List of Microsoft Windows versions
is a computer operating system developed by Microsoft. It was first launched in 1985 as a graphical operating system built on MS-DOS. The initial version was followed by several subsequent releases, and by the early 1990s, the Windows line had split into two separate lines of releases: Windows 9x for consumers and Windows NT for businesses and enterprises. In the following years, several further variants of Windows would be released: Windows CE in 1996 for embedded systems; Pocket PC in 2000 for personal digital assistants and, later, smartphones; Windows Holographic in 2016 for AR/VR headsets; and several other editions.
Personal computer versions
A "personal computer" version of Windows is considered to be a version that end-users or OEMs can install on personal computers, including desktop computers, laptops, and workstations.The first five versions of Windows-Windows 1.0, Windows 2.0, Windows 2.1, Windows 3.0, and Windows 3.1-were all based on MS-DOS, and were aimed at both consumers and businesses. However, Windows 3.1 had two separate successors, splitting the Windows line in two: the consumer-focused "Windows 9x" line, consisting of Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me; and the professional Windows NT line, comprising Windows NT 3.1, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000. These two lines were reunited into a single line with the NT-based Windows XP; this Windows release succeeded both Windows Me and Windows 2000 and had separate editions for consumer and professional use. Since Windows XP, multiple further versions of Windows have been released, the most recent of which is Windows 11. Since Windows 10, Microsoft has effectively turned to the "Windows as a service" servicing model, most likely to ensure it competes with mobile operating systems.
Mobile versions
Mobile versions refer to versions of Windows that can run on smartphones or personal digital assistants.| Name | Codename | Architecture | Release date | Version Number |
| Pocket PC 2000 | Rapier | ARMv4, MIPS, SH-3 | April 19, 2000 | CE 3.0 |
| Pocket PC 2002 | Merlin | ARMv4 | October 4, 2001 | CE 3.0 |
| Windows Mobile 2003 | Ozone | ARMv5 | June 23, 2003 | CE 4.x |
| Windows Mobile 2003 SE | Ozone | ARMv5 | March 24, 2004 | CE 4.x |
| Windows Mobile 5.0 | Magneto | ARMv5 | May 9, 2005 | CE 5.0 |
| Windows Mobile 6.0 | Crossbow | ARMv5 | February 12, 2007 | CE 5.0 |
| Windows Mobile 6.1 | Crossbow | ARMv5 | April 1, 2008 | CE 5.2 |
| Windows Mobile 6.1.4 | 6 on 6 | ARMv5 | November 11, 2008 | CE 5.2 |
| Windows Mobile 6.5 | Titanium | ARMv5 | May 11, 2009 | CE 6.0 |
| Windows Phone 7 | Metro | ARMv7 | October 29, 2010 | CE 6.0 |
| Windows Phone 7.5 | Mango | ARMv7 | September 27, 2011 | CE 6.0 |
| Windows Phone 7.8 | Tango | ARMv7 | February 1, 2013 | CE 6.0 |
| Windows Phone 8 | Apollo | ARMv7 | October 29, 2012 | NT 6.2 |
| Windows Phone 8.1 | Blue | ARMv7 | April 14, 2014 | NT 6.3 |
| Windows 10 Mobile, version 1511 | Threshold 2 | ARMv7 | November 12, 2015 | 1511 |
| Windows 10 Mobile, version 1607 | Redstone 1 | ARMv7 | August 16, 2016 | 1607 |
| Windows 10 Mobile, version 1703 | Redstone 2 | ARMv7 | April 24, 2017 | 1703 |
| Windows 10 Mobile, version 1709 | feature2 | ARMv7 | October 24, 2017 | 1709 |
Server versions
High-performance computing (HPC) servers
Windows Essential Business Server
Windows Home Server
Windows MultiPoint Server
Windows MultiPoint Server was an operating system based on Windows Server. It was succeeded by the MultiPoint Services role in Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server version 1709. It was no longer being developed in Windows Server version 1803 and later versions.| Name | Codename | Release date | End-of-support date | Version number | Build number | Based on |
| Windows MultiPoint Server 2010 | Solution Server | February 24, 2010 | July 14, 2020 | NT 6.1 | 537 | Windows Server 2008 R2 |
| Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 | WMS 2 | May 12, 2011 | July 13, 2021 | NT 6.1 | 1600 | Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 |
| Windows MultiPoint Server 2012 | WMS 3 | October 30, 2012 | October 10, 2023 | NT 6.2 | 2506 | Windows Server 2012 |
Windows Small Business Server
| Name | Codename | Release date | End-of-support date | Build number | Based on |
| Small Business Server 2000 | February 21, 2001 | July 13, 2010 | 1343 | Windows 2000 Server | |
| Windows Small Business Server 2003 | Bobcat | October 9, 2003 | July 14, 2015 | 2893 | Windows Server 2003 |
| Windows Small Business Server 2008 | Cougar | August 21, 2008 | January 14, 2020 | 5601 | Windows Server 2008 |
| Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard | Windows Small Business Server 7 | December 13, 2010 | January 14, 2020 | 7900 | Windows Server 2008 R2 |
| Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials | Colorado | June 28, 2011 | January 5, 2013 | 8800 | Windows Server 2008 R2 |
Device versions
ARM-based tablets
In 2012 and 2013, Microsoft released versions of Windows specially designed to run on ARM-based tablets; these versions of Windows, named "Windows RT" and "Windows RT 8.1," were based on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, respectively. Upon the release of Windows 10 in 2015, the ARM-specific version for large tablets was discontinued; large tablets were only released with x86 processors and could run the full version of Windows 10. Windows 10 Mobile had the ability to be installed on smaller tablets ; however, very few such tablets were released, and Windows 10 Mobile primarily ended up only running on smartphones until its discontinuation. In 2017, the full version of Windows 10 gained the ability to run on ARM, thus rendering a specific version of Windows for ARM-based tablets unnecessary.| Name | Release date | Version number | Build number | Based on |
| Windows RT | October 26, 2012 | NT 6.2 | 9200 | Windows 8 |
| Windows RT 8.1 | October 18, 2013 | NT 6.3 | 9600 | Windows 8.1 |
Mixed reality and virtual reality headsets
| Name | Build number |
| Windows 10 Holographic, version 1607 | 14393 |
| Windows 10 Holographic, version 1803 | 17134 |
| Windows 10 Holographic, version 1809 | 17763 |
| Windows Holographic, version 1903 | 18362 |
| Windows Holographic, version 2004 | 19041 |
| Windows Holographic, version 20H2 | 19041 |
| Windows Holographic, version 21H1 | 20346 |
| Windows Holographic, version 21H2 | 20348 |
| Windows Holographic, version 22H1 | 20348 |
Surface Hub
Microsoft originally announced the Surface Hub, an interactive whiteboard, in January 2015. The Surface Hub family of devices runs a custom variant of Windows 10 known as Windows 10 Team.| Name | Build number |
| Windows 10 Team, version 1511 | 10586 |
| Windows 10 Team, version 1607 | 14393 |
| Windows 10 Team, version 1703 | 15063 |
| Windows 10 Team, version 20H2 | 19042 |
Windows XP-based tablets
Two versions of Windows XP were released that were optimized for tablets. Beginning with Windows Vista, all tablet-specific components were included in the main version of the operating system.| Name | Codename | Release date | Version number | Build number | Based on |
| Windows XP Tablet PC Edition | November 7, 2002 | NT 5.1 | 2600 | Windows XP | |
| Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 | Lonestar | August 2004 | NT 5.1 | 2600 | Windows XP |
Embedded versions
Windows Embedded Compact
| Name | Codename | Release date |
| Windows CE 1.0 | Pegasus; Alder | November 16, 1996 |
| Windows CE 2.0 | Jupiter; Birch | September 29, 1997 |
| Windows CE 2.1 | July 1998 | |
| Windows CE 2.11 | October 1998 | |
| Windows CE 2.12 | 1999 | |
| Windows CE 3.0 | Cedar; Galileo | 2000 |
| Windows CE 4.0 | Talisker | January 7, 2002 |
| Windows CE 4.1 | Jameson | July 30, 2002 |
| Windows CE 4.2 | McKendric | April 23, 2003 |
| Windows CE 5.0 | Macallan | July 9, 2004 |
| Windows Embedded CE 6.0 | Yamazaki | November 1, 2006 |
| Windows Embedded Compact 7 | Chelan | March 1, 2011 |
| Windows Embedded Compact 2013 | June 13, 2013 |