Microsoft Windows stands for 'Microsoft- Wide Interactive Network Development for Office Work Solution.' Microsoft Windows is a series of graphical interface operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Microsoft. Users can easily interact with the windows programs or applications by selecting suitable options, using the mouse, or entering characters through the keyboard.
Versions of MS-Windows
Some essential versions of MS Windows are as follows
Windows NT (New Technology)
A version of Windows was introduced in July 1993 and made specifically for businesses. It offers better control over workstation capabilities to help network administrators. Some essential features of Windows NT are organized as follows
- It is based on High-Level Language.
- It can run on DOS, Windows 3, and Win 32 applications.
- It has 32-bit Windows applications.
- It provides higher stability and security.
Windows 95
It is a graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on 24th August 1995 by Microsoft. Some essential features of Windows 95 are organized as follows
- It is mixed of 16-bit/32-bit Windows operating systems.
- It is consumer-oriented.
- It supports the FAT32 file system, multi-display, Web TV, and Internet Explorer.
Windows 98
It was developed in 1998. This was produced in two main versions. The first Windows 98 version was plagued with programming errors, but the Windows 98 second edition came out later and was much better, with many errors resolved. Some essential features of Windows 98 are organized as follows
- It supports Internet Explorer 4.0.1.
- Windows 98 was the first operating system to use the Windows Driver Model (WDM).
- It includes a FAT32 converter utility for converting FAT16 drives to FAT32 without formatting the partition.
- It also supports many peripheral devices (USB, DVD, etc.).
Windows ME
Windows ME (Millennium Edition) launched in June 2000, but it has been historically plagued with programming errors which may be frustrating for home users. Some essential features of Windows ME are organized as follows
- It is designed for a single CPU.
- It supports eight or more CPUs (the maximum 32 CPU).
- The minimum internal storage is 64MB, and the maximum is 4GB.
- It introduced the Multilingual User Interface (MUI).
Windows XP
It is an OS produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers. Microsoft released Windows XP on 25th October 2001. Some versions of Windows XP are as follows.
- Windows XP Home edition is a version for home users.
- Windows XP Professional is made for business users.
- It has various users with independent profiles.
- It has 3.75 GB of free space on the disk, and the total disk size is 19.5 GB.
- At least 64 MB of RAM internal storage. (iv) It provides 1.5 GB of available space on the hard disk.
- It includes a video adapter and monitors with Super VGA (Video Graphics Array) or higher resolution.
- It supports a sound card, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM drive, speakers, or headphones.
Windows Vista
It is an operating system developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs. It was released worldwide on 30th January 2007. Some essential features of Windows Vista are organized as follows
- Pentium 4, higher, 512MB RAM, 32 MB video card, and 40 GB hard disk can be installed.
- It enhances the features of visual style.
Windows 7
It is an OS released by Microsoft on 22nd October 2009. It is an upgrade of Windows XP and Vista. It does not include some standard applications like Windows Movie Maker, Windows Mail, etc. Some essential features of Windows 7 are organized as follows
- It supports a 64-bit processor.
- It provides touch, speech, and handwriting recognition.
- It supports playback of media in MP4.
- It includes the Windows Bio-metric framework.
- It provides multiple firewalls.
Windows 8
It is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft and released on 26th October 2012. Some essential features of Windows 8 are organized as follows
- It is a 64-bit logical CPU.
- It provides 3D Graphic support and Internet Explorer-10.
- It is based on Microsoft's Metro design language.
- It supports emerging technologies like USB 3.0 and cloud computing.
Windows 10
It is a personal computer operating system developed and released by Microsoft on 29th July 2015. Some essential features of Windows 10 are organized as follows
- It is easy to use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
- Windows 10 will also include a 'game DVR' mode to allow recordings of the last 30 seconds of play, all the better for social gaming.
- Windows 10 interface adapts based on the hardware it is running on.
Windows 11
- A sleeker, more productive design
- Snap Layout, Snap Groups, brings next-level Task Switching.
- A better gaming experience
- Faster, personalized news for all
- A brand new Microsoft Store
- Android apps are coming to Microsoft Store
- Faster connectivity with Microsoft Teams
- Windows 11 will get just one annual Feature Update per year
Desktop
When we turn ON the computer, the first screen, which will be displayed on the computer, is known as a desktop. The background image of the desktop is called wallpaper. A cursor is a small arrow or blinking symbol moving on the desktop. The desktop contains the Start menu, Taskbar, icons, gadgets, etc. Some essential components of the desktop are organized as follows
Icons
A small image of a program, shown on the desktop with a program name, is known as an icon. Icons are small pictures representing files, folders, programs, and other items.
Users can open these programs by double click on icons. If you move an icon on your desktop, this is called 'dragging,' and after releasing it, it will be called 'dropping.'
Some of the icons displayed on the desktop are as follows
- Computer: It is the most important icon on the desktop, which contains icons of document folders, the hard disk's partition, and each removable disk drive. e.g., Floppy disk, CD, DVD, etc. It also allows the users to access drives, printers, removable disks, or other system applications.
- Recycle Bin: It is also a form of an icon on the desktop which contains deleted files, folders, or shortcuts. If we delete a file or folder, then it goes to recycle bin. From recycle bin, we can restore the deleted files or folders in the proper place. Once the recycle bin is empty, we won't be able to restore those files and folders.
- Network: It consists of all network connections, which make it possible to connect the computer from Intranet.
- Documents: This folder contains all the files you have created and saved. It also contains all types of file format Word processor, Spreadsheet, PowerPoint, image, etc.
Task Bar
Initially, the long horizontal bar at the bottom of the desktop is known as the Taskbar. When we open a program or any window, then the button of that program will be displayed on the taskbar.
Generally, the taskbar consists of three parts
- Start button
- Middle section
- Notification area
Start Menu
This menu is the main gateway of our computer's program, including files, folders, and settings. The start menu also contains the most recently opened programs. The start menu has the following options.
- All Programs: It contains a list of installed programs. When we install any software, it automatically shows in this menu.
- Favourites: It is a collection of bookmarked web pages.
- Documents: It shows a list of the most recently opened documents.
- Setting: It includes Control Panel, Printers, Taskbar, etc.
- Find: It searches for specific files or folders.
- Log Off: It provides a password to protect from unauthorized access.
- Turn Off (Shut down): To shut down or restart the system.
Structure of a Window
A window is a rectangular area that provides an environment to run many programs.
Some parts of the window are as follows
Title Bar
It is located at the top of the window or any dialog box that displays the window's name or software program. The title bar contains at least three small buttons.
- Close Button: At the right edge of the title bar, there is a square containing a [X] called the Close button. It helps to terminate the running program.
- Minimize Button: It reduces to window to a button on the
- Taskbar: It helps to shrink the window.
- Maximize Button: It enlarges the window to occupy the whole desktop. It expands the size of the window to fit the desktop.
Scroll Bar
It appears at the right (or left) side or the bottom of the window. A window can display a document, i.e., more significant than the window area, so with the help of a scroll bar arrow, and the user can scroll a document in the window area to bring the view of a hidden portion of the document. There are two types of scroll bars, i.e., Horizontal scroll bar and Vertical scroll bar.
Menu Bar
Each window contains a menu that performs specific actions when selected. The menu bar consists of several options as follows
- File Menu contains options like New, Open, Close, Save, Save As, Print, etc.
- Edit Menu contains options like Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Clear, etc.
- View Menu like Normal, Toolbar, Print Layout, etc.
- Insert Menu contains options like Header, Footer, etc.
- Help Menu for tutorials or helpful information.
Dialog Box
When we perform certain operations on our document and click on the Close button without saving the document, the dialog box will appear on the screen.
Generally, the dialog box contains a message, the Close button, the Yes button, the No button, and the Cancel button. It is mainly used to suggest what to do next.
Main Programs Inside the Windows
- Notepad: It is a text editor program. Notepad is most commonly used to edit or view text files. The file format of Notepad files is .txt (text document).
- WordPad: It is another text editor program with features such as complex formatting, pictures, etc. The extension of the WordPad file is .rtf (rich text format).
- Paint: It is a drawing program used to create a drawing or edit digital pictures (images). The extension of the paint file is .png or. jpg or. bmp.
- Calculator: It performs addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc.
- Media Player: Windows media player is an easy-to-use interface to play digital media files, organize digital media collection, burn CDs, etc.
- Games: Windows have games like Chess Titans, Hearts, Freecell, Mahjong Titans, Purble Place, Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, etc.
Files
These are the collection of data stored on auxiliary storage media. In Windows, files are the basic unit to store data. The name given to a file or document by the user is called the file name. Each file has a specific filename and an extension that identifies the file type.
Some common filename extensions are as follows
- .docx - MS-Word document
- .rtf - WordPad document
- .txt - Notepad text file
- .eml - E-mail file
- .exe - Executable file
- .xlsx - MS-Excel file
- .htm .html - HTML file (Web page)
- .pptx - MS-PowerPoint presentation
- ZIP File - ZIP stands for Zone Information Protocol. This is an application that allows for the compression of application files.
- Executable File - When a file contains instructions that the computer can carry out, it is often called an executable file.
- Standby drops the computer into a shallow power mode.
- Hibernate is a feature of a computer operating system where the contents of RAM are written to non-volatile storage such as a hard disk before powering OFF the computer.
- Clipboard is a temporary storage in computer memory that stores the cut or copied data.
