installable File System">IFS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NTFS" title="NTFS">NTFS</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Encrypting_File_System" title="Encrypting File System">EFS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hard_link" title="Hard link">Hard link</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NTFS_links" title="NTFS links">links</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NTFS_volume_mount_point" title="NTFS volume mount point">Mount Point</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NTFS_reparse_point" title="NTFS reparse point">Reparse point</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transactional_NTFS" title="Transactional NTFS">TxF</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/ReFS" title="ReFS">ReFS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Universal_Disk_Format" title="Universal Disk Format">UDF</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Server_(computing)" title="Server (computing)">Server</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Active_Directory" title="Active Directory">Active Directory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Active_Directory_Rights_Management_Services" title="Active Directory Rights Management Services">Active DRM Services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_Replication_Service" title="File Replication Service">DFS Replication</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Distributed_Transaction_Coordinator" title="Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator">Distributed Transaction Coordinator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_DNS" title="Microsoft DNS">DNS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_domain" title="Windows domain">Domains</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Folder_redirection" title="Folder redirection">Folder redirection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Group_Policy" title="Group Policy">Group Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hyper-V" title="Hyper-V">Hyper-V</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Internet_Information_Services" title="Internet Information Services">IIS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Message_Queuing" title="Microsoft Message Queuing">MSMQ</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Network_Access_Protection" title="Network Access Protection">Network Access Protection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Print_Services_for_UNIX" title="Print Services for UNIX">Print Services for UNIX</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Personal_Web_Server" title="Microsoft Personal Web Server">PWS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Remote_Desktop_Services" title="Remote Desktop Services">Remote Desktop Services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Remote_Differential_Compression" title="Remote Differential Compression">Remote Differential Compression</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Remote_Installation_Services" title="Remote Installation Services">Remote Installation Services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roaming_user_profile" title="Roaming user profile">Roaming user profiles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Server_Core" title="Server Core">Server Core</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/SharePoint" title="SharePoint">SharePoint</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_System_Resource_Manager" title="Windows System Resource Manager">System Resource Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Deployment_Services" title="Windows Deployment Services">Windows Deployment Services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Media_Services" title="Windows Media Services">Windows Media Services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_Update_Services" title="Windows Server Update Services">WSUS</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Software_architecture" title="Software architecture">Architecture</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Boot_Manager" title="Windows Boot Manager">Boot Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Console" title="Windows Console">Console</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Client/Server_Runtime_Subsystem" title="Client/Server Runtime Subsystem">CSRSS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Desktop_Window_Manager" title="Desktop Window Manager">Desktop Window Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Enhanced_Write_Filter" title="Enhanced Write Filter">Enhanced Write Filter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Graphics_Device_Interface" title="Graphics Device Interface">Graphics Device Interface</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Windows_library_files#Hardware_Abstraction_Layer" title="Microsoft Windows library files">Hardware Abstraction Layer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/I/O_request_packet" title="I/O request packet">I/O request packet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Imaging_Format" title="Windows Imaging Format">Imaging Format</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kernel_Transaction_Manager" title="Kernel Transaction Manager">Kernel Transaction Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Windows_library_files" title="Microsoft Windows library files">Library files</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Logical_Disk_Manager" title="Logical Disk Manager">Logical Disk Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Local_Security_Authority_Subsystem_Service" title="Local Security Authority Subsystem Service">LSASS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MinWin" title="MinWin">MinWin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NTLDR" title="NTLDR">NTLDR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ntoskrnl.exe" title="Ntoskrnl.exe">Ntoskrnl.exe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Object_Manager" title="Object Manager">Object Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Open_XML_Paper_Specification" title="Open XML Paper Specification">Open XML Paper Specification</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Portable_Executable" title="Portable Executable">Portable Executable</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dynamic-link_library" title="Dynamic-link library">DLL</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/.exe" title=".exe">EXE</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Registry" title="Windows Registry">Registry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Resource_Protection" title="Windows Resource Protection">Resource Protection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Security_Account_Manager" title="Security Account Manager">Security Account Manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Server_Message_Block" title="Server Message Block">Server Message Block</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shadow_Copy" title="Shadow Copy">Shadow Copy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Session_Manager_Subsystem" title="Session Manager Subsystem">SMSS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/System_Idle_Process" title="System Idle Process">System Idle Process</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_USER" title="Windows USER">USER</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Hardware_Error_Architecture" title="Windows Hardware Error Architecture">WHEA</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Winlogon" title="Winlogon">Winlogon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/WinUSB" title="WinUSB">WinUSB</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Security</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Security_and_Maintenance" title="Security and Maintenance">Security and Maintenance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/AppLocker" title="AppLocker">AppLocker</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/BitLocker" title="BitLocker">BitLocker</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Credential_Guard" title="Credential Guard">Credential Guard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_Execution_Prevention" class="mw-redirect" title="Data Execution Prevention">Data Execution Prevention</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Defender_Antivirus" title="Microsoft Defender Antivirus">Defender</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_family_features" title="Microsoft family features">Family features</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kernel_Patch_Protection" title="Kernel Patch Protection">Kernel Patch Protection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mandatory_Integrity_Control" title="Mandatory Integrity Control">Mandatory Integrity Control</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protected_Media_Path" title="Protected Media Path">Protected Media Path</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/User_Account_Control" title="User Account Control">User Account Control</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/User_Interface_Privilege_Isolation" title="User Interface Privilege Isolation">User Interface Privilege Isolation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Firewall" title="Windows Firewall">Windows Firewall</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Compatibility</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/COMMAND.COM" title="COMMAND.COM">COMMAND.COM</a></li> <li><a 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title="COM Structured Storage">COM Structured storage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Distributed_Component_Object_Model" title="Distributed Component Object Model">DCOM</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Object_Linking_and_Embedding" title="Object Linking and Embedding">OLE</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/OLE_Automation" title="OLE Automation">OLE Automation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Transaction_Server" title="Microsoft Transaction Server">Transaction Server</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/DirectX" title="DirectX">DirectX</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Native_API" title="Windows Native API">Native</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/.NET" title=".NET">.NET</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Universal_Windows_Platform" title="Universal Windows Platform">Universal Windows Platform</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_API" title="Windows API">WinAPI</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Mixed_Reality" title="Windows Mixed Reality">Windows Mixed Reality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Runtime" title="Windows Runtime">Windows Runtime</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/WinUSB" title="WinUSB">WinUSB</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Video_game" title="Video game">Games</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Solitaire_Collection" title="Microsoft Solitaire Collection">Solitaire Collection</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Surf_(video_game)" title="Surf (video game)">Surf</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Discontinued</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Games</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Full_Tilt!_Pinball#3D_Pinball_for_Windows_–_Space_Cadet" title="Full Tilt! Pinball">3D Pinball</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Chess_Titans" title="Chess Titans">Chess Titans</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_FreeCell" title="Microsoft FreeCell">FreeCell</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Hearts" title="Microsoft Hearts">Hearts</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Windows_Ultimate_Extras" title="Windows Ultimate Extras">Hold 'Em</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/InkBall" title="InkBall">InkBall</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Purble_Place" title="Purble Place">Purble Place</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Solitaire" title="Microsoft Solitaire">Solitaire</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Spider_Solitaire" title="Microsoft Spider Solitaire">Spider Solitaire</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Tinker" title="Microsoft Tinker">Tinker</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Apps</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/ActiveMovie" title="ActiveMovie">ActiveMovie</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Address_Book" title="Windows Address Book">Address Book</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Anytime_Upgrade" title="Windows Anytime Upgrade">Anytime Upgrade</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Backup_and_Restore" title="Backup and Restore">Backup and Restore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cardfile" title="Cardfile">Cardfile</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_CardSpace" title="Windows CardSpace">CardSpace</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/CD_Player_(Windows)" title="CD Player (Windows)">CD Player</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Chat" title="Windows Chat">Chat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Contacts" title="Windows Contacts">Contacts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cortana_(virtual_assistant)" title="Cortana (virtual assistant)">Cortana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Desktop_Gadgets" title="Windows Desktop Gadgets">Desktop Gadgets</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Diagnostics" title="Microsoft Diagnostics">Diagnostics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/DriveSpace" title="DriveSpace">DriveSpace</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_DVD_Maker" title="Windows DVD Maker">DVD Maker</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Easy_Transfer" title="Windows Easy Transfer">Easy Transfer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Fax" class="mw-redirect" title="Microsoft Fax">Fax</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSN_Food_%26_Drink" class="mw-redirect" title="MSN Food & Drink">Food & Drink</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Groove_Music" title="Groove Music">Groove Music</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSN_Health_%26_Fitness" class="mw-redirect" title="MSN Health & Fitness">Health & Fitness</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Help_and_Support_Center" class="mw-redirect" title="Help and Support Center">Help and Support Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/HyperACCESS" title="HyperACCESS">HyperTerminal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imaging_for_Windows" title="Imaging for Windows">Imaging</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Internet_Explorer" title="Internet Explorer">Internet Explorer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Journal" title="Windows Journal">Journal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Make_Compatible" title="Make Compatible">Make Compatible</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Media_Center" title="Windows Media Center">Media Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Meeting_Space" title="Windows Meeting Space">Meeting Space</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Messaging" title="Windows Messaging">Messaging</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Messenger" title="Windows Messenger">Messenger</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Mobile_Device_Center" title="Windows Mobile Device Center">Mobile Device Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Movie_Maker" title="Windows Movie Maker">Movie Maker</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSN_Dial-up" title="MSN Dial-up">MSN Dial-up</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_NetMeeting" title="Microsoft 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title="WinHelp">WinHelp</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/WordPad" title="WordPad">WordPad</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Write" title="Microsoft Write">Write</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Others</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Desktop_Cleanup_Wizard" title="Desktop Cleanup Wizard">Desktop Cleanup Wizard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_File_Protection" title="Windows File Protection">File Protection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Games_for_Windows" title="Games for Windows">Games for Windows</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/High_Performance_File_System" title="High Performance File System">HPFS</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interix" title="Interix">Interix</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_Control_Interface" title="Media Control Interface">Media Control Interface</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MS-DOS_7" title="MS-DOS 7">MS-DOS 7</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Next-Generation_Secure_Computing_Base" title="Next-Generation Secure Computing Base">Next-Generation Secure Computing Base</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_POSIX_subsystem" title="Microsoft POSIX subsystem">POSIX subsystem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_ScanDisk" title="Microsoft ScanDisk">ScanDisk</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Video_for_Windows" title="Video for Windows">Video for Windows</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Virtual_DOS_machine" title="Virtual DOS machine">Virtual DOS machine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_on_Windows" title="Windows on Windows">Windows on Windows</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Services_for_UNIX" title="Windows Services for UNIX">Windows Services for UNIX</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_SideShow" title="Windows SideShow">Windows SideShow</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_System_Assessment_Tool" title="Windows System Assessment Tool">Windows System Assessment Tool</a></li> <li><a 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