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Windows 95

A consumer operating system released to retail on August 24, 1995 that introduced the taskbar and Start menu.

Microsoft released Windows 95 to manufacturing on July 14, 1995 and to retail on August 24, 1995. It replaced Windows 3.1 and merged MS-DOS and Windows into one product.

It introduced the Windows Explorer file manager, a taskbar with the Start menu, a notification area and desktop shortcuts. It supported 32-bit applications and preemptive multitasking on low-end hardware.

Why it matters

Windows 95 brought the taskbar and Start menu to Windows and merged MS-DOS and Windows into one product.

Key facts

  • Released to manufacturing July 14, 1995.
  • Released to retail August 24, 1995.
  • Replaced Windows 3.1.
  • Introduced the Start menu and taskbar.
  • Supported 32-bit applications.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Windows 95", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_95, accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. Wikipedia, "Microsoft Windows", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows, background reading, accessed October 14, 2026.