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.compact-ambox .hide-when-compact{display:none}</style><table class="box-Multiple_issues plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-multiple_issues compact-ambox" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/40px-Ambox_important.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/60px-Ambox_important.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/80px-Ambox_important.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="40" data-file-height="40" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span"><div class="multiple-issues-text mw-collapsible"><b>This article has multiple issues.</b> Please help <b><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows" title="Special:EditPage/Criticism of Microsoft Windows">improve it</a></b> or discuss these issues on the <b><a href="/wiki/Talk:Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows" title="Talk:Criticism of Microsoft Windows">talk page</a></b>. <small><i>(<a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove these messages</a>)</i></small> <div class="mw-collapsible-content"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-Unbalanced plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-unbalanced" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span class="skin-invert" typeof="mw:File"><span><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Unbalanced_scales.svg/45px-Unbalanced_scales.svg.png" decoding="async" width="45" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Unbalanced_scales.svg/68px-Unbalanced_scales.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Unbalanced_scales.svg/90px-Unbalanced_scales.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="400" data-file-height="354" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>may be <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view#Undue_weight" title="Wikipedia:Neutral point of view">unbalanced</a> toward certain viewpoints</b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please <a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows&action=edit">improve the article</a> by adding information on neglected viewpoints, or discuss the issue on the <a href="/wiki/Talk:Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows" title="Talk:Criticism of Microsoft Windows">talk page</a>.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">September 2011</span>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-Lead_too_short plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-lead_too_short" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6c/Wiki_letter_w.svg/40px-Wiki_letter_w.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6c/Wiki_letter_w.svg/60px-Wiki_letter_w.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6c/Wiki_letter_w.svg/80px-Wiki_letter_w.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="44" data-file-height="44" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article's <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Lead_section#Length" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section">lead section</a> <b>may be too short to adequately <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Summary_style" title="Wikipedia:Summary style">summarize</a> the key points</b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please consider expanding the lead to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Lead_section#Provide_an_accessible_overview" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section">provide an accessible overview</a> of all important aspects of the article.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">September 2016</span>)</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>The various versions of <a href="/wiki/Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a>'s desktop <a href="/wiki/Operating_system" title="Operating system">operating system</a>, <a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Windows" title="Microsoft Windows">Windows</a>, have received various criticisms since Microsoft's inception. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Data_collection">Data collection</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Data collection"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Concerns were shown by advocates and other critics for <a href="/wiki/Windows_10" title="Windows 10">Windows 10</a>'s privacy policies and its collection and use of customer data.<sup id="cite_ref-guardian-privacy_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guardian-privacy-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Under the default "Express" settings, Windows 10 is configured to send various information to Microsoft and other parties, including the collection of user contacts, calendar data, and "associated input data" to personalize "speech, typing, and inking input", typing and inking data to improve recognition, allow apps to use a unique "advertising ID" for analytics and advertising personalization (functionality introduced by Windows 8.1)<sup id="cite_ref-tnw-adid_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-tnw-adid-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and allow apps to request the user's location data and send this data to Microsoft and "trusted partners" to improve location detection (Windows 8 had similar settings, except that location <a href="/wiki/Data_collection" title="Data collection">data collection</a> did not include "trusted partners"). Users can opt out from most of this data collection,<sup id="cite_ref-guardian-privacy_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guardian-privacy-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-extremetech-privacysettings_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-extremetech-privacysettings-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but telemetry data for error reporting and usage is also sent to Microsoft, and this cannot be disabled on non-Enterprise versions of Windows 10.<sup id="cite_ref-extremetech-privacysettings_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-extremetech-privacysettings-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The use of <a href="/wiki/Cortana_(software)" class="mw-redirect" title="Cortana (software)">Cortana</a> <a href="/wiki/Intelligent_personal_assistant" class="mw-redirect" title="Intelligent personal assistant">intelligent personal assistant</a> also requires the collection of data "such as your device location, data from your calendar, the apps you use, data from your emails and text messages, who you call, your contacts and how often you interact with them on your device" to personalize its functionality.<sup id="cite_ref-guardian-privacy_1-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guardian-privacy-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-ars-w10newnormal_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ars-w10newnormal-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><i><a href="/wiki/Rock_Paper_Shotgun" title="Rock Paper Shotgun">Rock Paper Shotgun</a></i> writer Alec Meer argued that Microsoft's intent for this data collection lacked transparency, stating that "there is no world in which 45 pages of policy documents and opt-out settings split across 13 different Settings screens and an external website constitutes 'real transparency'."<sup id="cite_ref-guardian-privacy_1-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guardian-privacy-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <i>ExtremeTech</i> pointed out that, whilst previously <a href="/wiki/Scroogled" title="Scroogled">campaigning</a> against <a href="/wiki/Google" title="Google">Google</a> for similar data collection strategies, “[Microsoft] now hoovers up your data in ways that would make Google jealous."<sup id="cite_ref-extremetech-privacysettings_3-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-extremetech-privacysettings-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, it was also pointed out that the requirement for such vast usage of customer data had become a norm, citing the increased reliance on <a href="/wiki/Cloud_computing" title="Cloud computing">cloud computing</a> and other forms of external processing, as well as similar data collection requirements for services on mobile devices such as <a href="/wiki/Google_Now" title="Google Now">Google Now</a> and <a href="/wiki/Siri" title="Siri">Siri</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-guardian-privacy_1-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guardian-privacy-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-ars-w10newnormal_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ars-w10newnormal-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In August 2015, Russian politician <a href="/wiki/Nikolai_Levichev" title="Nikolai Levichev">Nikolai Levichev</a> called for Windows 10 to be banned from use by the <a href="/wiki/Government_of_Russia" title="Government of Russia">Russian government</a>, as it sends user data to servers in the United States (a federal law requiring all online services to store the data of Russian users on servers within the country, or be blocked, has taken effect September 2016).<sup id="cite_ref-cnet-datalaw_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-cnet-datalaw-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-bbc-datastoragelaw_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bbc-datastoragelaw-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Following the release of 10, allegations also surfaced that Microsoft had <a href="/wiki/Backporting" title="Backporting">backported</a> the operating system's increased data collection to <a href="/wiki/Windows_7" title="Windows 7">Windows 7</a> and <a href="/wiki/Windows_8" title="Windows 8">Windows 8</a> via "recommended" patches that added additional "telemetry" features. The updates' addition of a "Diagnostics Tracking Service" is connected specifically to Microsoft's existing Customer Experience Improvement Program (which is an opt-in program that sends additional diagnostic information to Microsoft for addressing issues), and the Application Insights service for third-party software.<sup id="cite_ref-ars-w7w8spying_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ars-w7w8spying-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The data collection functionality is capable of transmitting personal information, browsing history, the contents of emails, chat, video calls, voice mail, photos, documents, personal files<sup id="cite_ref-Telegraph-page_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Telegraph-page-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and keystrokes to Microsoft, for analysis, in accordance with the End User License Agreement.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The terms of services agreement from Microsoft was updated to state the following:<sup id="cite_ref-Telegraph-page_8-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Telegraph-page-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>We will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to protect our customers or enforce the terms governing the use of the services.</p></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Digital_rights_management">Digital rights management</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Digital rights management"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Digital_rights_management" title="Digital rights management">Digital rights management</a></div> <p>Right after the release of <a href="/wiki/Windows_Vista" title="Windows Vista">Windows Vista</a>, computer scientist <a href="/wiki/Peter_Gutmann_(computer_scientist)" title="Peter Gutmann (computer scientist)">Peter Gutmann</a> criticised the <a href="/wiki/Digital_rights_management" title="Digital rights management">digital rights management</a> (DRM) that had been included in Microsoft Windows to allow content providers to place restrictions on certain types of multimedia playback. He collected the criticism in a write-up he released in which he stated that:<sup id="cite_ref-Peter_Gutmann_DRM_page_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Peter_Gutmann_DRM_page-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>The DRM could inadvertently disable functionality.</li> <li>A <a href="/wiki/Hardware_functionality_scan" title="Hardware functionality scan">hardware functionality scan</a> requirement could potentially shut out <a href="/wiki/Open-source_hardware" title="Open-source hardware">open-source hardware</a>.</li> <li>The hardware architecture made unified drivers impossible.</li> <li>Some drivers were buggy.</li> <li>If one driver was found to be leaking content, Microsoft could remotely shut that driver down for all computers that used it, leading to denial of service problems.</li> <li>The DRM decreased system reliability and increased hardware costs.</li> <li>Software makers had to license unnecessary third-party <a href="/wiki/Intellectual_property" title="Intellectual property">intellectual property</a>, increasing the costs for their drivers.</li> <li>The DRM consumed too much CPU and device resources.</li></ul> <p>The analysis drew responses from Microsoft, who stated that these problematic features would only be activated when required by the content being played.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Other responses came from George Ou of ZDNet<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and Ed Bott of ZDNet.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Bott also published a three-part rebuttal of Gutmann's claims in which he details a number of factual errors in the analysis and criticizes Gutmann's reliance on questionable sources (personal blog postings, friends' anecdotal evidence, Google searches) for his analysis paper and that Gutmann never tested his theories himself.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>For Windows 7, allegations were also made about "draconian DRM" which spurred a debate and criticism on the website <i><a href="/wiki/Slashdot" title="Slashdot">Slashdot</a></i>. As with the claims about the overreaching Vista DRM, independent tech writers quickly dismissed the claims as faulty analysis. The actual problem which spurred the criticism turned out to be an unrelated problem experienced by a single user who tried to circumvent <a href="/wiki/Adobe_Creative_Suite" title="Adobe Creative Suite">Adobe Creative Suite</a> (CS) copy protection mechanisms by changing files. When it failed to work, the user concluded that it had to be the "draconian DRM" of Windows.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Integration_of_Internet_Explorer_into_Windows">Integration of Internet Explorer into Windows</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Integration of Internet Explorer into Windows"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Removal_of_Internet_Explorer" title="Removal of Internet Explorer">Removal of Internet Explorer</a></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/European_Union_Microsoft_competition_case" class="mw-redirect" title="European Union Microsoft competition case">European Union Microsoft competition case</a></div> <p>Windows is criticized for having the <a href="/wiki/Internet_Explorer" title="Internet Explorer">Internet Explorer</a> <a href="/wiki/Web_browser" title="Web browser">web browser</a> integrated into the <a href="/wiki/Windows_shell" title="Windows shell">Windows shell</a> from <a href="/wiki/Windows_98" title="Windows 98">Windows 98</a> onwards. Previously Internet Explorer was shipped as a separate application.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> One problem was that since the Explorer cannot be easily replaced with a product of another vendor, this undermines <a href="/wiki/Consumer_choice" title="Consumer choice">consumer choice</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This issue precipitated concerns that Microsoft engages in monopolistic practices and resulted in the <i><a href="/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp._(2001)" class="mw-redirect" title="United States v. Microsoft Corp. (2001)">United States v. Microsoft Corp.</a></i> court case, which was eventually settled out of court. </p><p>Another issue with the integration was that security vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer also create security vulnerabilities in Windows, which could allow an attacker to exploit Windows with <a href="/wiki/Arbitrary_code_execution" title="Arbitrary code execution">remote code execution</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-artmanion1_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-artmanion1-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In January 2009, the <a href="/wiki/European_Commission" title="European Commission">European Commission</a> started to investigate Microsoft's bundling of Internet Explorer into Windows; the Commission stated: "Microsoft's tying of Internet Explorer to the Windows operating system harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice."<sup id="cite_ref-IE_investigation_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-IE_investigation-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The European Commission and Microsoft eventually agreed that Microsoft would include a web browser choice selection screen to Windows users in the <a href="/wiki/European_Economic_Area" title="European Economic Area">European Economic Area</a>, by means of <a href="/wiki/BrowserChoice.eu" title="BrowserChoice.eu">BrowserChoice.eu</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Windows_10" title="Windows 10">Windows 10</a> includes Internet Explorer, but switched to <a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Edge" title="Microsoft Edge">Microsoft Edge</a> as the default browser. <a href="/wiki/Windows_11" title="Windows 11">Windows 11</a> removes Internet Explorer, outside of Edge's Internet Explorer mode for legacy applications. <sup id="cite_ref-IE_investigation_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-IE_investigation-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="NSA_backdoor_allegations">NSA backdoor allegations</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: NSA backdoor allegations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/NSAKEY" title="NSAKEY">_NSAKEY</a></div> <p>In 1999 Andrew Fernandez, chief scientist with Cryptonym of Morrisville, North Carolina, found a cryptographic <a href="/wiki/Public_key" class="mw-redirect" title="Public key">public key</a> stored in the variable <code>_KEY</code> and a second key labeled <code><a href="/wiki/NSAKEY" title="NSAKEY">_NSAKEY</a></code>.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The discovery lead to a flurry of speculation and <a href="/wiki/Conspiracy_theory" title="Conspiracy theory">conspiracy theories</a>; such as the second key could be owned by the United States <a href="/wiki/National_Security_Agency" title="National Security Agency">National Security Agency</a> (the NSA), and that it could allow the intelligence agency to subvert any Windows user's security. Also researcher Dr. Nicko van Someren discovered these cryptographic keys and a third key in the <code>ADVAPI.DLL</code> file<sup id="cite_ref-NSA_page_1_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NSA_page_1-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> which, at that time, existed in Windows 2000 before its release. Concerns were raised about <a href="/wiki/Central_processing_unit" title="Central processing unit">CPUs</a> with encrypted instruction sets which, if they existed during that time, would have made it impossible to discover the cryptographic keys.<sup id="cite_ref-NSA_page_1_25-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NSA_page_1-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Microsoft denied the allegations,<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> attributing the naming of the key to a technical review by the NSA pointing out a backup key was required to conform to regulations.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>No evidence other than the name of the key has ever been presented that the key enabled a <a href="/wiki/Backdoor_(computing)" title="Backdoor (computing)">backdoor</a>. </p><p>Cryptographer and computer security specialist <a href="/wiki/Bruce_Schneier" title="Bruce Schneier">Bruce Schneier</a> has also argued against the conspiracy theory<sup id="cite_ref-schneier_28-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-schneier-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> pointing out that if the NSA wanted a back door into Windows with Microsoft's consent, they would not need their own cryptographic key to do so. </p><p>The cryptographic keys have been included in all versions of Windows from Windows 95 OSR2 onwards.<sup id="cite_ref-NSA_page_1_25-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NSA_page_1-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Patch_time">Patch time</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Patch time"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In 2010, Google engineer <a href="/wiki/Tavis_Ormandy" title="Tavis Ormandy">Tavis Ormandy</a> criticized Microsoft for taking too long to <a href="/wiki/Patch_(computing)" title="Patch (computing)">patch</a> (fix) a reported security vulnerability in the Windows <a href="/wiki/Virtual_DOS_machine" title="Virtual DOS machine">virtual DOS machine</a> (VDM), which was patched 7 months after Mr. Ormandy reported it to Microsoft.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 2004, Marc Maiffret, chief hacking officer for security research firm eEye Digital Security, had criticized Microsoft for providing a security patch for the Windows <a href="/wiki/ASN.1" title="ASN.1">ASN.1</a> implementation only after 200 days.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Windows_rot">Windows rot</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Windows rot"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Google" title="Google">Google</a>, a Microsoft competitor, has criticized Windows for becoming slower and less reliable over long term use.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, writing for ZDNet, said that he believes that the slow-down over time<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> is due to loading too much software, loading duplicate software, installing too much free/trial/beta software, using old, outdated or incorrect drivers, installing new drivers without uninstalling the old ones and may also be due to <a href="/wiki/Malware" title="Malware">malware</a> and <a href="/wiki/Spyware" title="Spyware">spyware</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </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=Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft" title="Criticism of Microsoft">Criticism of Microsoft</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_XP" title="Criticism of Windows XP">Criticism of Windows XP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_Vista" title="Criticism of Windows Vista">Criticism of Windows Vista</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_10" title="Criticism of Windows 10">Criticism of Windows 10</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/DLL_Hell" class="mw-redirect" title="DLL Hell">DLL Hell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface#Secure_Boot_criticism" class="mw-redirect" title="Unified Extensible Firmware Interface">UEFI secure boot criticism</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=Criticism_of_Microsoft_Windows&action=edit&section=8" 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 reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 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.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 id="CITEREFHern2015" class="citation news cs1">Hern, Alex (August 1, 2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/windows-10-microsoft-faces-criticism-over-privacy-default-settings">"Windows 10: Microsoft under attack 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">April 20,</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=CNET&rft.atitle=200+days+to+fix+a+broken+Windows&rft.date=2004-02-13&rft.aulast=Lemos&rft.aufirst=Robert&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnet.com%2Fnews%2F200-days-to-fix-a-broken-windows%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACriticism+of+Microsoft+Windows" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKeyzer2011" class="citation web cs1">Keyzer, Greg (2011). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200812092806/http://www.pcworld.com/article/168240/googles_top_five_jabs_at_microsoft.html">"Google's Top Five Jabs at Microsoft"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Computer_World" title="Computer World">Computer World</a></i>. <a href="/wiki/PC_World_(magazine)" class="mw-redirect" title="PC World (magazine)">PC World</a>. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">January 27,</span> 2022</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Computer+World&rft.atitle=Google%27s+Top+Five+Jabs+at+Microsoft&rft.date=2011&rft.aulast=Keyzer&rft.aufirst=Greg&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pcworld.com%2Farticle%2F168240%2Fgoogles_top_five_jabs_at_microsoft.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACriticism+of+Microsoft+Windows" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Optimize-Windows-7-for-better-performance">"Optimize Windows 7 for better performance"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Thompson</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Emma_Walmsley" title="Emma Walmsley">Emma Walmsley</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Padmasree_Warrior" title="Padmasree Warrior">Padmasree Warrior</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Senior leadership team</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/Satya_Nadella" title="Satya Nadella">Satya Nadella</a> (CEO)</li> <li>Takeshi Numoto (CMO)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scott_Guthrie" title="Scott Guthrie">Scott Guthrie</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carolina_Dybeck_Happe" title="Carolina Dybeck Happe">Carolina Dybeck Happe</a> (COO)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Amy_Hood" title="Amy Hood">Amy Hood</a> (CFO)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kevin_Scott_(computer_scientist)" title="Kevin Scott (computer scientist)">Kevin Scott</a> (CTO)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Brad_Smith_(American_lawyer)" title="Brad Smith (American lawyer)">Brad Smith</a> (CLO)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Harry_Shum" title="Harry Shum">Harry Shum</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phil_Spencer_(business_executive)" title="Phil Spencer (business executive)">Phil Spencer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kathleen_Hogan" title="Kathleen Hogan">Kathleen Hogan</a> (CPO)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Corporate VPs</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/Joe_Belfiore" title="Joe Belfiore">Joe Belfiore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Richard_Rashid" title="Richard Rashid">Richard Rashid</a> (SVP)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Cernuda" title="César Cernuda">César Cernuda</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Employee groups</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/Global_LGBTQIA%2B_Employee_%26_Allies_at_Microsoft" title="Global LGBTQIA+ Employee & Allies at Microsoft">Global LGBTQIA+ Employee & Allies at Microsoft</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_and_unions" title="Microsoft and unions">Microsoft and unions</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Products</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%"><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_hardware" title="Microsoft hardware">Hardware</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/Azure_Kinect" title="Azure Kinect">Azure Kinect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_HoloLens" title="Microsoft 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Basic</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/C_Sharp_(programming_language)" title="C Sharp (programming language)">C#</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/C/AL" title="C/AL">C/AL a.k.a. Navision Attain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/F_Sharp_(programming_language)" title="F Sharp (programming language)">F#</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Visual_Programming_Language" title="Microsoft Visual Programming Language">MVPL</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Power_Fx" title="Microsoft Power Fx">Power Fx</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/PowerShell" title="PowerShell">PowerShell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Q_Sharp" title="Q Sharp">Q#</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transact-SQL" title="Transact-SQL">Transact-SQL</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/TypeScript" title="TypeScript">TypeScript</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Visual_J%2B%2B" title="Visual J++">Visual J++</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Visual_J_Sharp" title="Visual J Sharp">Visual J#</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Web properties</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/Microsoft_Azure" title="Microsoft Azure">Azure</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Bing" title="Microsoft Bing">Bing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Copilot" title="Microsoft Copilot">Copilot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/GitHub" title="GitHub">GitHub</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Learn" title="Microsoft Learn">Learn</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Channel_9_(Microsoft)" title="Channel 9 (Microsoft)">Channel 9</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Developer_Network" title="Microsoft Developer Network">Developer Network</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_TechNet" title="Microsoft TechNet">TechNet</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/LinkedIn" title="LinkedIn">LinkedIn</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/LinkedIn_Learning" title="LinkedIn Learning">LinkedIn Learning</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSN" title="MSN">MSN</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outlook.com" title="Outlook.com">Outlook.com</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Store" title="Microsoft Store">Store</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Translator" title="Microsoft Translator">Translator</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Company</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%">Conferences</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_Build" title="Microsoft Build">Build</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Ignite" title="Microsoft Ignite">Ignite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Inspire" title="Microsoft Inspire">Inspire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MIX_(Microsoft)" title="MIX (Microsoft)">MIX</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Professional_Developers_Conference" title="Professional Developers Conference">PDC</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Hardware_Engineering_Conference" title="Windows Hardware Engineering Conference">WinHEC</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Divisions</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/.NET_Foundation" title=".NET Foundation">.NET Foundation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Digital_Crimes_Unit" title="Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit">Digital Crimes Unit</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_engineering_groups" title="Microsoft engineering groups">Engineering groups</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Mobile" title="Microsoft Mobile">Mobile</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Skype_Technologies" title="Skype Technologies">Skype unit</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Gaming" title="Microsoft Gaming">Gaming</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Activision_Blizzard" title="Activision Blizzard">Activision Blizzard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Xbox_Game_Studios" title="Xbox Game Studios">Xbox Game Studios</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/ZeniMax_Media" title="ZeniMax Media">ZeniMax Media</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Garage" title="Microsoft Garage">Garage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outercurve_Foundation" title="Outercurve Foundation">Outercurve Foundation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Press" title="Microsoft Press">Press</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Research" title="Microsoft Research">Research</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Store_(retail)" title="Microsoft Store (retail)">Retail stores</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Estates</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_campus" title="Microsoft campus">Microsoft campus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Egypt" class="mw-redirect" title="Microsoft Egypt">Microsoft Egypt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_India" title="Microsoft India">Microsoft India</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Japan" title="Microsoft Japan">Microsoft Japan</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Campaigns</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/Where_do_you_want_to_go_today%3F" title="Where do you want to go today?">Where do you want to go today?</a>" (1994)</li> <li>"<a href="/wiki/Champagne_(advertisement)" title="Champagne (advertisement)">Champagne</a>" (2002)</li> <li>"<a href="/wiki/Mojave_Experiment" title="Mojave Experiment">Mojave Experiment</a>" (2006)</li> <li>"<a href="/wiki/I%27m_a_PC" title="I'm a PC">I'm a PC</a>" (2008)</li> <li>"<a href="/wiki/Scroogled" title="Scroogled">Scroogled</a>" (2012)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Microsoft" title="Criticism of Microsoft">Criticism</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/Bundling_of_Microsoft_Windows" title="Bundling of Microsoft Windows">Bundling of Microsoft Windows</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Office_Assistant" title="Office Assistant">Clippy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/ILoo#Reaction" title="ILoo">iLoo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Internet_Explorer#Security_vulnerabilities" title="Internet Explorer">Internet Explorer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Bob" title="Microsoft Bob">Microsoft Bob</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NSAKEY" title="NSAKEY">_NSAKEY</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Windows</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_XP" title="Criticism of Windows XP">XP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_Vista" title="Criticism of Windows Vista">Vista</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_10" title="Criticism of Windows 10">10</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_litigation" title="Microsoft litigation">Litigation</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/Alcatel-Lucent_v._Microsoft_Corp." title="Alcatel-Lucent v. Microsoft Corp.">Alcatel-Lucent v. Microsoft</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Apple_Computer,_Inc._v._Microsoft_Corp." title="Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp.">Apple v. Microsoft</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission" title="Microsoft Corp. v. Commission">Microsoft v. Commission</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/FTC_v._Microsoft" title="FTC v. Microsoft">FTC v. Microsoft</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Lindows.com,_Inc." title="Microsoft Corp. v. Lindows.com, Inc.">Microsoft v. Lindows</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_v._MikeRoweSoft" title="Microsoft v. MikeRoweSoft">Microsoft v. MikeRoweSoft</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Shah" title="Microsoft Corp. v. Shah">Microsoft v. Shah</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp." title="United States v. Microsoft Corp.">United States v. Microsoft</a></i> (2001 antitrust case)</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._United_States" title="Microsoft Corp. v. United States">Microsoft v. United States</a></i> (2018 data privacy case)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_Microsoft" title="List of mergers and acquisitions by Microsoft">Acquisitions</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/Wunderlist" title="Wunderlist">6Wunderkinder</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Access_Software" title="Access Software">Access Software</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Acompli" title="Acompli">Acompli</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Activision_Blizzard" title="Activision Blizzard">Activision Blizzard</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acquisition_of_Activision_Blizzard_by_Microsoft" title="Acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft">acquisition</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Altamira_Software" title="Altamira Software">Altamira Software</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/AltspaceVR" title="AltspaceVR">AltspaceVR</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/AQuantive" title="AQuantive">aQuantive</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Amalga" title="Microsoft Amalga">Azyxxi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mixer_(service)" title="Mixer (service)">Beam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Blue_Ribbon_SoundWorks" title="The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks">The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bungie" title="Bungie">Bungie</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Clipchamp" title="Clipchamp">Clipchamp</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Colloquis" title="Colloquis">Colloquis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Compulsion_Games" title="Compulsion Games">Compulsion Games</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Connectix" title="Connectix">Connectix</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Consumers_Software" title="Consumers Software">Consumers Software</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Danger,_Inc." title="Danger, Inc.">Danger</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Double_Fine" title="Double Fine">Double Fine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSN_Travel" title="MSN Travel">Farecast</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/FASA_Studio" title="FASA Studio">FASA Studio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Development_Center_Norway" title="Microsoft Development Center Norway">Fast Search & Transfer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Firefly_(website)" title="Firefly (website)">Firefly</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Forethought,_Inc." title="Forethought, Inc.">Forethought</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Defender_Antivirus" title="Microsoft Defender Antivirus">GIANT Company Software</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/GitHub" title="GitHub">GitHub</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Great_Plains_Software" title="Great Plains Software">Great Plains Software</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/GreenButton" title="GreenButton">GreenButton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Groove_Networks" title="Groove Networks">Groove Networks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Havok_(company)" title="Havok (company)">Havok Group</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/High_Heat_Major_League_Baseball" title="High Heat Major League Baseball">High Heat Major League Baseball</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outlook.com" title="Outlook.com">Hotmail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/InXile_Entertainment" title="InXile Entertainment">inXile Entertainment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jellyfish.com" title="Jellyfish.com">Jellyfish.com</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/LinkedIn" title="LinkedIn">LinkedIn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/LinkExchange" title="LinkExchange">LinkExchange</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lionhead_Studios" title="Lionhead Studios">Lionhead Studios</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maluuba" title="Maluuba">Maluuba</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Massive_Incorporated" title="Massive Incorporated">Massive Incorporated</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metaswitch" title="Metaswitch">Metaswitch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MileIQ" title="MileIQ">Mobile Data Labs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mojang_Studios" title="Mojang Studios">Mojang Studios</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ninja_Theory" title="Ninja Theory">Ninja Theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Mobile" title="Microsoft Mobile">Nokia Devices and Services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Npm" title="Npm">npm</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nuance_Communications" title="Nuance Communications">Nuance Communications</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Obsidian_Entertainment" title="Obsidian Entertainment">Obsidian Entertainment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Live_Toolbar#Onfolio" title="Windows Live Toolbar">Onfolio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pando_Networks" title="Pando Networks">Pando Networks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perceptive_Pixel" title="Perceptive Pixel">Perceptive Pixel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/PlaceWare" title="PlaceWare">PlaceWare</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Playground_Games" title="Playground Games">Playground Games</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Powerset_(company)" title="Powerset (company)">Powerset</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Press_Play_(company)" title="Press Play (company)">Press Play</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/ProClarity" title="ProClarity">ProClarity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rare_(company)" title="Rare (company)">Rare</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Revolution_Analytics" title="Revolution Analytics">Revolution Analytics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/RiskIQ" title="RiskIQ">RiskIQ</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/ScreenTonic" class="mw-redirect" title="ScreenTonic">ScreenTonic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Secure_Islands" class="mw-redirect" title="Secure Islands">Secure Islands</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Simplygon" title="Simplygon">Simplygon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Skype_Technologies" title="Skype Technologies">Skype</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sunrise_Calendar" title="Sunrise Calendar">Sunrise Atelier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_SwiftKey" title="Microsoft SwiftKey">SwiftKey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/TakeLessons" title="TakeLessons">TakeLessons</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Teleo" title="Teleo">Teleo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tellme_Networks" title="Tellme Networks">Tellme Networks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Twisted_Pixel_Games" title="Twisted Pixel Games">Twisted Pixel Games</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Undead_Labs" title="Undead Labs">Undead Labs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vermeer_Technologies" title="Vermeer Technologies">Vermeer Technologies</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Visio_Corporation" title="Visio Corporation">Visio Corporation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Flux_(graphics_software)" title="Flux (graphics software)">Vivaty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/VoloMetrix" title="VoloMetrix">VoloMetrix</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/NetShow" title="NetShow">VXtreme</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/MSN_TV" title="MSN TV">WebTV Networks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sysinternals" title="Sysinternals">Winternals Software</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Xamarin" title="Xamarin">Xamarin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Xandr" title="Xandr">Xandr</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/AppNexus" title="AppNexus">AppNexus</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yammer" class="mw-redirect" title="Yammer">Yammer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yupi" title="Yupi">Yupi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/ZeniMax_Media" title="ZeniMax Media">ZeniMax Media</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Category:Microsoft" title="Category:Microsoft">Category</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Microsoft_Windows" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Microsoft_Windows_family" title="Template:Microsoft Windows family"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Microsoft_Windows_family" title="Template talk:Microsoft Windows family"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Microsoft_Windows_family" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Microsoft Windows family"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Microsoft_Windows" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Windows" title="Microsoft Windows">Microsoft Windows</a></div></th></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_Windows_components" title="List of Microsoft Windows components">Components</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_Windows_versions" title="List of Microsoft Windows versions">Versions</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Windows_version_history" title="Microsoft Windows version history">History</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Comparison_of_Microsoft_Windows_versions" title="Comparison of Microsoft Windows versions">Comparison</a></li></ul></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Criticism</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/DOS" title="DOS">DOS</a>-based</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_1.0" title="Windows 1.0">1.0</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_2.0" title="Windows 2.0">2.0</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_2.1" title="Windows 2.1">2.1</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_3.0" title="Windows 3.0">3.0</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_3.1" title="Windows 3.1">3.1</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Windows_9x" title="Windows 9x">Windows 9x</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/Windows_95" title="Windows 95">95</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_98" title="Windows 98">98</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Me" title="Windows Me">Me</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Windows_NT" title="Windows NT">Windows NT</a></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%">Base <br /> releases</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_NT_3.1" title="Windows NT 3.1">NT 3.1</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_NT_3.5" title="Windows NT 3.5">NT 3.5</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_NT_3.51" title="Windows NT 3.51">NT 3.51</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_NT_4.0" title="Windows NT 4.0">NT 4.0</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_2000" title="Windows 2000">2000</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_XP" title="Windows XP">XP</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Windows_XP_Professional_x64_Edition" title="Windows XP Professional x64 Edition">Pro x64</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_XP_Media_Center_Edition" title="Windows XP Media Center Edition">Media Center</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Vista" title="Windows Vista">Vista</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_7" title="Windows 7">7</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_8" title="Windows 8">8</a> / <a href="/wiki/Windows_8.1" title="Windows 8.1">8.1</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_10" title="Windows 10">10</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_11" title="Windows 11">11</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server" title="Windows Server">Windows <br /> 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/Windows_Server_2003" title="Windows Server 2003">Server 2003</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Home_Server" title="Windows Home Server">Home Server</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_2008" title="Windows Server 2008">Server 2008</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Essential_Business_Server_2008" title="Windows Essential Business Server 2008">EBS 2008</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_HPC_Server_2008" title="Windows HPC Server 2008">HPC Server 2008</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_2008_R2" title="Windows Server 2008 R2">Server 2008 R2</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Home_Server_2011" title="Windows Home Server 2011">Home Server 2011</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_2012" title="Windows Server 2012">Server 2012</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_2012_R2" title="Windows Server 2012 R2">Server 2012 R2</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_2016" title="Windows Server 2016">Server 2016</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_2019" title="Windows Server 2019">Server 2019</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_2022" title="Windows Server 2022">Server 2022</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_2025" title="Windows Server 2025">Server 2025</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other <br /> releases</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_Fundamentals_for_Legacy_PCs" title="Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs">Fundamentals for Legacy PCs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_RT" title="Windows RT">RT</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Specialized</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/Windows_Preinstallation_Environment" title="Windows Preinstallation Environment">Preinstallation Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_MultiPoint_Server" title="Windows MultiPoint Server">MultiPoint Server</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Windows_IoT" title="Windows IoT">Windows <br /> Embedded / <br /> Windows IoT</a></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%"><a href="/wiki/Windows_Embedded_Compact" title="Windows Embedded Compact">Embedded <br /> Compact</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_CE_5.0" title="Windows CE 5.0">CE 5.0</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Embedded_CE_6.0" title="Windows Embedded CE 6.0">Embedded CE 6.0</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Embedded_Compact_7" title="Windows Embedded Compact 7">Embedded Compact 7</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other</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/Windows_Embedded_Automotive" title="Windows Embedded Automotive">Embedded Automotive</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Embedded_Industry" title="Windows Embedded Industry">Embedded Industry</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Windows_Mobile" title="Windows Mobile">Windows Mobile</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/Pocket_PC_2000" title="Pocket PC 2000">Pocket PC 2000</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pocket_PC_2002" title="Pocket PC 2002">Pocket PC 2002</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Mobile_2003" title="Windows Mobile 2003">Mobile 2003</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Mobile_5.0" title="Windows Mobile 5.0">Mobile 5.0</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Mobile_6.0" title="Windows Mobile 6.0">Mobile 6.0</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Mobile_6.1" title="Windows Mobile 6.1">Mobile 6.1</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Mobile_6.5" title="Windows Mobile 6.5">Mobile 6.5</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Windows_Phone" title="Windows Phone">Windows Phone</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/Windows_Phone_7" title="Windows Phone 7">Phone 7</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Phone_8" title="Windows Phone 8">Phone 8</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Phone_8.1" title="Windows Phone 8.1">Phone 8.1</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_10_Mobile" title="Windows 10 Mobile">10 Mobile</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Cancelled</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/Cairo_(operating_system)" title="Cairo (operating system)">Cairo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Nashville" title="Windows Nashville">Nashville</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Neptune" title="Windows Neptune">Neptune</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Odyssey" title="Windows Odyssey">Odyssey</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Polaris" class="mw-redirect" title="Windows Polaris">Polaris</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_10X" title="Windows 10X">10X</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Development <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Development_of_Windows_95" title="Development of Windows 95">95</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Development_of_Windows_XP" title="Development of Windows XP">XP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Development_of_Windows_Vista" title="Development of Windows Vista">Vista</a></li></ul></li> <li>Editions <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Windows_XP_editions" title="Windows XP editions">XP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Vista_editions" title="Windows Vista editions">Vista</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_7_editions" title="Windows 7 editions">7</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_8_editions" title="Windows 8 editions">8</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_10_editions" title="Windows 10 editions">10</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_11_editions" class="mw-redirect" title="Windows 11 editions">11</a></li></ul></li> <li>New features <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_XP" title="Features new to Windows XP">XP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_Vista" title="Features new to Windows Vista">Vista</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_7" title="Features new to Windows 7">7</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_8" title="Features new to Windows 8">8</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_10" title="Features new to Windows 10">10</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_11" title="Features new to Windows 11">11</a></li></ul></li> <li>Removed features <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_features_removed_in_Windows_XP" title="List of features removed in Windows XP">XP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_features_removed_in_Windows_Vista" title="List of features removed in Windows Vista">Vista</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_features_removed_in_Windows_7" title="List of features removed in Windows 7">7</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_features_removed_in_Windows_8" title="List of features removed in Windows 8">8</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_features_removed_in_Windows_10" title="List of features removed in Windows 10">10</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_features_removed_in_Windows_11" title="List of features removed in Windows 11">11</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Windows_version_history" title="Microsoft Windows version history">Version history</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Phone_version_history" title="Windows Phone version history">Phone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_10_version_history" title="Windows 10 version history">10</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_10_Mobile_version_history" title="Windows 10 Mobile version history">10 Mobile</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_11_version_history" title="Windows 11 version history">11</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Comparison_of_Microsoft_Windows_versions" title="Comparison of Microsoft Windows versions">Version comparison</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Comparison_of_Windows_Vista_and_Windows_XP" title="Comparison of Windows Vista and Windows XP">Vista and XP</a></li></ul></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Criticism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_XP" title="Criticism of Windows XP">XP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_Vista" title="Criticism of Windows Vista">Vista</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_10" title="Criticism of Windows 10">10</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_for_Pen_Computing" title="Windows for Pen Computing">Windows for Pen Computing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Plus!" title="Microsoft Plus!">Microsoft Plus!</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microsoft_PowerToys" title="Microsoft PowerToys">Microsoft PowerToys</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Windows_Server_Essentials" title="Windows Server Essentials">Windows Server Essentials</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="List-Class article"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/db/Symbol_list_class.svg/16px-Symbol_list_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" 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