A version of the Microsoft Windows operating system | |
Developer | Microsoft |
---|---|
Source model | Closed source |
Released to manufacturing | April 6, 1992; 27 years ago |
Latest release | 3.11 / December 31, 1993; 25 years ago[1] |
License | Commercial software |
Preceded by | Windows 3.0 (1990) |
Succeeded by | Windows 95 (1995) |
Support status | |
Unsupported as of December 31, 2001 |
Windows 3.1x is a series of 16-bitoperating environments produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, released on April 6, 1992. The series began with Windows 3.1, which was first sold during April 1992 as a successor to Windows 3.0. Subsequent versions were released between 1992 and 1993 until the series was superseded by the Windows 9x series starting in 1995 with Windows 95. During its lifespan, Windows 3.1 introduced several enhancements to the still MS-DOS-based platform, including improved system stability, expanded support for multimedia, TrueTypefonts, and workgroup networking.
Official support for Windows 3.1 ended on December 31, 2001. However, OEM licensing for Windows for Workgroups 3.11 on embedded systems continued to be available until November 1, 2008.[2]
1.Installing Windows 7 SP1 using Windows Update (recommended) If your PC is set to automatically install updates, you’ll be prompted by Windows Update to install SP1. Follow the instructions to install the update. To manually install SP1 from Windows Update: STEP1:Select the Start button All programs Windows Update.
- 1Editions
- 1.1Windows 3.1
- 2Windows for Workgroups
- 3Add-ons
- 4Applications
- 6Controversy
Editions[edit]
Windows 3.1[edit]
Windows 3.1, released on April 6, 1992, introduced a TrueTypefont system (and a set of highly legible fonts), which effectively made Windows a viable desktop publishing platform for the first time. Similar functionality was available for Windows 3.0 through Adobe Type Manager (ATM) font system from Adobe.
Windows 3.1 was designed to have backward compatibility with older Windows platforms. As with Windows 3.0, version 3.1 had File Manager and Program Manager, but unlike all previous versions, Windows 3.1 cannot run in real mode. It included Minesweeper as a replacement for Reversi (though Reversi was still included in some copies).
Improvements over Windows 3.0[edit]
Windows 3.1, showing some of the personalization options available
Windows 3.1 dropped real mode support and required a minimum of a 286 PC with 1 MB of RAM to run. The effect of this was to increase system stability over the crash-prone Windows 3.0. Some older features were removed, like CGA graphics support (although Windows 3.0's CGA driver still worked on 3.1) and compatibility with real-mode Windows 2.x applications.
Truetype font support was added, providing scalable fonts to Windows applications, without having to resort to using a third-party font technology such as Adobe Type Manager. Windows 3.1 included the following fonts: Arial, Courier New, and Times New Roman, in regular, bold, italic, and bold-italic versions, as well as Symbol (a collection of scalable symbols). Truetype fonts could be scaled to any size and rotated, depending on the calling application.[3]
In 386 Enhanced Mode, windowed DOS applications gained the ability for users to manipulate menus and other objects in the program using the Windows mouse pointer, provided that a DOS application supported mice. A few DOS applications, such as late releases of Microsoft Word, could access Windows Clipboard. Windows' own drivers couldn't work directly with DOS applications; hardware such as mice required a DOS driver to be loaded before starting Windows.
Icons could be dragged and dropped for the first time, in addition to having a more detailed appearance. A file could be dragged onto the Print Manager icon and the file would be printed by the current printer, assuming it was associated with an application capable of printing, such as a word processor. Alternatively, the file could be dragged out of File Manager and dropped onto an application icon or window for processing.[4]
While Windows 3.0 was limited to 16 MB maximum memory, Windows 3.1 can access a theoretical 4 GB in 386 Enhanced Mode. The actual practical ceiling is 256 MB.[5] However, no single process can use more than 16 MB. File Manager was significantly improved over Windows 3.0. Multimedia support was enhanced over what was available in Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions and available to all Windows 3.1 users.
Windows 3.1 was available via 720 KB, 1.2 MB, and 1.44 MB floppy distributions. It was also the first version of Windows to be distributed on CD-ROM — although this was more common for Windows for Workgroups 3.11, which typically came with MS-DOS 6.22 on one CD. Installed size on the hard disk was between 10 MB and 15 MB.
32-bit disk access (386 Enhanced Mode only) brought improved performance by using a 32-bit protected mode driver instead of the 16-bit BIOS functions (which necessitate Windows temporarily dropping out of protected mode).
Windows 3.1's calendar uses the .cal filename extension.[6]
Windows 3.1 also introduced the Windows Registry, a centralized database that can store configuration information and settings for various operating systems components and applications.
Windows 3.1 was the first version that could also launch Windows programs via Command.com.
Windows 3.1 for Central and Eastern Europe[edit]
A special version named Windows 3.1 for Central and Eastern Europe was released that allowed use of Cyrillic and had fonts with diacritical marks characteristic of Central and Eastern European languages. Microsoft introduced its own code page (Windows-1250) and supported its use in violation of many countries' ISO standards (e.g., the official Polish codepage is ISO-8859-2, which was ignored by Microsoft but is supported by contemporary Internet Explorer versions). Similarly, Microsoft also released Windows 3.1J with support for Japanese, which shipped 1.46 million copies in its first year on the market (1993) in Japan.[7]
Modular Windows[edit]
Modular Windows is a special version of Windows 3.1, designed to run on Tandy Video Information System.
Windows 3.11[edit]
Windows 3.11 was released on November 8, 1993. It did not add many feature improvements over Windows 3.1; it primarily contained bug fixes, but was considered a significant improvement because of those fixes, contributing to the operating system's popularity. Microsoft replaced all retail versions of Windows 3.1 with Windows 3.11 and provided a free upgrade to anyone who currently owned Windows 3.1.[8]
Windows 3.2[edit]
On November 22, 1993, Microsoft released a Simplified Chinese version of Windows for the Chinese market. A year later, an update was released, which identified itself as Windows 3.2. Thus, Windows 3.2 is an updated version of the Chinese version of Windows 3.1.[9] The update was limited to this language version, as it only fixed issues related to the complex input system for the Chinese language.[9]
Windows 3.2 was generally sold by computer manufacturers with a ten-disk version of MS-DOS that also had Simplified Chinese characters in basic output and some translated utilities.
Windows for Workgroups[edit]
Network capabilities of Windows for Workgroups 3.11
Windows for Workgroups is an extension that allowed users to share their resources and to request those of others without a centralized authentication server. It used SMB protocol over NetBIOS.
Windows for Workgroups 3.1[edit]
Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (originally codenamed Winball and later Sparta), released in October 1992,[10] is an extended version of Windows 3.1 that features native networking support. It comes with SMB file sharing support via NetBIOS-based NBF and/or IPX network transport protocols and introduces the Hearts card game and VSHARE.386, a VxD version of SHARE.EXE (a terminate-and-stay-resident program).
Windows for Workgroups 3.11[edit]
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (originally codenamed Snowball) was released on August 11, 1993,[11] and shipped in November 1993.[12] It supported 32-bit file access, full 32-bit network redirectors, and VCACHE.386 file cache, shared between them. WFW 3.11 dropped standard mode support and requires a 386 machine to run.
A Winsock package was required to support TCP/IPnetworking in Windows 3.x. Usually third-party packages were used, but in August 1994, Microsoft released an add-on package (codenamed Wolverine) that provided TCP/IP support in Windows for Workgroups 3.11. Wolverine was a 32-bit stack (accessible from 16-bit Windows applications via WinSock Thunk), which gave it superior performance to most of the third-party TCP/IP Windows stacks available. However, it was only compatible with Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and lacked support for dial-up. Wolverine stack was an early version of the TCP/IP stack that would later ship with Windows 95, and provided an early testbed for the 16-to-32-bit compatibility layer that was crucial to Windows 95's success.
Following the release of MS-DOS 6.22 in 1994, WFW 3.11 largely replaced Windows 3.1 for OEM installations on new PCs due to its improved capabilities and greater stability.
Add-ons[edit]
Video for Windows[edit]
Video for Windows was first introduced in November 1992 as a reaction to Apple Computer's QuickTime technology which added digital video to Macintosh. Costing around $200,[13] the software included editing and encoding programs for use with video input boards. A runtime version for viewing videos only was also made available. Originally released as a free add-on to Windows 3.1 and Windows 3.11, it then became an integral component of Windows 95 and later. Like QuickTime there were three components in Video for Windows. The technology introduced a file format designed to store digital video, Audio Video Interleave (AVI). The technology provided an application programming interface that allowed Windows software developers to add the ability to play or manipulate digital video to their own applications. Lastly, it included a suite of software for playing and manipulating digital video.
Windows for Pen Computing[edit]
Windows for Pen Computing was a series of Microsoft-produced add-ons for Microsoft Windows versions in the mid-1990s with additional tools for tablet PCs. Windows for Pen Computing (also known as Pen Windows and W4PC) was developed as Microsoft's pen computing response to PenPoint OS by GO Corporation.[14] Windows for Pen Computing was rendered obsolete by Tablet PC support for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition in 2002.
Win32s[edit]
Windows 3.1x was given limited compatibility with the then-new 32-bit Windows API used by Windows NT by another add-on package, Win32s. There was a rumor that Microsoft did not want to increase any mainstream Windows 3.1x version to something like 'Windows 3.2' because it could be confused with the Win32 API or otherwise distract consumers from upgrading to a 'real 32-bit OS', though Windows NT 3.1 and 3.5 were both 32-bit operating systems that looked similar in appearance. A game called FreeCell was included for testing the new Win32s functions.
WinG[edit]
To entice game manufacturers to move from DOS to Windows, Microsoft provided a first attempt at high-speed graphics and animation capabilities for Windows 3.1x, introduced in September 1994. Windows' GDI capabilities were originally designed with static images in mind, allowing only for write-only graphics calls. WinG provided a device-independent interface to graphics and printer hardware, and allowed programs to have both read and write capabilities to the WinGDC (WinG device context).[15]
Applications[edit]
Windows 3.1x introduced new possibilities for applications, especially multimedia applications. During this era, Microsoft developed a new range of software that was implemented on this operating environment, called Microsoft Home, Microsoft Bob being one of the programs.
As the first versions of Windows to enjoy major commercial success and software support, Windows 3.1 and WFW 3.11 quickly replaced DOS as the platform for application software on PC compatibles. Multimedia software (especially games) proliferated, although many games continued to run on DOS until Windows 95.
Program Manager[edit]
Program Manager was included in all versions of Windows from version 3.0 until Windows XP Service Pack 1. A non-operable icon library named progman.exe is included in Windows XP Service Pack 2, and the file was removed entirely from Windows Vista.
Internet Explorer[edit]
Internet Explorer 2 through Internet Explorer 5 were released for Windows 3.1.[16]
Promotion and reception[edit]
Microsoft began a television advertising campaign for the first time on March 1, 1992. The advertisements, developed by Ogilvy & Mather, were designed to introduce a broader audience to Windows.[17] Windows 3.1 was shipped worldwide on April 6, 1992, and reached three million sales two months later.[18] The year of Windows 3.1's release was successful for Microsoft, which was named the 'Most Innovative Company Operating in the U.S.' by Fortune magazine, while Windows became the most widely used GUI-based operating environment.[19]
Controversy[edit]
DR-DOS compatibility[edit]
The installer to the beta release used code that checked whether it was running on Microsoft-licensed DOS or another DOS operating system (such as DR-DOS). The code ran several functional tests that succeeded on MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS, but resulted in a technical support message on competing operating systems. If the system was not MS-DOS, the installer would fail. Digital Research, who owned DR-DOS, released a patch within weeks to allow the installer to continue. Microsoft disabled, but did not remove, this warning message for the final release of Windows 3.1. When Caldera bought DR-DOS from Novell, they brought a lawsuit against Microsoft over the AARD code, which was later settled.[20][21]
Legacy[edit]
Windows 3.x was superseded by the release of Windows 95 in August 1995. Microsoft officially dropped support for all 16-bit versions of Windows on November 1, 2008.
Windows 3.1 found a niche market as an embedded operating system after becoming obsolete in the PC world. As of November 2008, both Virgin Atlantic and Qantas employed it for some of the onboard entertainment systems on long-distance jets. It also sees continued use as an embedded OS in retail cash tills.[22] It is also used as a secondary application in DOSBox to enable emulation of Win16 games on 64-bit Windows.
On July 9, 2008, it was announced that Windows for Workgroups 3.11 for the embedded devices channel would no longer be made available for OEM distribution as of November 1, 2008.[23]
On July 14, 2013, Linux kernel version 3.11 was officially named 'Linux For Workgroups' as a tongue-in-cheek reference to 'Windows for Workgroups 3.11'.[24]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Windows Version History'. Support. Microsoft. July 14, 2005.
- ^Fiveash, Kelly (November 5, 2008). 'Microsoft retires Windows 3.11 on 18th birthday'. theregister.co.uk.
- ^Edson, Kate (March 1993). 'Windows 3.1 and TrueType Fonts'. PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia. Archived from the original on May 11, 2002. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ^Livingston, Brian (1993). More Windows 3.1 Secrets. San Mateo, CA: UDG Books Worldwide. ISBN1-56884-019-5.
- ^'Windows 3.1 Memory Limits'. Support. Microsoft. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015.
- ^Microsoft Windows 3.1 Programmer's Reference. Volume 4: Resources. Microsoft Corporation. 1992. ISBN1-55615-494-1.
- ^Virginia Kouyoumdjian (August 1994). 'DOS/V, Windows, Prices, and the Future...' Computing Japan. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^'Windows 3.11'. WinWorld. Syngress MCSA/MCSE Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment, Page 6. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ^ ab'Microsoft Windows Simplified Chinese 3.2 Upgrade Is Available'. microsoft.com. Microsoft. October 30, 2003. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006.
- ^'Windows for Workgroups Version History'. Support. Microsoft. November 14, 2003. Archived from the original on November 7, 2006. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^'Windows 3.1'. GUIdebook. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^'Windows history'. PC Museum. June 17, 2002. Archived from the original on March 16, 2002. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^PC Plus. Future Publishing. May 1993. p. 61.
- ^Eller, Marlin; Edstrom, Jennifer (1998). Barbarians Led by Bill Gates. Owl Books.
- ^Hecker, Chris (June 1, 1997). 'A Whirlwind Tour of WinG'. Gamasutra. Gamasutra. Archived from the original on February 27, 2008. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^'Old Version of Internet Explorer for Windows 3.1'. OldApps.com. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
- ^'Microsoft History 1992'. Microsoft. Archived from the original on October 17, 1996. Retrieved September 4, 2009. Internet Archive
- ^Gill Dunsford (February 23, 2007). 'Feature: Brand Microsoft'. Sales Promotion. Archived from the original on March 8, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^'Microsoft History 1993'. Microsoft. Archived from the original on October 17, 1996. Retrieved September 4, 2009. Internet Archive
- ^Dan Goodin (April 28, 1999). 'Microsoft emails focus on DR-DOS threat'. CNET News. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^Lea, Graham (January 13, 2000). 'Caldera vs Microsoft – the settlement'. BBC News. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^Mark Ward (November 5, 2008). 'The end of an era – Windows 3.x'. BBC News. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^John Coyne (July 9, 2008). 'It's the End for 3.11!!'. Microsoft. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^Linus Torvalds (July 14, 2013). 'Linux 3.11 Kernel Commit'.
Further reading[edit]
- 'Windows Version History'. Support. Microsoft.
- 'Windows for Workgroups Version History'. Support. Microsoft.
- 'Windows 3.1 Hardware Compatibility List'. Support. Microsoft.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Windows_3.1x&oldid=916479650'
Last week we released for download Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level. It also provides on-going improvements to the Windows Operating System (OS), by including previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer and partner feedback. This enables organisations to deploy a single set of updates. Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 will help you:
- Keep your PCs supported and up-to-date
- Get on-going updates to the Windows 7 platform
- Easily deploy cumulative updates at a single time
- Meet your users' demands for greater business mobility
- Provide a comprehensive set of virtualisation innovations
- Provide an easier Service Pack deployment model for better IT efficiency
A roundup of blog posts focussing on the new Server SP1 features:
- Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 SP1 Releases to Manufacturing Today
Download SP1 for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7
- From Windows Update we recommend customers use Windows Update to install the service pack, as it will provide the best experience.
TechNet subscription members can also download ISO images of Windows 7 including SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 including SP1 too
The TechNet Evaluation Centre has the Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 evaluation download.
Deployment Guide for Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Windows 7 with SP1
Get technical information, procedures, and recommendations for installing SP1 in a business or corporate environment.
Documentation for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (KB976932)
- Deployment Guide for Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Windows 7 with SP1.doc
- Hotfixes and Security Updates included in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1.xls
- Installing Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1.doc
- Notable Changes in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1.doc
- Release Notes for Windows 7 with Service Pack 1.doc
- Release Notes for Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1.doc
Please visit the Windows 7 TechCenter for the latest resources to help you explore Windows 7 Service Pack 1.
Please visit the Windows Server TechCenter for the latest resources to help you explore Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1.
Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 Overview
Windows Server 2008 R2, now with Service Pack 1 (SP1) provides new virtualisation technology that enables you to deliver more advanced capabilities to your business for increased IT efficiency and agility. Whether you want to consolidate servers, build a private cloud or offer Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, the addition of these powerful virtualisation features enables you to take your datacentre and desktop virtualisation strategy to a new level.
Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 Product Overview
Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 builds on the award-winning foundation of Windows Server 2008, expanding existing technology and adding new features. Just a few of the enhancements in this release include new virtualisation tools consisting of an updated version of Hyper-V with Live Migration and Dynamic Memory, Remote Fx in Remote Desktop Services, improved power management, and added features with Windows 7 integration such as BranchCache and Direct Access. Have greater control and the ability to react to business needs faster than ever before with powerful tools such as Internet Information Services (IIS) version 7.5, updated Server Manager and Hyper-V platforms and Windows PowerShell version 2.0.
Virtualise your Server and Desktop Infrastructure
Virtualisation is a major part of today’s data centres. The operating efficiencies offered by virtualization allow organizations to dramatically reduce operational effort and power consumption. Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 provides the following virtualisation types: Client and Server virtualisation provided by Hyper-V and Presentation virtualisation with Remote Desktop Services.
- New Virtualization Technology in Hyper-VSince the Windows Server 2008 release, Microsoft has introduced a new version of Hyper-V. Included as part of the Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 operating system, Hyper-V contains a number of core areas of improvements for creating dynamic virtual data centres and cloud computing, namely private cloud. These improvements provide you with increased availability and performance, improved management, and simplified methods for deployment including live migration. And, when combined with System Center, you are able to build out a dedicated private cloud environment to transform the way you deliver IT services to the business, using the infrastructure as a service (IaaS) model. Learn more about Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1.
- Expanded Features in Remote Desktop ServicesRemote Desktop Services provides users and administrators with both the features and the flexibility necessary to build the most robust access experience in any deployment scenario. To expand the Remote Desktop Services feature set, Microsoft has been investing in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, also known as VDI. VDI is a centralized desktop delivery architecture, which enables Windows and other desktop environments to run and be managed in virtual machines on a centralized server. Learn more about the Virtualization Platform in Windows Server 2008 R2.
Improved Web Application Platform
Windows Server 2008 R2 includes many enhancements that make this release the most robust Windows Server Web application platform yet. It offers an updated Web server role, Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.5, and greater support for .NET on Server Core. Design goals for IIS 7.5 concentrated on improvements that enable Web administrators to more easily deploy and manage Web applications that increase both reliability and scalability. Additionally, IIS 7.5 has streamlined management capabilities and provides more ways to customize your Web serving environment. The following improvements to IIS and the Windows Web platform are included in Windows Server 2008 R2:
Improved Power Management and Streamlined Management
The on-going management of servers in the data centre is one of the most time-consuming tasks facing IT professionals today. Any management strategy you deploy must support the management of both your physical and virtual environments. To help with this problem, Windows Server 2008 R2 has new features to reduce the on-going management of Windows Server 2008 R2 and to reduce the administrative effort for common day-to-day operational tasks. Learn more about Improving Power Management and Streamlining Management in Windows Server 2008 R2.
Increased Scalability and Reliability
Windows Server 2008 R2 is capable of unprecedented workload size, dynamic scalability, and across-the-board availability and reliability. A host of new and updated features will be available, including leveraging sophisticated CPU architectures, increased operating system componentisation, and improved performance and scalability for applications and services.
Integrated Experience with Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2 has many features that are designed specifically to work with client computers running Windows 7, Microsoft’s most current version of the Windows client operating system. Features that are only available when running Windows 7 client computers with server computers running Windows Server 2008 R2 include: