Как по другому называется windows 10

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Microsoft Windows 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 (renamed to Windows Mobile in 2003 and Windows Phone in 2010) for personal digital assistants and, later, smartphones; Windows Holographic in 2016 for AR/VR headsets; and several other editions.

Personal computer versions[edit]

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.

Name	Codename	Release date	Version	Editions	Build number	Architecture	End of support
Windows 1.01	Interface Manager	1985-11-20	1.01	—	—	x86-16	2001-12-31
Windows 1.02	—	1986-05-14	1.02	—	—
Windows 1.03	—	1986-08-21	1.03	—	—
Windows 1.04	—	1987-04-10	1.04	—	—
Windows 2.01	—	1987-12-09	2.01	—	—	x86-16, IA-32
Windows 2.03	—	1987-12-09	2.03	—	—
Windows 2.1	—	1988-05-27	2.10	—	—
Windows 2.11	—	1989-03-13	2.11	—	—
Windows 3.0	—	1990-05-22	3.00	Windows 3.00a Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions	—
Windows 3.1	—	1992-04-06	3.10	Windows 3.1	103
Sparta[a]	1992-10-31	Windows for Workgroups 3.1	102	IA-32
Windows NT 3.1	Razzle[1]	1993-07-27	NT 3.1	Windows NT 3.1	528	IA-32, Alpha, MIPS	2000-12-31
Windows 3.11	—	1993-11-08	3.11	Windows 3.11	?	x86-16, IA-32	2001-12-31
Snowball	Windows for Workgroups 3.11	300	IA-32
Windows 3.2	—	1993-11-22	3.2	Windows 3.2	153	x86-16, IA-32
Windows NT 3.5	Daytona	1994-09-21	NT 3.5	Windows NT 3.5 Workstation	807	IA-32, Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC
Windows NT 3.51	1995-05-30	NT 3.51	Windows NT 3.51 Workstation	1057
Windows 95	Chicago	1995-08-24	4.00	Windows 95	950	IA-32
Windows NT 4.0	Shell Update Release	1996-08-24	NT 4.0	Windows NT 4.0 Workstation	1381	IA-32, Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC	2004-06-30
Windows 98	Memphis[b]	1998-06-25	4.10	Windows 98	1998	IA-32	2006-07-11
Windows 98 Second Edition	—	1999-05-05	Windows 98 Second Edition	2222A
Windows 2000	Windows NT 5.0	2000-02-17	NT 5.0	Windows 2000 Professional	2195	IA-32	2010-07-13
Windows Me	Millennium	2000-09-14	4.90	Windows Me	3000	IA-32	2006-07-11
Windows XP	Whistler	2001-10-25	NT 5.1	Windows XP Starter Windows XP Home Windows XP Professional	2600	IA-32	2014-04-08
Windows XP 64-bit Edition	Itanium
Freestyle	2002-10-29	Windows XP Media Center Edition	IA-32
Harmony	2003-09-30	Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004
Symphony	2004-10-12	Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005	2700
Emerald	2005-10-14	Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Update Rollup 2	2710
Anvil	2005-04-25	NT 5.2	Windows XP Professional x64 Edition	3790	x86-64
Windows Vista	Longhorn[3]	2007-01-30	NT 6.0	Windows Vista Starter Windows Vista Home Basic Windows Vista Home Premium Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Ultimate	6002[c]	IA-32, x86-64	2017-04-11
Windows 7	Windows 7[4]	2009-10-22	NT 6.1	Windows 7 Starter Windows 7 Home Basic Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 7 Professional Windows 7 Enterprise Windows 7 Ultimate	7601[d]	IA-32, x86-64	2020-01-14
Windows 8	Windows 8	2012-10-26	NT 6.2	Windows 8 Windows 8 Pro Windows 8 Enterprise	9200	IA-32, x86-64	2016-01-12
Windows 8.1	Blue[5]	2013-10-17	NT 6.3	Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 Pro Windows 8.1 Enterprise	9600	IA-32, x86-64	2023-01-10
2014-05-23[e]	Windows 8.1 with Bing
Windows 10 version 1507	Threshold[6][f]	2015-07-29	NT 10.0[g][h]	Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 Education Windows 10 Enterprise Windows 10 Pro for Workstations[i] Windows 10 Pro Education[j] Windows 10 S[k] Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC[l]	10240	IA-32, x86-64	2025-10-14[8][m]
Windows 10 version 1511	Threshold 2	2015-11-10	1511	10586
Windows 10 version 1607	Redstone 1[9]	2016-08-02	1607	14393
Windows 10 version 1703	Redstone 2[10]	2017-04-05	1703	15063
Windows 10 version 1709	Redstone 3[11]	2017-10-17	1709	16299	IA-32, x86-64, ARM64
Windows 10 version 1803	Redstone 4	2018-04-30	1803	17134
Windows 10 version 1809	Redstone 5[12]	2018-11-13	1809	17763
Windows 10 version 1903	19H1[13]	2019-05-21	1903	18362
Windows 10 version 1909	Vanadium[n][15]	2019-11-12	1909	18363
Windows 10 version 2004	Vibranium[15][16][o]	2020-05-27	2004	19041
Windows 10 version 20H2	2020-10-20	20H2	19042
Windows 10 version 21H1	2021-05-18	21H1	19043
Windows 10 version 21H2	2021-11-16	21H2	19044
Windows 10 version 22H2	2022-10-18	22H2	19045
Windows 11 version 21H2	Sun Valley[p]	2021-10-05	21H2	Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Pro Windows 11 Pro for Workstations Windows 11 Pro Education Windows 11 Education Windows 11 Enterprise Windows 11 SE	22000	x86-64, ARM64	2023-10-10[q]
Windows 11 version 22H2	Sun Valley 2	2022-09-20	22H2	22621	2024-10-08[q]

Mobile versions[edit]

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	2000-04-19	CE 3.0
Pocket PC 2002	Merlin	ARMv4	2001-10-04
Windows Mobile 2003	Ozone	ARMv5	2003-06-23	CE 4.x
Windows Mobile 2003 SE	—	2004-03-24
Windows Mobile 5.0	Magneto	2005-05-09	CE 5.0
Windows Mobile 6.0	Crossbow	2007-02-12
Windows Mobile 6.1	—	2008-04-01	CE 5.2
Windows Mobile 6.1.4	6 on 6	2008-11-11[18]
Windows Mobile 6.5	Titanium	2009-05-11	CE 6.0
Windows Phone 7[r]	—	ARMv7	2010-10-29
Windows Phone 7.5	Mango	2011-09-27
Windows Phone 7.8	—	2013-02-01
Windows Phone 8	Apollo	2012-10-29	NT 6.2
Windows Phone 8.1	Blue	2014-04-14	NT 6.3
Windows 10 Mobile, version 1511	Threshold 2	2015-11-12	1511
Windows 10 Mobile, version 1607	Redstone 1	2016-08-16	1607
Windows 10 Mobile, version 1703	Redstone 2	2017-04-24	1703
Windows 10 Mobile, version 1709	feature2[19]	2017-10-24	1709

Server versions[edit]

Name	Codename	Release date	Version number	Editions	Build number	Architecture	End of support
Windows NT 3.1	Razzle	1993-07-27	NT 3.1	Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server	528	IA-32, Alpha, MIPS	2000-12-31
Windows NT 3.5	Daytona	1994-09-20	NT 3.5	Windows NT 3.5 Server	807	IA-32, Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC	2001-12-31
Windows NT 3.51	1995-05-29	NT 3.51	Windows NT 3.51 Server	1057	2001-12-31
Windows NT 4.0	Shell Update Release	1996-07-29	NT 4.0	Windows NT 4.0 Server Windows NT 4.0 Server Enterprise Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition	1381	2004-12-31
Windows 2000	NT 5.0	2000-02-17	NT 5.0	Windows 2000 Server Windows 2000 Advanced Server Windows 2000 Datacenter Server	2195	IA-32	2010-07-13
Windows Server 2003	Whistler Server	2003-04-24	NT 5.2	Windows Server Web Windows Server Standard Windows Server Enterprise Windows Server Datacenter Windows Storage Server	3790	IA-32, x86-64, Itanium	2015-07-14
Windows Server 2003 R2	Whistler Server	2005-12-06	2015-07-14
Windows Server 2008	Longhorn Server	2008-02-27	NT 6.0	Windows Server Foundation Windows Server Standard Windows Server Enterprise Windows Server Datacenter Windows Server for Itanium-based Systems Windows Storage Server Windows Web Server	6002[c]	IA-32, x86-64, Itanium	2020-01-14
Windows Server 2008 R2	Windows Server 7	2009-10-22	NT 6.1	7601[d]	x86-64, Itanium	2020-01-14
Windows Server 2012	Windows Server 8	2012-09-04	NT 6.2	Windows Server Foundation Windows Server Essentials Windows Server Standard Windows Server Datacenter	9200	x86-64	2023-10-10
Windows Server 2012 R2	Windows Server Blue	2013-10-17	NT 6.3	9600	2023-10-10
Windows Server 2016	—	2016-10-12	1607[20]	Windows Server Essentials[s] Windows Server Standard Windows Server Datacenter	14393	2027-01-12
Windows Server, version 1709[21]	—	2017-10-17	1709	16299	2019-04-09
Windows Server, version 1803[22]	—	2018-04-30	1803	17134	2019-11-12
Windows Server, version 1809	—	2018-11-13[23]	1809	17763	2020-11-10
Windows Server 2019[20]	—	2029-01-09[20]
Windows Server, version 1903[20]	—	2019-05-21	1903	18362	2020-12-08[20]
Windows Server, version 1909[20]	—	2019-11-12	1909	18363	2021-05-11[20]
Windows Server, version 2004[24]	—	2020-06-26	2004	19041	2021-12-14[20]
Windows Server, version 20H2[24]	—	2020-10-20	20H2	19042	2022-08-09[20]
Windows Server 2022	—	2021-08-18	21H2[25]	20348	2031-10-14[20]

High-performance computing (HPC) servers[edit]

Name	Codename	Release date	Based on
Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003	—	2006-06-09	Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows HPC Server 2008	Socrates	2008-09-22	Windows Server 2008
Windows HPC Server 2008 R2	—	2010-09-20	Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Essential Business Server[edit]

Name	Codename	Release date	End-of-support date	Build number	Based on
Windows Essential Business Server 2008	Centro	2008-09-15	2020-01-14	5700	Windows Server 2008

Windows Home Server[edit]

Name	Codename	Release date	End-of-support date	Based on
Windows Home Server	Quattro	2007-11-04	2013-01-08	Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows Home Server 2011	Vail	2011-04-06	2016-04-12	Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows MultiPoint Server[edit]

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	2010-02-24	2020-07-14	NT 6.1	537	Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows MultiPoint Server 2011	WMS 2	2011-05-12	2021-07-13	1600	Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1
Windows MultiPoint Server 2012	WMS 3	2012-10-30	2023-10-10	NT 6.2	2506	Windows Server 2012

Windows Small Business Server[edit]

Name	Codename	Release date	End-of-support date	Build number	Based on
Small Business Server 2000	—	2001-02-21	2010-07-13	1343	Windows 2000 Server
Windows Small Business Server 2003	Bobcat	2003-10-09	2015-07-14	2893	Windows Server 2003
Windows Small Business Server 2008	Cougar	2008-08-21	2020-01-14	5601	Windows Server 2008
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard	Windows Small Business Server 7	2010-12-13	2020-01-14	7900	Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials	Colorado	2011-06-28	2013-01-05	8800

Device versions[edit]

ARM-based tablets[edit]

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 (such as the Surface Pro 4) 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 (up to nine inches);^[26] 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	2012-10-26	NT 6.2	9200	Windows 8
Windows RT 8.1	2013-10-18	NT 6.3	9600	Windows 8.1

Mixed reality and virtual reality headsets[edit]

Name	Build number
Windows 10 Holographic, version 1607[27]	14393
Windows 10 Holographic, version 1803[27]	17134
Windows 10 Holographic, version 1809[27]	17763
Windows Holographic, version 1903[28]	18362
Windows Holographic, version 2004[28]	19041
Windows Holographic, version 20H2[28]	19041
Windows Holographic, version 21H1[28]	20346
Windows Holographic, version 21H2[28]	20348
Windows Holographic, version 22H1[28]	20348

Surface Hub[edit]

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[29]	10586
Windows 10 Team, version 1607[29]	14393
Windows 10 Team, version 1703[29]	15063
Windows 10 Team, version 20H2[29]	19042

Windows XP-based tablets[edit]

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	—	2002-11-07	NT 5.1	2600	Windows XP
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005	Lonestar	2004-08	NT 5.1	2600	Windows XP

Embedded versions[edit]

Windows Embedded Compact[edit]

Name	Codename(s)	Release date
Windows CE 1.0	Pegasus; Alder	1996-11-16
Windows CE 2.0	Jupiter; Birch	1997-09-29
Windows CE 2.1	—	1998-07
Windows CE 2.11	—	1998-10
Windows CE 2.12	—	1999
Windows CE 3.0	Cedar; Galileo	2000
Windows CE 4.0	Talisker	2002-01-07
Windows CE 4.1	Jameson	2002-07-30
Windows CE 4.2	McKendric	2003-04-23
Windows CE 5.0	Macallan	2004-07-09
Windows Embedded CE 6.0	Yamakazi	2006-11-01
Windows Embedded Compact 7	Chelan	2011-03-01
Windows Embedded Compact 2013	—	2013-06-13

Windows Embedded Standard[edit]

Name	Codename	Release date	Based on
Windows NT Embedded 4.0	Impala	1999-08-30	Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
Windows XP Embedded	Mantis	2001-11-28	Windows XP Professional
Windows Embedded Standard 2009	—	2008-12-14	Windows XP Service Pack 3
Windows Embedded Standard 7	Quebec	2010	Windows 7
Windows Embedded 8	—	2013	Windows 8
Windows Embedded 8.1	—	2013	Windows 8.1

Other embedded versions[edit]

• Windows Embedded Industry
• Windows Embedded Automotive

Cancelled versions[edit]

Cancelled personal computer versions[edit]

Codename	Intended name	Discontinuation	Version	Latest known build number	Notes
Cairo	—	1996	NT 4.0	1175	Originally announced at the 1991 Microsoft Professional Developers Conference, Cairo was the codename of a project whose charter was to build technologies for a next-generation operating system that would fulfill Bill Gates’s vision of «information at your fingertips».[30] Cairo never shipped, although portions of its technologies have since appeared in other products.
Nashville[t]	Windows 96	1996	4.1	999	Nashville was an operating system planned to have been released between Windows 95 and Windows 98, presumably under the «Windows 96» moniker.
Neptune	—	Early 2000	NT 5.50	5111	Neptune, based on the Windows 2000 codebase, was planned to be the first version of Microsoft Windows NT to have a consumer edition variant. A version was sent out to testers but was never released.[31] The teams working on Neptune and Odyssey eventually combined to work on Windows XP.
Odyssey	—	Early 2000	NT 6.0[32]	—	Odyssey was planned to be the successor of Windows 2000. The teams working on Neptune and Odyssey eventually combined to work on Windows XP.
Triton	—	Early 2000	—	—	Triton was planned to be the successor of Windows Neptune and had been scheduled to be released in March 2001.
Blackcomb	—	2006-01	—	—	Blackcomb was originally planned to be a release of Windows following Windows XP. However, due to the large feature scope planned for Blackcomb, a smaller release codenamed «Longhorn» was planned first, and Blackcomb was delayed to 2003/2004. Both projects faced delays; Longhorn would go on to be released to consumers as «Windows Vista» in January 2007, while development on Blackcomb continued until the Blackcomb project was renamed «Vienna» in early 2006.
Vienna	—	2007-07[u]	—	—	Vienna replaced Blackcomb and was intended as Windows Vista’s successor. Vienna was eventually cancelled in favor of a new project codenamed «Windows 7» (which went on to be released in 2009 with the same name).
Polaris	—	2018	—	16299	Cancelled in favor of Santorini
Santorini[v]	Windows 10X	2021-05-18[w][34]	21H1	20279	Microsoft had been reported as working on a new «lite» version of Windows as early as December 2018.[35] Such a version was officially announced under the name «Windows 10X» at an event in October 2019; the operating system was intended to first launch on dual-screen devices. In May 2020, Microsoft announced that Windows 10X would instead be launching on single-screen PCs, such as laptops and 2-in-1 devices, first.[36] However, on May 18, 2021, Microsoft announced that Windows 10X would not be launching (at least not in 2021); many of its features were instead rolled into Windows 11.

Cancelled mobile versions[edit]

Codename	Intended name	Discontinuation	Notes
Photon	Windows Mobile 7	September 2008[37]	Originally a successor of Windows Mobile, it had been scrapped for Windows Phone 7[38][39]
Phoenix	—	Early 2017	Cancelled when Microsoft «wound down» its phone efforts.[40]
Andromeda	—	Mid-2018	Much of the work that was put into Andromeda was migrated into Santorini. The Surface Duo, a dual-screen Android-powered smartphone launched by Microsoft in 2020, was loosely based on the prototype hardware that had been used to test Andromeda.[41]

Cancelled server versions[edit]

Codename	Intended name	Discontinuation	Latest known build number
Cascades	Windows Essential Business Server 2008 R2	April 7, 2010[w]	7224

See also[edit]

• List of Microsoft operating systems
• Microsoft Windows version history
• Windows 10 version history
• Windows 11 version history
• Comparison of Microsoft Windows versions
• List of Microsoft codenames

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Каждая из версий Windows существует в нескольких редакциях (выпусках). У старых версий, выпускаемых в 90-е годы, их было значительно меньше.  Эволюция операционной системы, адаптация компании Microsoft к современному рынку сбыта, а также прочие обстоятельства обусловили появление новых разновидностей Windows. Последняя версия 10 – лидер по их числу. Её дистрибутивов – как функциональных редакций, так и сборок, фиксирующих то или иное состояние системы – существует огромное множество. Ниже попробуем разобраться в них.

Прежде чем приступить к обзору дистрибутивов конкретно «Десятки», предлагаю для начала посмотреть на изначальную структуру разновидностей Windows. Так поймём всю грандиозность размаха основного продукта Microsoft.

Главенствующий критерий деления Windows – это семейства. Основные семейства такие:

• Windows NT – это линейка десктопных (для ПК, ноутбуков и планшетов) и линейка серверных систем, начиная с Windows NT 3.1 и заканчивая Windows 10 и серверной Windows Server 2022. Десктопные NT – это те, что используются повсеместно;
• Windows Embedded – тип системы для терминалов, банкоматов, прочих автоматов и различной аппаратуры;
• Windows 10 IoT – пришедшая на замену Embedded операционная система для производственных устройств, но уже с большим перечнем их поддержки. Среди таких устройств – системы автоматизации «Умный дом»;
• Windows Mobile, она же в более раннем релизе Windows Phone – платформа для мобильных устройств.

***

В каждом семействе могут существовать свои линейки (как в случае с NT), свои версии, свои редакции, свои подредакции и т.п. У «Десятки» же делений ещё больше. Если будем скачивать её установочный ISO-образ не с помощью официальной утилиты от Microsoft MediaCreationTool, а, например, посредством программы Windows ISO Downloader, в перечне выбора увидим массу возможных дистрибутивов.

В случае с «Десяткой» имеем не только стабильную ветвь операционной системы, но и ветвь в рамках проекта Windows Insider – программы тестирования новшеств операционной системы. Плюс к этому, поскольку Microsoft заявила, что как минимум в скором будущем не будет новых версий системы, и компания собирается работать над совершенствованием «Десятки» параллельно с её использованием массами, по итогу этой работы на сегодняшний день имеем массу сборок и версий самой версии 10. К этим всем разновидностям мы ещё вернёмся, а пока же рассмотрим, какие существуют редакции системы.

Редакции – четвёртое колено деления Windows NT. В семействе существует две линейки, в линейках есть свои версии, а у каждой из версий – свои редакции. Редакции предусматриваются прежде всего для удобства самой компании Microsoft, так ей выгоднее торговать лицензионными копиями операционной системы. Основа торговли – редакция Pro, от неё уже пляшется в ту или иную сторону. Урезая какой-то функционал, компания снижает лицензионную плату за использование операционной системы, делая её таким образом доступной по цене большему числу лиц. А, предлагая дополнительные возможности в редакциях для определённых сегментов рынка, компания умудряется торговать одним и тем же, но по принципу «Для бедных цена — рубль, для богатых — два». 

В плане урезания возможностей, кстати, компании нужно отдать должное. В отличие от производителей процессоров, которые толкают на рынок модели для «днищенских» ноутбуков, заведомо понимая, что такие процессоры непригодны для использования в современных условиях, Microsoft меру знает и палку не перегибает. Базовая редакция Home любой из версий Виндовс способна в полной мере удовлетворить потребности обывателя.

Итак, какие существуют редакции Виндовс 10?

Home

Home (Домашняя) – базовый набор возможностей «Десятки» с урезанными функциями редакции Pro как то: групповая политика, BitLocker, Hyper-V, средства удалённого подключения, подключение к Azure AD и т.п.  Home также ограничена в возможности отложить системные обновления на определённый срок, как это можно делать в редакциях выше. Это бюджетный вариант законного использования системы, но не самый дешёвый.

Home Single Language

Производная от Home подредакция Home Single Language (Домашняя для одного языка) ограничена использованием Windows только в рамках одного системного языка. У неё самый дешёвый лицензионный ключ.

Pro

Pro (Профессиональная) – редакция с оптимальной подборкой функционала для продвинутых пользователей.

Pro for Workstations

Pro for Workstations (Профессиональная для рабочих станций) – продвинутая подредакция для мощных компьютеров, в частности, для серверного оборудования. Появилась вместе с осенним крупным апдейтом Fall Creators Update. Её ключевой особенностью является улучшенная надёжность хранения данных, в частности, работа с файловой системой ReFS.

Enterprise

Enterprise (Корпоративная) – редакция для организаций, предусматривающая поверх возможностей Pro усиленные технологии безопасности и функционал, предназначенный для системщиков-профессионалов. У «Корпоративной» есть урезанная функционально и с долгосрочной задержкой поставки обновлений подредакция LTSB для предприятий и сервисов, коим нужна стабильная среда для функционирования техники. Microsoft не продаёт Enterprise обычным пользователям, только юридическим лицам по подписке. Компания заявляет, что покупка этой редакции частными лицами невозможна в принципе, однако в Интернете купить лицензию для Enterprise можно сплошь и рядом. И, естественно, далеко не все точки продаж цифровых ключей будут требовать от нас подтверждения о причастности к сфере хозяйствования.

Enterprise multi-session

Enterprise multi-session, ранее известная как Enterprise for Virtual Desktops — подредакция Enterprise, заточенная под работу операционной системы по типу узла сеанса удалённого рабочего стола.

IoT Enterprise
IoT Enterprise — подредакция Enterprise, заточенная под работу на устройствах фиксированного назначения (терминалы, вывески, почтоматы, телекоммуникационные системы, торговое, медицинкое, бортовое, транспортное и пр. оборудование)

Education

Education (Образовательная) – это, по сути, та же редакция Enterprise, только с возможностью удаления голосового ассистента Кортаны и невозможностью перехода на LTSB. Главное отличие Education – её ориентация на рынок образовательных учреждений и в связи с этим распространение по цене, в разы меньшей, нежели Enterprise. Приобрести редакцию могут ВУЗы, ПТУ, библиотеки, музеи, благотворительные организации, преподавательский состав учебных заведений и сами студенты, если они не заочники. Условием приобретения редакции является право компании Microsoft требовать документального подтверждения соответствующего статуса покупателя.

S

S – редакция, урезанная в части недоступности десктопного функционала. Её специфика детально описывается в этой статье. Редакция более не существует.

---

Примечание: друзья, детальное сравнение основных редакций Windows 10 вы можете посмотреть

на сайте Майкрософт, где компания представляет подробную сравнительную таблицу с описанием доступного для редакций функционала

.

---

N и KN

Windows N – это не отдельная редакция, даже не подредакция, это разновидность Home и Pro без Windows Media Player и ещё некоторых компонентов. Урезанную сборку Microsoft вынуждена была создать в 2004 году в соответствии с требованием Европейской Комиссии, ставшей на защиту интересов сторонних европейских разработчиков, что выпускали свои мультимедийные продукты.

Windows KN также появилась в принудительном порядке. Через пару лет после европейского прецедента решение против Microsoft вынесла Южнокорейская Торговая комиссия, удовлетворив иск разработчика Daum Communications и обязав софтверного гиганта выпускать на южнокорейский рынок сборку операционной системы без штатного проигрывателя и Instant Messenger (мессенджера на борту Windows XP).

В версии Windows 10 сборки N и KN не предусматривают предустановленных приложений Windows Media Player, Groove Music, «Кино и ТВ», «Запись голоса» и «Скайп». Также не работают функции синхронизации системы, веб-камера, Cortana, открытие PDF-файлов в Microsoft Edge и прочие вещи. Windows 10 N и KN предназначены, соответственно, для Европы и Южной Кореи – территориальных юрисдикций органов, вынесших решения против Microsoft. И поскольку существование этих сборок носит принудительный характер, естественно, компания о них без надобности не распространяет информацию.

Если мы откроем свойства «Десятки», в графе характеристик увидим отметку о её версии и сборке.

Номер сборки отражает информацию об определённом наборе функционала Windows 10 и меняется часто, по мере внедрения обновлений в стабильную ветвь после их «обкатки» в рамках программы Windows Insider. Номера версий «Десятки» меняются реже, их смена приурочена к серии функциональных обновлений, выпускаемых каждые полгода. Порядковые номера версий не носят последовательный характер, в них заключена информация о месяце или полугодии и годе выпуска. Кроме номеров, у версий есть названия – технические (для разработчиков Microsoft и инсайдеров) и носящие название самих полугодичных функциональных обновлений (простые понятия для обычных пользователей). Версий Windows 10 много:

• 1507, Threshold 1 – первое обновление «Десятки», вышедшее в июле 2015 г.;
• 1511, Threshold 2, по-простому November Update – второе обновление, вышедшее в ноябре 2015 г.;
• 1607, Redstone 1, по-простому Anniversary Update – третье обновление, вышедшее в июле 2016 г.
• 1703, Redstone 2, по-простому Creators Update – четвёртое обновление, вышедшее в марте 2017 г.;
• 1709, Redstone 3, по-простому Fall Creators Update – пятое обновление, вышедшее в октябре 2017 г.;
• 1803, Redstone 4, по-простому April 2018 Update – шестое обновление, вышедшее в апреле 2018 г.; 
• 1809, Redstone 5, по-простому October 2018 Update – седьмое обновление, вышедшее в октябре 2018 г.;
• 1903, 19H1, по-простому May 2019 Update – восьмое обновление, вышедшее в мае 2019 г.;
• 1909, Vanadium или 19H2, по-простому November 2019 Update – девятое обновление, вышедшее в ноябре 2019 г.;
• 2004, 20H1, по-простому May 2020 Update – десятое обновление, вышедшее в мае 2020 г.;
• 2009, 20H2, Windows 10 «Manganese» — одиннадцатое незначительное обновление, вышедшее в октябре 2020 г.

Вот сколько много щупалец у гигантского спрута под названием Windows 10.

Статьи на эту тему:

«Windows 9» redirects here. For the series of operating systems produced from 1995 to 2000, see Windows 9x. For the related operating system for mobile devices, see Windows 10 Mobile.

Windows 10

Version of the Windows NT operating system
Screenshot of Windows 10 version 22H2, showing the Start menu and Action Center in light theme
Developer	Microsoft
Written in	C, C++, C#, assembly language
OS family	Microsoft Windows
Source model	Closed-source (source-available through the Shared Source Initiative) Some components free and open-source[1][2][3][4]
Released to manufacturing	July 15, 2015; 8 years ago
General availability	July 29, 2015; 8 years ago
Latest release	22H2 (10.0.19045.3516) (September 26, 2023; 13 days ago[5]) [±]
Latest preview	22H2 (10.0.19045.3516) (September 26, 2023; 13 days ago[6][7]) [±]
Marketing target	Personal computing
Available in	110 languages[8][9] (Specific language packs included on the device depend on the mobile operator (for cellular connected devices) or device manufacturer. Additional language packs are available for download on the Microsoft Store, pursuant to manufacturer and carrier support.)
List of languages Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Assamese, Azerbaijani, Bangla (Bangladesh), Bangla (India), Basque, Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Central Kurdish, Cherokee, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari — Persian (Afghanistan), Dutch, German, Greek, English (United Kingdom), English (United States), Estonian, Finnish, Filipino, French (Canada), French (France), Galician, Georgian, Gujarati, Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Khmer, K’iche’, Kinyarwanda, Konkani, Korean, Kyrgyz, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Luxembourgish, Macedonian, Malay, Malayalam, Maltese, Maori, Marathi, Mongolian, Nepali, Northern Sotho, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Odia, Persian (Iran), Punjabi (Arabic), Punjabi (Gurmukhi), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Quechua, Romanian, Russian, Scottish Gaelic, Serbian (Cyrillic, Bosnia & Herzegovina), Serbian (Cyrillic, Serbia), Serbian (Latin), Sindhi (Arabic), Sinhala, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), Swahili, Swedish, Tajik, Tamil, Tatar, Telugu, Thai, Tigrinya, Tswana, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek, Valencian, Vietnamese, Welsh, Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, Zulu
Update method	Windows Update Windows Server Update Services
Platforms	IA-32, x86-64, ARMv7,[10][11] ARMv8[12][13][14]
Kernel type	Hybrid (Windows NT kernel)
Userland	Native API Windows API .NET Framework Universal Windows Platform Windows Subsystem for Linux NTVDM (IA-32 only)
Default user interface	Windows shell (graphical)
License	Trialware,[15] Microsoft Software Assurance, MSDN subscription, Microsoft Imagine
Preceded by	Windows 8.1 (2013)
Succeeded by	Windows 11 (2021)
Official website	Windows 10 (archived at Wayback Machine)
Support status
All non-LTSC versions: Supported until October 14, 2025, with the latest feature updates.[16][17] All LTSC IoT variants, and all LTSC variants from 2019 and older: Supported for 10 years after release. LTSC (non-IoT) variants from 2021 and later: Supported for 5 years after release. Supported until at most January 13, 2032, See § Support lifecycle for details.

Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft’s Windows NT operating system. It is the direct successor to Windows 8.1, which was released nearly two years earlier. It was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on July 29, 2015.^[18] Windows 10 was made available for download via MSDN and TechNet, as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users via the Windows Store, and to Windows 7 users via Windows Update. Windows 10 receives new builds on an ongoing basis, which are available at no additional cost to users, in addition to additional test builds of Windows 10, which are available to Windows Insiders. Devices in enterprise environments can receive these updates at a slower pace, or use long-term support milestones that only receive critical updates, such as security patches, over their ten-year lifespan of extended support.^[19][20] In June 2021, Microsoft announced that support for Windows 10 editions which are not in the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) will end on October 14, 2025.^[16]

Windows 10 received generally positive reviews upon its original release. Critics praised Microsoft’s decision to provide the desktop-oriented interface in line with previous versions of Windows, contrasting the tablet-oriented approach of Windows 8, although Windows 10’s touch-oriented user interface mode was criticized for containing regressions upon the touch-oriented interface of its predecessor. Critics also praised the improvements to Windows 10’s bundled software over Windows 8.1, Xbox Live integration, as well as the functionality and capabilities of the Cortana personal assistant and the replacement of Internet Explorer with Microsoft Edge. However, media outlets have been critical of the changes to operating system behaviors, including mandatory update installation, privacy concerns over data collection performed by the OS for Microsoft and its partners, and adware-like tactics used to promote the operating system on its release.^[21]

Microsoft initially aimed to have Windows 10 installed on over one billion devices within three years of its release;^[19] that goal was ultimately reached almost five years after release on March 16, 2020,^[22] and Windows 10 is now the most used version in virtually all countries. By January 2018, Windows 10 surpassed Windows 7 as the most popular version of Windows worldwide. And its market share peaked at 82.5% in December 2021, shortly after the introductions of its successor, and as of September 2023, it is estimated to have a 71% share of Windows PCs, still three times its successor Windows 11’s share of 24% (and 18 times Windows 7’s 4% share). The share has been declining from a January 2022 peak of 82%,^[24] since Windows 11’s release, which is now the second most popular Windows version in many countries. Windows 10 has an estimated 49% share of all PCs (the rest being other Windows editions and other operating systems such as macOS and Linux), and an estimated 21% share of all devices (including mobile, tablet and console)^[25] are running Windows 10. On June 24, 2021, Microsoft announced Windows 10’s successor, Windows 11, which was released on October 5, 2021.^[26]

Windows 10 is the final version of Windows that supports 32-bit processors (IA-32 and ARMv7-based) and devices with BIOS firmware. Its successor, Windows 11, requires a device that uses UEFI firmware and a 64-bit processor in any supported architecture (x86-64 for x86 and ARMv8 for ARM).^[27]

Development

At the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in 2011, Andrew Lees, the chief of Microsoft’s mobile technologies, said that the company intended to have a single software ecosystem for PCs, smartphones, tablets, and other devices: «We won’t have an ecosystem for PCs, and one for phones, and one for tablets‍—‌they’ll all come together.»^[28][29]

In December 2013, technology writer Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft was working on an update to Windows 8 codenamed «Threshold», after a planet in its Halo franchise.^[30] Similarly to «Blue» (which became Windows 8.1),^[31] Foley described Threshold, not as a single operating system, but as a «wave of operating systems» across multiple Microsoft platforms and services, quoting Microsoft sources, scheduled for the second quarter of 2015. She also stated that one of the goals for Threshold was to create a unified application platform and development toolkit for Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox One (which all use a similar kernel based on Windows NT).^[30][32]

At the Build Conference in April 2014, Microsoft’s Terry Myerson unveiled an updated version of Windows 8.1 (build 9697) that added the ability to run Windows Store apps inside desktop windows and a more traditional Start menu in place of the Start screen seen in Windows 8. The new Start menu takes after Windows 7’s design by using only a portion of the screen and including an application listing in the left column. The right column displays Windows 8-style app tiles. Myerson said that these changes would occur in a future update, but did not elaborate.^[33][34] Microsoft also unveiled the concept of a «universal Windows app», allowing Windows Store apps created for Windows 8.1 to be ported to Windows Phone 8.1 and Xbox One while sharing a common codebase, with an interface designed for different device form factors, and allowing user data and licenses for an app to be shared between multiple platforms. Windows Phone 8.1 would share nearly 90% of the common Windows Runtime APIs with Windows 8.1 on PCs.^{[33][35][36][37]}

Screenshots of a Windows build purported to be Threshold were leaked in July 2014, showing the previously presented Start menu and windowed Windows Store apps,^[32] followed by a further screenshot of a build identifying itself as «Windows Technical Preview», numbered 9834, in September 2014, showing a new virtual desktop system, a notification center, and a new File Explorer icon.^[38]

Announcement

«Windows 9» redirects here. For the Windows versions produced from 1995 to 2000, see Windows 9x. For the Windows version following Windows 8, see Windows 8.1.

On September 30, 2014, Microsoft officially announced that Threshold would be unveiled during a media event as Windows 10. Myerson said that Windows 10 would be Microsoft’s «most comprehensive platform ever», providing a single, unified platform for desktop and laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, and all-in-one devices.^[39][40][41] He emphasized that Windows 10 would take steps towards restoring user interface mechanics from Windows 7 to improve the experience for users on non-touch devices, noting criticism of Windows 8’s touch-oriented interface by keyboard and mouse users.^[42][43] Despite these concessions, Myerson noted that the touch-optimized interface would evolve as well on Windows 10.^[44]

In regards to Microsoft naming the new operating system Windows 10 instead of Windows 9, Terry Myerson said that «based on the product that’s coming, and just how different our approach will be overall, it wouldn’t be right to call it Windows 9.»^[45] He also joked that they could not call it «Windows One» (referring to several recent Microsoft products with a similar brand, such as OneDrive, OneNote, and the Xbox One) because Windows 1.0 already existed.^[46] At a San Francisco conference in October 2014, Tony Prophet, Microsoft’s Vice President of Windows Marketing, said that Windows 9 «came and went», and that Windows 10 would not be «an incremental step from Windows 8.1», but «a material step. We’re trying to create one platform, one eco-system that unites as many of the devices from the small embedded Internet of Things, through tablets, through phones, through PCs and, ultimately, into the Xbox.»^[47]

Further details surrounding Windows 10’s consumer-oriented features were presented during another media event held on January 21, 2015, titled «Windows 10: The Next Chapter». The keynote featured the unveiling of Cortana integration within the operating system, new Xbox-oriented features, Windows 10 Mobile, an updated Office Mobile suite, Surface Hub‍—‌a large-screened Windows 10 device for enterprise collaboration based upon Perceptive Pixel technology,^[48] along with HoloLens‑augmented reality eyewear and an associated platform for building apps that can render holograms through HoloLens.^[49]

Additional developer-oriented details surrounding the «Universal Windows Platform» concept were revealed and discussed during Microsoft’s Build developers’ conference. Among them were the unveiling of «Islandwood», which provides a middleware toolchain for compiling Objective-C-based software (particularly iOS) to run as universal apps on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. A port of Candy Crush Saga made using the toolkit, which shared much of its code with the iOS version, was demonstrated, alongside the announcement that the King-developed game would be bundled with Windows 10 at launch.^{[50][51][52][53]}

At the 2015 Ignite conference, Microsoft employee Jerry Nixon stated that Windows 10 would be the «last version of Windows», a statement that Microsoft confirmed was «reflective» of its view of the operating system being a «service» with new versions and updates to be released over time.^[54][55][56] In 2021, however, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be succeeded on compatible hardware by Windows 11–and that Windows 10 support will end on October 14, 2025.^[57][58]

Release and marketing

On June 1, 2015, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would be released on July 29, 2015.^[18] On July 20, 2015, Microsoft began «Upgrade Your World», an advertising campaign centering on Windows 10, with the premiere of television commercials in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The commercials focused on the tagline «A more human way to do», emphasizing new features and technologies supported by Windows 10 that sought to provide a more «personal» experience to users.^[59][60] The campaign culminated with launch events in thirteen cities on July 29, 2015, which celebrated «the unprecedented role our biggest fans played in the development of Windows 10».^[61]

Features

Windows 10 makes its user experience and functionality more consistent between different classes of device, and addresses many shortcomings of the user interface introduced in Windows 8.^[42][43][62] Windows 10 Mobile, the successor to Windows Phone 8.1, shared some user interface elements and apps with its PC counterpart.^[63]

Windows 10 supports universal apps, an expansion of the Metro-style first introduced in Windows 8. Universal apps can be designed to run across multiple Microsoft product families with nearly identical code‍—‌including PCs, tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, Xbox One, Surface Hub and Mixed Reality. The Windows user interface was revised to handle transitions between a mouse-oriented interface and a touchscreen-optimized interface based on available input devices‍—‌particularly on 2-in-1 PCs. Both interfaces include an updated Start menu which incorporates elements of Windows 7’s traditional Start menu with the tiles of Windows 8. Windows 10 also introduced the Microsoft Edge web browser, a virtual desktop system, a window and desktop management feature called Task View, support for fingerprint and face recognition login, new security features for enterprise environments, and DirectX 12.

The Windows Runtime app ecosystem was revised into the Universal Windows Platform (UWP).^[35][64][65] These universal apps are made to run across multiple platforms and device classes, including smartphones, tablets, Xbox One consoles, and other devices compatible with Windows 10. Windows apps share code across platforms, have responsive designs that adapt to the needs of the device and available inputs, can synchronize data between Windows 10 devices (including notifications, credentials, and allowing cross-platform multiplayer for games), and are distributed through the Microsoft Store (rebranded from Windows Store since September 2017).^[66] Developers can allow «cross-buys», where purchased licenses for an app apply to all of the user’s compatible devices, rather than only the one they purchased on (e.g., a user purchasing an app on PC is also entitled to use the smartphone version at no extra cost).^[36][67][68]

The ARM version of Windows 10 allows running applications for x86 processors through 32-bit software emulation.^[69]

On Windows 10, the Microsoft Store serves as a unified storefront for apps, video content, and eBooks.^[70] Windows 10 also allows web apps and desktop software (using either Win32 or .NET Framework) to be packaged for distribution on the Microsoft Store. Desktop software distributed through Windows Store is packaged using the App-V system to allow sandboxing.^[71][72]

User interface and desktop

A new iteration of the Start menu is used on the Windows 10 desktop, with a list of places and other options on the left side, and tiles representing applications on the right. The menu can be resized, and expanded into a full-screen display, which is the default option in Tablet mode.^[42][62][73] A new virtual desktop system was added by a feature known as Task View, which displays all open windows and allows users to switch between them, or switch between multiple workspaces.^[42][62] Universal apps, which previously could be used only in full screen mode, can now be used in self-contained windows similarly to other programs.^[42][62] Program windows can now be snapped to quadrants of the screen by dragging them to the corner. When a window is snapped to one side of the screen, Task View appears and the user is prompted to choose a second window to fill the unused side of the screen (called «Snap Assist»).^[62] The Windows system icons were also changed.^[73]

Charms have been removed; their functionality in universal apps is accessed from an App commands menu on their title bar.^[42][62] In its place is Action Center, which displays notifications and settings toggles. It is accessed by clicking an icon in the notification area, or dragging from the right of the screen. Notifications can be synced between multiple devices.^[63][73] The Settings app (formerly PC Settings) was refreshed and now includes more options that were previously exclusive to the desktop Control Panel.

Windows 10 is designed to adapt its user interface based on the type of device being used and available input methods. It offers two separate user interface modes: a user interface optimized for mouse and keyboard, and a «Tablet mode» designed for touchscreens. Users can toggle between these two modes at any time, and Windows can prompt or automatically switch when certain events occur, such as disabling Tablet mode on a tablet if a keyboard or mouse is plugged in, or when a 2-in-1 PC is switched to its laptop state. In Tablet mode, programs default to a maximized view, and the taskbar contains a back button and hides buttons for opened or pinned programs by default; Task View is used instead to switch between programs. The full screen Start menu is used in this mode, similarly to Windows 8, but scrolls vertically instead of horizontally.^{[43][76][77][78]}

System security

Windows 10 incorporates multi-factor authentication technology based upon standards developed by the FIDO Alliance.^[79] The operating system includes improved support for biometric authentication through the Windows Hello platform. Devices with supported cameras (requiring infrared illumination, such as Intel RealSense) allow users to log in with iris or face recognition, similarly to Kinect. Devices with supported readers allow users to log in through fingerprint recognition. Support was also added for palm-vein scanning through a partnership with Fujitsu in February 2018.^[80] Credentials are stored locally and protected using asymmetric encryption.^[81]

In 2017, researchers demonstrated that Windows Hello could be bypassed on fully-updated Windows 10 version 1703 with a color printout of a person’s picture taken with an IR camera.^[82] In 2021, researchers were again able to bypass the Windows Hello functionalities by using custom hardware disguised as a camera, which presented an IR photo of the owner’s face.^[83]

In addition to biometric authentication, Windows Hello supports authentication with a PIN. By default, Windows requires a PIN to consist of four digits, but can be configured to permit more complex PINs. However, a PIN is not a simpler password. While passwords are transmitted to domain controllers, PINs are not. They are tied to one device, and if compromised, only one device is affected. Backed by a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, Windows uses PINs to create strong asymmetric key pairs. As such, the authentication token transmitted to the server is harder to crack. In addition, whereas weak passwords may be broken via rainbow tables, TPM causes the much-simpler Windows PINs to be resilient to brute-force attacks.^[84]

When Windows 10 was first introduced, multi-factor authentication was provided by two components: Windows Hello and Passport (not to be confused with the Passport platform of 1998). Later, Passport was merged into Windows Hello.^[85][81]

The enterprise edition of Windows 10 offers additional security features; administrators can set up policies for the automatic encryption of sensitive data, selectively block applications from accessing encrypted data, and enable Device Guard‍—‌a system which allows administrators to enforce a high-security environment by blocking the execution of software that is not digitally signed by a trusted vendor or Microsoft. Device Guard is designed to protect against zero-day exploits, and runs inside a hypervisor so that its operation remains separated from the operating system itself.^[79][86]

Command line

The console windows based on Windows Console (for any console app, not just PowerShell and Windows Command Prompt) can now be resized without any restrictions, can be made to cover the full screen by pressing Alt+↵ Enter, and can use standard keyboard shortcuts, such as those for cut, copy, and paste. Other features such as word wrap and transparency were also added. These functions can be disabled to revert to the legacy console if needed.^[87]

The Anniversary Update added Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which allows the installation of a user space environment from a supported Linux distribution that runs natively on Windows. The subsystem translates Linux system calls to those of the Windows NT kernel (only claims full system call compatibility as of WSL 2, included in a later Windows update). The environment can execute the Bash shell and 64-bit command-line programs (WSL 2 also supports 32-bit Linux programs and graphics, assuming supporting software installed,^[88] and GPUs support for other uses^[89]). Windows applications cannot be executed from the Linux environment, and vice versa. Linux distributions for Windows Subsystem for Linux are obtained through Microsoft Store. The feature initially supported an Ubuntu-based environment; Microsoft announced in May 2017 that it would add Fedora and OpenSUSE environment options as well.^{[90][91][92][93][94][95][96]}

Storage requirements

To reduce the storage footprint of the operating system, Windows 10 automatically compresses system files. The system can reduce the storage footprint of Windows by approximately 1.5 GB for 32-bit systems and 2.6 GB for 64-bit systems. The level of compression used is dependent on a performance assessment performed during installations or by OEMs, which tests how much compression can be used without harming operating system performance. Furthermore, the Refresh and Reset functions use runtime system files instead, making a separate recovery partition redundant, allowing patches and updates to remain installed following the operation, and further reducing the amount of space required for Windows 10 by up to 12 GB. These functions replace the WIMBoot mode introduced on Windows 8.1 Update, which allowed OEMs to configure low-capacity devices with flash-based storage to use Windows system files out of the compressed WIM image typically used for installation and recovery.^{[97][better source needed][98][99]} Windows 10 also includes a function in its Settings app that allows users to view a breakdown of how their device’s storage capacity is being used by different types of files, and determine whether certain types of files are saved to internal storage or an SD card by default.^[100]

Online services and functionality

Windows 10 introduces Microsoft Edge, a new default web browser. It initially featured a new standards-compliant rendering engine derived from Trident, and also includes annotation tools and integration with other Microsoft platforms present within Windows 10.^{[101][102][103]} Internet Explorer 11 is maintained on Windows 10 for compatibility purposes, but is deprecated in favor of Edge and, since mid-June 2022, is no longer supported on editions which follow Microsoft’s Modern Lifecycle Policy.^{[104][105][106][107]} The initial version of Edge was later succeeded by a new iteration derived from the Chromium Project and Blink layout engine,^[108] which replaced the previous EdgeHTML-based version of Edge (renamed «Microsoft Edge Legacy»),^[109] and is bundled with the OS by default from build 20H2 onwards.^[110]

Windows 10 incorporates a universal search box located alongside the Start and Task View buttons, which can be hidden or condensed into a single button.^[111][112] Previous versions featured Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant Cortana, which was first introduced with Windows Phone 8.1 in 2014, and supports both text and voice input. Many of its features are a direct carryover from Windows Phone, including integration with Bing, setting reminders, a Notebook feature for managing personal information, as well as searching for files, playing music, launching applications and setting reminders or sending emails.^{[113][114][73]} Since the November 2019 update, Microsoft has begun to downplay Cortana as part of a repositioning of the product towards enterprise use, with the May 2020 update removing its Windows shell integration and consumer-oriented features.^{[115][116][111][117]}

Microsoft Family Safety is replaced by Microsoft Family, a parental controls system that applies across Windows platforms and Microsoft online services. Users can create a designated family, and monitor and restrict the actions of users designated as children, such as access to websites, enforcing age ratings on Microsoft Store purchases, and other restrictions. The service can also send weekly e-mail reports to parents detailing a child’s computer usage. Unlike previous versions of Windows, child accounts in a family must be associated with a Microsoft account‍—‌which allows these settings to apply across all Windows 10 devices that a particular child is using.^[118][119]

Windows 10 also offers the Wi-Fi Sense feature originating from Windows Phone 8.1; users can optionally have their device automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, and share their home network’s password with contacts (either via Skype, People, or Facebook) so they may automatically connect to the network on a Windows 10 device without needing to manually enter its password. Credentials are stored in an encrypted form on Microsoft servers and sent to the devices of the selected contacts. Passwords are not viewable by the guest user, and the guest user is not allowed to access other computers or devices on the network. Wi-Fi Sense is not usable on 802.1X-encrypted networks. Adding «_optout» at the end of the SSID will also block the corresponding network from being used for this feature.^[120]

Universal calling and messaging apps for Windows 10 are built in as of the November 2015 update: Messaging, Skype Video, and Phone. These offer built-in alternatives to the Skype download and sync with Windows 10 Mobile.^[121][122]

Multimedia and gaming

Windows 10 provides greater integration with the Xbox ecosystem. Xbox SmartGlass is succeeded by the Xbox Console Companion (formerly the Xbox app), which allows users to browse their game library (including both PC and Xbox console games), and Game DVR is also available using a keyboard shortcut, allowing users to save the last 30 seconds of gameplay as a video that can be shared to Xbox Live, OneDrive, or elsewhere.^[123][124] Windows 10 also allows users to control and play games from an Xbox One console over a local network.^[125] The Xbox Live SDK allows application developers to incorporate Xbox Live functionality into their apps, and future wireless Xbox One accessories, such as controllers, are supported on Windows with an adapter.^[126] Microsoft also intends to allow cross-purchases and save synchronization between Xbox One and Windows 10 versions of games; Microsoft Studios games such as ReCore and Quantum Break are intended as being exclusive to Windows 10 and Xbox One.^[127]

Candy Crush Saga and Microsoft Solitaire Collection are also automatically installed upon installation of Windows 10.^[128][129]

Windows 10 adds native game recording and screenshot capture ability using the newly introduced Game Bar. Users can also have the OS continuously record gameplay in the background, which then allows the user to save the last few moments of gameplay to the storage device.^[130]

Windows 10 adds FLAC and HEVC codecs and support for the Matroska media container, allowing these formats to be opened in Windows Media Player and other applications.^{[131][132][133]} Windows Media Center is no longer bundled.^[134]

Windows 10 includes DirectX 12, alongside WDDM 2.0.^[135][136] Unveiled March 2014 at GDC, DirectX 12 aims to provide «console-level efficiency» with «closer to the metal» access to hardware resources, and reduced CPU and graphics driver overhead.^[137][138] Most of the performance improvements are achieved through low-level programming, which allow developers to use resources more efficiently and reduce single-threaded CPU bottlenecking caused by abstraction through higher level APIs.^[139][140] DirectX 12 will also feature support for vendor agnostic multi-GPU setups.^[141] WDDM 2.0 introduces a new virtual memory management and allocation system to reduce workload on the kernel-mode driver.^[135][142]

Font support

Windows 10 adds three new default typefaces compared to Windows 8, but omits several others. The removed typefaces are available in supplemental packs and may be added manually over a non-metered internet connection.

Editions and pricing

Windows 10 is available in five main editions for personal computing devices; the Home and Pro editions of which are sold at retail in most countries, and as pre-loaded software on new computers. Home is aimed at home users, while Pro is aimed at power users and small businesses. Each edition of Windows 10 includes all of the capabilities and features of the edition below it, and adds additional features oriented towards its market segments; for example, Pro adds additional networking and security features such as BitLocker, Device Guard, Windows Update for Business, and the ability to join a domain. Enterprise and Education, the other editions, contain additional features aimed towards business environments, and are only available through volume licensing.^[143][144]

As part of Microsoft’s unification strategies, Windows products that are based on Windows 10’s common platform but meant for specialized platforms are marketed as editions of the operating system, rather than as separate product lines. An updated version of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system for smartphones, and also tablets, was branded as Windows 10 Mobile.^[145] Editions of Enterprise and Mobile will also be produced for embedded systems, along with Windows 10 IoT Core, which is designed specifically for use in small footprint, low-cost devices and Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios and is similar to Windows Embedded.^[143][144]

On May 2, 2017, Microsoft unveiled Windows 10 S (referred to in leaks as Windows 10 Cloud), a feature-limited edition of Windows 10 which was designed primarily for devices in the education market (competing, in particular, with ChromeOS netbooks), such as the Surface Laptop that Microsoft also unveiled at this time. The OS restricts software installation to applications obtained from Microsoft Store; the device may be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for a fee to enable unrestricted software installation. As a time-limited promotion, Microsoft stated that this upgrade would be free on the Surface Laptop until March 31, 2018.^[146] Windows 10 S also contains a faster initial setup and login process, and allows devices to be provisioned using a USB drive with the Windows Intune for Education platform.^{[147][148][149][150][151]} In March 2018, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 S would be deprecated because of market confusion and would be replaced by «S Mode», an OEM option wherein Windows defaults to only allowing applications to be installed from Microsoft Store, but does not require payment in order to disable these restrictions.^[152][153]

Preview releases

A public beta program for Windows 10 known as the Windows Insider Program began with the first publicly available preview release on October 1, 2014. Insider preview builds are aimed towards enthusiasts and enterprise users for the testing and evaluation of updates and new features.^[154] Users of the Windows Insider program receive occasional updates to newer preview builds of the operating system and will continue to be able to evaluate preview releases after general availability (GA) in July 2015‍—‌this is in contrast to previous Windows beta programs, where public preview builds were released less frequently and only during the months preceding GA.^{[42][44][155][154][156]} Windows Insider builds continued being released after the release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows 10.^[157][158]

Public release

On July 29, 2015, Microsoft officially announced that Windows 10 would be released for retail purchase as a free upgrade from earlier versions of Windows. In comparison to previous Windows releases, which had a longer turnover between the release to manufacturing (RTM) and general release to allow for testing by vendors (and in some cases, the development of «upgrade kits» to prepare systems for installation of the new version), an HP executive explained that because it knew Microsoft targeted the operating system for a 2015 release, the company was able to optimize its then-current and upcoming products for Windows 10 in advance of its release, negating the need for such a milestone.^{[159][better source needed]}

The general availability build of Windows 10, numbered 10240, was first released to Windows Insider channels for pre-launch testing on July 15, 2015, prior to its formal release.^[160][161] Although a Microsoft official said there would be no specific RTM build of Windows 10, 10240 was described as an RTM build by media outlets because it was released to all Windows Insider members at once (rather than to users on the «Fast ring» first), it no longer carried pre-release branding and desktop watermark text, and its build number had mathematical connections to the number 10 in reference to the operating system’s naming.^{[162][163][164][165][166][167]} The Enterprise edition was released to volume licensing on August 1, 2015.^[168]

Windows 10 is distributed digitally through the «Media Creation Tool», which is functionally identical to the Windows 8 online installer, and can also be used to generate an ISO image or USB install media.^[169] In-place upgrades are supported from most editions of Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 and Windows 8.1 with Update 1, while users with Windows 8 must first upgrade to Windows 8.1. Changing between architectures (e.g., upgrading from 32-bit edition to a 64-bit editions) via in-place upgrades is not supported; a clean install is required.^[170][171] In-place upgrades may be rolled back to the device’s previous version of Windows, provided that 30 days have not passed since installation, and backup files were not removed using Disk Cleanup.

Windows 10 was available in 190 countries and 111 languages upon its launch, and as part of efforts to «re-engage» with users in China, Microsoft also announced that it would partner with Qihoo and Tencent to help promote and distribute Windows 10 in China, and that Chinese PC maker Lenovo would provide assistance at its service centers and retail outlets for helping users upgrade to Windows 10.^{[172][173][174]} At retail, Windows 10 is priced similarly to editions of Windows 8.1, with U.S. prices set at $119 and $199 for Windows 10 Home and Pro respectively. A Windows 10 Pro Pack license allows upgrades from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro.^[175][176] Retail copies only ship on USB flash drive media; however, system builder copies still ship as DVD-ROM media.^[177] New devices shipping with Windows 10 were also released during the operating system’s launch window.^[178]

Windows RT devices cannot be upgraded to Windows 10.^[171][179]

Free upgrade offer

During its first year of availability,^[180] upgrade licenses for Windows 10 could be obtained at no charge for devices with a genuine license for an eligible edition of Windows 7 or 8.1.^{[176][181][182]}

This offer did not apply to Enterprise editions, as customers under an active Software Assurance (SA) contract with upgrade rights are entitled to obtain Windows 10 Enterprise under their existing terms. All users running non-genuine copies of Windows, and those without an existing Windows 7 or 8 license, were ineligible for this promotion; although upgrades from a non-genuine version were possible, they result in a non-genuine copy of 10.^{[157][172][182][183][184]}

On the general availability build of Windows 10 (the original release), to activate and generate the «digital entitlement» for Windows 10, the operating system must have first been installed as an in-place upgrade. During the free upgrade, a genuineticket.xml file is created in the background and the system’s motherboard details are registered with a Microsoft Product Activation server. Once installed, the operating system can be reinstalled on that particular system via normal means without a product key, and the system’s license will automatically be detected via online activation — in essence, the Microsoft Product Activation Server will remember the system’s motherboard and give it the green light for product re-activation.^{[170][185][186]} Because of installation issues with Upgrade Only installs, the November Update (version 1511) included additional activation mechanisms. This build treated Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 product keys as Windows 10 product keys, meaning they could be entered during installation to activate the free license, without the need to upgrade first to «activate» the hardware with Microsoft’s activation servers.^[187] For major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 OEM product keys are embedded in the firmware of the motherboard and if the correct edition of Windows 10 is present on the installation media, they are automatically inputted during installation. Since the release of the Fall Creators Update (version 1709), Microsoft decided to release multi-edition installation media, to alleviate installation and product activation issues users experienced because of accidentally installing the wrong edition of Windows 10.

The Windows Insider Preview version of Windows 10 automatically updated itself to the generally released version as part of the version progression and continues to be updated to new beta builds, as it had throughout the testing process. Microsoft explicitly stated that Windows Insider was not a valid upgrade path for those running a version of Windows that is ineligible for the upgrade offer; although, if it was not installed with a license carried over from an in-place upgrade to 10 Insider Preview from Windows 7 or 8, the Insider Preview does remain activated as long as the user does not exit the Windows Insider program.^[157][158]

The offer was promoted and delivered via the «Get Windows 10″ application (also known as GWX), which was automatically installed via Windows Update ahead of Windows 10’s release, and activated on systems deemed eligible for the upgrade offer. Via a notification area icon, users could access an application that advertised Windows 10 and the free upgrade offer, check device compatibility, and «reserve» an automatic download of the operating system upon its release.^[188][189] On July 28, a pre-download process began in which Windows 10 installation files were downloaded to some computers that had reserved it. Microsoft said that those who reserved Windows 10 would be able to install it through GWX in a phased rollout process. The operating system could alternatively be downloaded at any time using a separate «Media Creation Tool» setup program, that allows for the creation of DVD or USB installation media.^{[169][178][190][191]}

In May 2016, Microsoft announced that the free upgrade offer would be extended to users of assistive technologies; however, Microsoft did not implement any means of certifying eligibility for this offer, which some outlets thereby promoted as being a loophole to fraudulently obtain a free Windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft said that the loophole is not intended to be used in this manner.^{[192][193][194]} In November 2017, Microsoft announced that this program would end on December 31, 2017.^[195]

However, another loophole was found that allowed Windows 7 and 8.1 users upgrade to Windows 10 using existing licenses, even though the free upgrade offers officially ended in 2017. No word from Microsoft was given whether it will be closed,^[196] and some outlets have continued to promote it as a free method of upgrading from the now-unsupported Windows 7.^[197]This upgrade loophole was removed by Microsoft on September 20, 2023.^[198]

Licensing

During upgrades, Windows 10 licenses are not tied directly to a product key. Instead, the license status of the system’s current installation of Windows is migrated, and a «Digital license» (known as «Digital entitlement» in version 1511 or earlier) is generated during the activation process, which is bound to the hardware information collected during the process. If Windows 10 is reinstalled cleanly and there have not been any significant hardware changes since installation (such as a motherboard change), the online activation process will automatically recognize the system’s digital entitlement if no product key is entered during installations. However, unique product keys are still distributed within retail copies of Windows 10. As with previous non-volume-licensed variants of Windows, significant hardware changes will invalidate the digital entitlement, and require Windows to be re-activated.^[170][185]

Updates and support

Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows Update does not allow the selective installation of updates, and all updates (including patches, feature updates, and driver software) are downloaded and installed automatically. Users can only choose whether their system will reboot automatically to install updates when the system is inactive, or be notified to schedule a reboot.^[199][200] If a wireless network is designated as «Metered»—a function which automatically reduces the operating system’s background network activity to conserve limits on Internet usage—most updates are not downloaded until the device is connected to a non-metered network. Version 1703 allows wired (Ethernet) networks to be designated as metered, but Windows may still download certain updates while connected to a metered network.^[201][202]

In version 2004, by installing the August 2020 security update and later versions, driver and non-security updates pushed via Windows Update that are considered optional are no longer automatically downloaded and installed in their devices. Users can access them on Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View optional update.^[203]

Updates can cause compatibility or other problems; a Microsoft troubleshooter program allows bad updates to be uninstalled.^[204][205]

Under the Windows end-user license agreement, users consent to the automatic installation of all updates, features and drivers provided by the service, and implicitly consent «without any additional notice» to the possibility of features being modified or removed.^{[206][207][208]} The agreement also states, specifically for users of Windows 10 in Canada, that they may pause updates by disconnecting their device from the Internet.^[209]

Windows Update can also use a peer-to-peer system for distributing updates; by default, users’ bandwidth is used to distribute previously downloaded updates to other users, in combination with Microsoft servers. Users can instead choose to only use peer-to-peer updates within their local area network.^[210]

Windows 10 versions

Version	Codename	Marketing name	Build	Release date	Supported until (and support status by color)
GAC[a]	LTSC[b]	Mobile
Home, Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations	Education, Enterprise, IoT Enterprise	Enterprise	IoT Enterprise
1507	Threshold	—	10240	July 29, 2015	May 9, 2017	October 14, 2025[c]	—
1511	Threshold 2	November Update	10586	November 10, 2015	October 10, 2017	—	January 9, 2018
1607	Redstone	Anniversary Update	14393	August 2, 2016	April 10, 2018[d]	April 9, 2019[d]	October 13, 2026[e]	October 9, 2018
1703	Redstone 2	Creators Update	15063	April 5, 2017[f]	October 9, 2018	October 8, 2019[g]	—	June 11, 2019
1709	Redstone 3	Fall Creators Update	16299[h]	October 17, 2017	April 9, 2019	October 13, 2020[i]	January 14, 2020
1803	Redstone 4	April 2018 Update	17134	April 30, 2018	November 12, 2019	May 11, 2021[j]	—
1809	Redstone 5	October 2018 Update	17763	November 13, 2018[k]	November 10, 2020[l]	January 9, 2029[m]
1903	19H1	May 2019 Update	18362	May 21, 2019	December 8, 2020	—
1909	19H2	November 2019 Update	18363	November 12, 2019	May 11, 2021	May 10, 2022
2004	20H1	May 2020 Update	19041	May 27, 2020	December 14, 2021
20H2	20H2	October 2020 Update	19042	October 20, 2020	May 10, 2022	May 9, 2023
21H1	21H1	May 2021 Update	19043	May 18, 2021	December 13, 2022
21H2	21H2	November 2021 Update	19044	November 16, 2021	June 13, 2023	June 11, 2024	January 12, 2027	January 13, 2032[n]
22H2	22H2	2022 Update	19045	October 18, 2022	October 14, 2025	—
Legend:   Old version[o]   Older version, still maintained[p]   Latest version[q]
Notes: ^ General Availability Channel, formerly Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) and Current Branch (CB). ^ Long-Term Servicing Channel, formerly Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB). ^ Mainstream support ended on October 13, 2020. ^ a b January 10, 2023 for Intel Clover Trail based systems. ^ Mainstream support ended on October 12, 2021. ^ April 11, 2017 for Education, Enterprise, and IoT Enterprise editions. ^ March 9, 2021 for Surface Hub devices. ^ Windows 10 Mobile: 15254. ^ Originally EOS by April 14, 2020, but postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. ^ Version 1803 originally EOS by November 10, 2020, but postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. ^ Originally released on October 2, 2018, but was pushed back due to bugs. ^ Originally EOS by May 12, 2020, but postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. ^ Mainstream support until January 9, 2024. ^ Mainstream support until January 12, 2027. ^ Windows 10 builds that have this color have reached their expiration dates and are no longer supported by Microsoft. ^ Windows 10 builds that have this color are no longer the latest version of Windows 10, but are still supported by Microsoft. ^ Windows 10 builds that have this color are the latest (by SKU) public version of Windows 10.

Support lifecycle

Support status summary

Expiration date
Mainstream support	October 13, 2020[211][212]
Extended support	October 14, 2025[211][212]
Applicable Windows 10 editions Excluding LTSB and LTSC editions, unless otherwise noted:
Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, S, Education, Pro Education, Enterprise, IoT Enterprise, IoT Core, Team, Enterprise 2015 LTSB, and IoT Enterprise 2015 LTSB.[213]
Exceptions
Windows 10 Mobile, Mobile Enterprise, and IoT Mobile	Unsupported as of January 14, 2020[214]
Windows 10 Enterprise and IoT Enterprise 2016 LTSB	Mainstream support ended on October 12, 2021[212] Extended support until October 13, 2026[212]
Windows 10 Enterprise, IoT Enterprise, and IoT Core (via IoT Core Services)[215] 2019 LTSC	Mainstream support until January 9, 2024[212] Extended support until January 9, 2029[212]
Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC	Supported until January 12, 2027[212]
Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2021 LTSC	Mainstream support until January 12, 2027[212] Extended support until January 13, 2032[212]

The original release of Windows 10 receives mainstream support for five years after its original release, followed by five years of extended support, but this is subject to conditions. Microsoft’s support lifecycle policy for the operating system notes that updates «are cumulative, with each update built upon all of the updates that preceded it», that «a device needs to install the latest update to remain supported», and that a device’s ability to receive future updates will depend on hardware compatibility, driver availability, and whether the device is within the OEM’s «support period»‍—‌a new aspect not accounted for in lifecycle policies for previous versions.^{[216][182][217][218]} This policy was first invoked in 2017 to block Intel Clover Trail devices from receiving the Creators Update, as Microsoft asserts that future updates «require additional hardware support to provide the best possible experience», and that Intel no longer provided support or drivers for the platform. Microsoft stated that these devices would no longer receive feature updates, but would still receive security updates through January 2023.^[219] Microsoft will continue to support at least one standard Windows 10 release until October 14, 2025.^[16][17] On April 27, 2023, Microsoft announced that version 22H2 would be the last of Windows 10.^[220][221]

The following table collects current status of the aforementioned updating and support of different branches of Windows 10:

Windows 10 support and update branches^{[182][222][223][224][225]}

Update branch	Microsoft internal channels (more information here) Alpha software	Windows Insider Preview Branch (WIPB) Beta software	Annual Channel (formerly CB and SAC) «End user»	Long-term Servicing channel (formerly LTSB) «Mission critical»
Edition	Home	Enterprise LTSC
Pro
Education
Enterprise
Critical updates Security patches and stability updates	Continuous	Discontinued	Automatic	User can defer updates indefinitely
Feature upgrades Non-critical functionality and feature updates	Automatic or defer[226]	Only through LTSC in-place upgrades
Feature upgrades cadence	Continuous	Discontinued	Continuous, deferrable for 12 months at a time; once a deferral period is past, no further deferrals possible until latest updates are installed	LTSC releases are stable ‘snapshots’ of AC
Upgrade support	Continuous updating, features come and go silently with new builds	Discontinued	Continuous updating or in-place upgrade to supported LTSC builds	In-place upgrade support for the three most recent LTSC builds
Update support	Only the latest build is supported	Unsupported; Windows 10 no longer in Insider program, Insider effort shifted to Windows 11 instead	10 years (or ~6 months from deferring build upgrade or until future builds require hardware support the old device does not have.)	5 years (for 2021 and newer, non-IoT) or 5 years mainstream + 5 years extended (for 2019 and older, all IoT versions)
Update methods	Windows Update	Windows Update Windows Update for Business Windows Server Update Services

Feature updates

Windows 10 is often described by Microsoft as being a «service», as it receives regular «feature updates» that contain new features and other updates and fixes.^{[182][227][228][229]} In April 2017, Microsoft stated that these updates would be released twice a year every March and September in the future, which eventually continued until version 21H2.^[230] Mainstream builds of Windows 10, up to 2004, were labeled «YYMM», with «YY» representing the two-digit year and «MM» representing the month of release. For example, version 1809 was released in September (the ninth month) of 2018. This was changed with the 20H2 release where «MM» represents the half of the year in which the update was released, for example H1 for the first half and H2 for the second half.^[231]

Before version 1903, the pace at which feature updates are received by devices was dependent on which release channel was used. The default branch for all users of Windows 10 Home and Pro was «Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)» (formerly «Current Branch», or «CB»),^[229] which received stable builds after they were publicly released by Microsoft. Each build of Windows 10 is supported for 18 months after its original release.^[229] In enterprise environments, Microsoft officially intended that this branch was used for «targeted» deployments of newly released stable versions so that they could be evaluated and tested on a limited number of devices before a wider deployment. Once a stable build is certified by Microsoft and its partners as being suitable for broad deployment, the build is then released on the «Semi-Annual Channel» (formerly «Current Branch for Business», or «CBB»), which is supported by the Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 10.^{[229][200][232]} Semi-Annual Channel receives stable builds on a four-month delay from their release on the Targeted channel.^[229] Administrators can also use the «Windows Update for Business» system, as well as existing tools such as WSUS and System Center Configuration Manager, to organize structured deployments of feature updates across their networks.^[229][200]

The Windows Insider branches receive unstable builds as they are released; it is divided into two channels, «Dev» (which receives new builds immediately after their release), and «Beta» (whose releases are slightly delayed from their «Dev» release).^[229]

Enterprise licensees may use the Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC (formerly LTSB) edition, where «LTSC» stands for «Long-Term Servicing Channel», which only receive quality of life updates (i.e. security patches), and has a full 5 or 10-year support lifecycle for each build.^{[229][232][225]} This edition is designed for «special-purpose devices» that perform a fixed function (such as automated teller machines and medical equipment). For this reason, it excludes Cortana, Microsoft Store, and all bundled Universal Windows Platform apps (including but not limited to Microsoft Edge, hence these builds ship only with Internet Explorer as browser).^{[233][234][229][182][235][236]} Microsoft director Stella Chernyak explained that «we have businesses [that] may have mission-critical environments where we respect the fact they want to test and stabilize the environment for a long time.»^[237] Four LTSC builds have been released, correlating with the 1507, 1607, 1809, and 21H2 versions of Windows 10, respectively.^{[238][239][240]}

In July 2017, Microsoft announced changes in the terminology for Windows branches as part of its effort to unify the update cadence with that of Office 365 ProPlus and Windows Server 2016.^[241][229] The branch system now defines two paces of upgrade deployment in enterprise environments, «targeted» initial deployment of a new version on selected systems immediately after its stable release for final testing, and «broad» deployment afterwards. Hence, «Current Branch» is now known as «Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)», and «Current Branch for Business» for broad deployment is now referred to as «Semi-Annual Channel».^[242][229]

In February 2019, Microsoft announced changes again in delivering updates beginning with release of version 1903: a single SAC will be released, SAC-T will be retired, and users are no longer able to switch to different channels. Instead, these updates can be deferred from 30 to 90 days, or depending on how the device was configured to defer the updates.^[243][244] In April 2019, it was announced that, in addition, feature updates will no longer be automatically pushed to users.^[245] However, after the release of version 2004, the update only pushed for those running a feature update version that is nearing end of service or it can be paused for up to 35 days.^[246][247] In November 2021, following the launch of version 21H2, Microsoft made a commitment to deliver feature updates every October or November.^[248] Thus, Microsoft rebranded the «Semi-Annual Channel» to the «General Availability Channel».^[249][250] On April 27, 2023, Microsoft announced that version 22H2, released in November 2022, would be the last feature update for Windows 10.^[251]

Feature updates prior to version 1909 were distributed solely as an in-place upgrade installation, requiring the download of a complete operating system package (approximately 3.5 GB in size for 64-bit systems). Unlike previous builds, version 1909 was designed primarily as an update rollup version of 1903, which focused primarily on minor feature additions and enhancements. For upgrades to 1909 from 1903, a new delivery method was used where its changes were delivered as part of the monthly cumulative update, but were left in a dormant state until the 1909 update «enablement» patch is installed. The full upgrade process was still used for those using builds prior to 1903.^[252][253]

Features in development

In May 2017, Microsoft unveiled Fluent Design System (previously codenamed «Project Neon»), a revamp of Microsoft Design Language 2 that will include guidelines for the designs and interactions used within software designed for all Windows 10 devices and platforms. The new design language will include the more prominent use of motion, depth, and translucency effects. Microsoft stated that the implementation of this design language would be performed over time, and it had already started to implement elements of it in the Creators Update and Fall Creators Update.^[254]

On December 7, 2016, Microsoft announced that, as part of a partnership with Qualcomm, it planned to introduce support for running Win32 software on ARM architecture with a 32-bit x86 processor emulator, in 2017. Terry Myerson stated that this move would enable the production of Qualcomm Snapdragon-based Windows devices with cellular connectivity and improved power efficiency over Intel-compatible devices, and still capable of running the majority of existing Windows software (unlike the previous Windows RT, which was restricted to Windows Store apps). Microsoft is initially targeting this project towards laptops.^[69] Microsoft launched the branding Always Connected PCs in December 2017 to market Windows 10 devices with cellular connectivity, which included two ARM-based 2-in-1 laptops from Asus and HP featuring the Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip, and the announcement of a partnership between AMD and Qualcomm to integrate its Snapdragon X16 gigabit LTE modem with AMD’s Ryzen Mobile platform.^[255][256]

In August 2019, Microsoft began testing changes to its handling of the user interface on convertible devices—downplaying the existing «Tablet Mode» option in favor of presenting the normal desktop with optimizations for touch when a keyboard is not present, such as increasing the space between taskbar buttons and displaying the virtual keyboard when text fields are selected.^[257]

In April 2021, the ability to run Linux applications using a graphical user interface, such as Audacity, directly in Windows, was introduced as a preview.^[258] This feature would later be included as part of the updated Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 for Windows 11 only.

In November 2022, Microsoft released Windows Subsystem For Linux 2 in the Microsoft store, for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.^[259] allowing Linux graphical user interface applications to be used natively using WSLG.

System requirements

Hardware requirements for Windows 10^[181][260]

Component	Minimum	Recommended
Processor	1 GHz clock rate IA-32 or x86-64 architecture with support for PAE, NX and SSE2 x86-64 CPUs must also support CMPXCHG16B, PrefetchW and LAHF/SAHF instructions.
Memory (RAM)	IA-32 edition: 1 GB x86-64 edition: 2 GB	4 GB
Graphics card	DirectX 9 graphics device WDDM 1.0 or higher driver	WDDM 1.3 or higher driver
Display	800×600 pixels	—
Input device	Keyboard and mouse	Multi-touch display
Storage space	32 GB	—

The basic hardware requirements to install Windows 10 were initially the same as those for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, and only slightly higher than for Windows 7 and Windows Vista. As of the May 2019 update, the minimum disk space requirement has been increased to 32 GB. In addition, on new installations, Windows permanently reserves up to 7 GB of disk space in order to ensure proper installation of future feature updates.^[261][262]

The 64-bit variants require a CPU that supports certain instructions.^[263] Devices with low storage capacity must provide a USB flash drive or SD card with sufficient storage for temporary files during upgrades.^[264]

Some pre-built devices may be described as «certified» by Microsoft. Certified tablets must include Power, Volume up, and Volume down keys; ⊞ Win and Rotation lock keys are no longer required.^[265]

As with Windows 8, all certified devices must ship with UEFI Secure Boot enabled by default. Unlike Windows 8, OEMs are no longer required to make Secure Boot settings user-configurable, meaning that devices may optionally be locked to run only Microsoft-signed operating systems.^[266] A supported infrared-illuminated camera is required for Windows Hello face authentication, and a supported fingerprint reader is required for Windows Hello fingerprint authentication.^[181] Device Guard requires a UEFI system with no third-party certificates loaded, and CPU virtualization extensions (including SLAT and IOMMU) enabled in firmware.

Beginning with Intel Kaby Lake and AMD Bristol Ridge, Windows 10 is the only version of Windows that Microsoft will officially support on newer CPU microarchitectures.^[267][268] Terry Myerson stated that Microsoft did not want to make further investments in optimizing older versions of Windows and associated software for newer generations of processors.^[269][270] These policies were criticized by the media, who especially noted that Microsoft was refusing to support newer hardware (particularly Intel’s Skylake CPUs, which was also originally targeted by the new policy with a premature end of support that was ultimately retracted)^[271][272] on Windows 8.1, a version of Windows that was still in mainstream support until January 2018.^[273][274] In addition, an enthusiast-created modification was released that disabled the check and allowed Windows 8.1 and earlier versions to continue to work on the platform.^[275]

Windows 10 versions 1703 and later do not support Intel Clover Trail system-on-chips, per Microsoft’s stated policy of only providing updates for devices during their OEM support period.^[219][276]

Starting with Windows 10 version 2004, Microsoft will require new OEM devices to use 64-bit processors, and will therefore cease the distribution of x86 (32-bit) variants of Windows 10 via OEM channels. The 32-bit variants of Windows 10 will remain available via non-OEM channels, and Microsoft will continue to «[provide] feature and security updates on these devices».^[277] This was later followed by Windows 11 dropping support for 32-bit hardware altogether, thus making Windows 10 the final version of Windows to have a 32-bit version available.^[278]

Physical memory limits

The maximum amount of RAM that Windows 10 can support varies depending on the product edition and the processor architecture. All 32-bit editions of Windows 10, including Home and Pro, support up to 4 GB.^[279] 64-bit editions of Windows 10 Education and Pro support up to 2 TB, 64-bit editions of Windows 10 Pro for Workstations and Enterprise support up to 6 TB, while the 64-bit edition of Windows 10 Home is limited to 128 GB.^[279]

Processor limits

Windows 10 supports up to two physical processors.^[280] A maximum of 32 cores is supported in 32-bit versions of Windows 8, whereas up to 256 cores are supported in the 64-bit versions.^[280]

Reception

Windows 10 received generally positive reviews, with most reviewers considering it superior to its predecessor Windows 8.^{[281][282][283]} CNN Business praised every aspect of Windows 10.^[284] TechRadar felt that it could be «the new Windows 7», citing the operating system’s more familiar user interface, improvements to bundled apps, performance improvements, a «rock solid» search system, and the Settings app being more full-featured than its equivalents on 8 and 8.1. The Edge browser was praised for its performance, although it was not in a feature-complete state at launch. While considering them a «great idea in principle», concerns were shown for Microsoft’s focus on the universal app ecosystem:

It’s by no means certain that developers are going to flock to Windows 10 from iOS and Android simply because they can convert their apps easily. It may well become a no-brainer for them, but at the moment a conscious decision is still required.^[285]

Engadget was similarly positive, noting that the upgrade process was painless and that Windows 10’s user interface had balanced aspects of Windows 8 with those of previous versions with a more mature aesthetic. Cortana’s always-on voice detection was considered to be its «true strength», also citing its query capabilities and personalization features, but noting that it was not as pre-emptive as Google Now. Windows 10’s stock applications were praised for being improved over their Windows 8 counterparts, and for supporting windowed modes. The Xbox app was also praised for its Xbox One streaming functionality, although recommending its use over a wired network because of inconsistent quality over Wi-Fi. In conclusion, it was argued that «Windows 10 delivers the most refined desktop experience ever from Microsoft, and yet it’s so much more than that. It’s also a decent tablet OS, and it’s ready for a world filled with hybrid devices. And, barring another baffling screwup, it looks like a significant step forward for mobile. Heck, it makes the Xbox One a more useful machine.»^[286]

On the other hand Ars Technica panned the new Tablet mode interface for removing the charms and app switching, making the Start button harder to use by requiring users to reach for the button on the bottom-left rather than at the center of the screen when swiping with a thumb, and for making application switching less instantaneous through the use of Task View. Microsoft Edge was praised for being «tremendously promising», and «a much better browser than Internet Explorer ever was», but criticized it for its lack of functionality on-launch. In conclusion, contrasting Windows 8 as being a «reliable» platform albeit consisting of unfinished concepts, Windows 10 was considered «the best Windows yet», and was praised for having a better overall concept in its ability to be «comfortable and effective» across a wide array of form factors, but that it was buggier than previous versions of Windows were on-launch.^[287]

ExtremeTech felt that Windows 10 restricted the choices of users, citing its more opaque setting menus, forcing users to give up bandwidth for the peer-to-peer distribution of updates, and for taking away user control of specific functions, such as updates, explaining that «it feels, once again, as if Microsoft has taken the seed of a good idea, like providing users with security updates automatically, and shoved the throttle to maximum.»^[288] Windows 10 has also received criticism because of deleting files without user permission after auto updates.^[289]

Critics characterized the release of Windows 10 as being forced onto users of past versions of Windows.^[21] Critics have also noted that Windows 10 heavily emphasizes freemium services, and contains various advertising facilities. Some outlets have considered these to be a hidden «cost» of the free upgrade offer.^{[290][291][292]} Examples of these have included microtransactions in bundled games such as Microsoft Solitaire Collection,^{[293][290][294][295]} default settings that display promotions of «suggested» apps in the Start menu, «tips» on the lock screen that may contain advertising,^[291][292] ads displayed in File Explorer for Office 365 subscriptions on Creators’ Update,^[292] and various advertising notifications displayed by default which promote Microsoft Edge when it is not set as the default web browser (including, in a September 2018 build, nag pop-ups displayed to interrupt the installation process of competitors).^[296][297]

Due to the high system requirements of its Windows 10’s successor Windows 11, some critics have cited Windows 10 being better than its successor and have warned not to switch to Windows 11 given its high system requirement despite very limited new features compared to Windows 10.^{[298][299][300]}

Up to August 2016, Windows 10 usage was increasing, with it then plateauing,^[302] while eventually in 2018, it became more popular than Windows 7^[303][304] (though Windows 7 was still more used in some countries in Asia and Africa in 2019). As of March 2020, the operating system is running on over a billion devices, reaching the goal set by Microsoft two years after the initial deadline.^[22]

Twenty-four hours after it was released, Microsoft announced that over 14 million devices were running Windows 10.^[305] On August 26, Microsoft said over 75 million devices were running Windows 10, in 192 countries, and on over 90,000 unique PC or tablet models.^[306] According to Terry Myerson, there were over 110 million devices running Windows 10 as of October 6, 2015.^[307] On January 4, 2016, Microsoft reported that Windows 10 had been activated on over 200 million devices since the operating system’s launch in July 2015.^[308][309]

According to StatCounter, Windows 10 overtook Windows 8.1 in December 2015.^[310][311] Iceland was the first country where Windows 10 was ranked first (not only on the desktop, but across all platforms),^[312] with several larger European countries following. For one week in late November 2016, Windows 10 overtook first rank from Windows 7 in the United States, before losing it again.^[313] By February 2017, Windows 10 was losing market share to Windows 7.^[314]

In mid-January 2018, Windows 10 had a slightly higher global market share than Windows 7,^[303] with it noticeably more popular on weekends,^[315] while popularity varies widely by region, e.g. Windows 10 was then still behind in Africa^[316] and far ahead in some other regions e.g. Oceania.^[317]

Update system changes

Windows 10 Home is permanently set to download all updates automatically, including cumulative updates, security patches, and drivers, and users cannot individually select updates to install or not.^[318] Tom Warren of The Verge felt that, given web browsers such as Google Chrome had already adopted such an automatic update system, such a requirement would help to keep all Windows 10 devices secure, and felt that «if you’re used to family members calling you for technical support because they’ve failed to upgrade to the latest Windows service pack or some malware disabled Windows Update then those days will hopefully be over.»^[319]

Concerns were raised that because of these changes, users would be unable to skip the automatic installation of updates that are faulty or cause issues with certain system configurations—although build upgrades will also be subject to public beta testing via Windows Insider program.^[320][319] There were also concerns that the forced installation of driver updates through Windows Update, where they were previously designated as «optional», could cause conflicts with drivers that were installed independently of Windows Update.

Criticism was also directed towards Microsoft’s decision to no longer provide specific details on the contents of cumulative updates for Windows 10.^[321] On February 9, 2016, Microsoft retracted this decision and began to provide release notes for cumulative updates on the Windows website.^[322]

Some users reported that during the installation of the November upgrade, some applications (particularly utility programs such as CPU-Z and Speccy) were automatically uninstalled during the upgrade process, and some default programs were reset to Microsoft-specified defaults (such as Photos app, and Microsoft Edge for PDF viewing), both without warning.^[323][324]

Further issues were discovered upon the launch of the Anniversary Update («Redstone»), including a bug that caused some devices to freeze (but addressed by cumulative update KB3176938, released on August 31, 2016),^[325][326] and that fundamental changes to how Windows handles webcams had caused many to stop working.^[327]

In June 2017, a Redstone 3 Insider build (RS_EDGE_CASE in PC and rs_IoT on Mobile) was accidentally released to both Insider and non-Insider users on all Windows 10 devices, but the update was retracted, with Microsoft apologizing and releasing a note on their Windows Insider Program blog describing how to prevent the build from being installed on their device.^[328] According to Dona Sarkar, this was due to «an inadvertent deployment to the engineering system that controls which builds/which rings to push out to insiders.»^[329]

A Gartner analyst felt that Windows 10 Pro was becoming increasingly inappropriate for use in enterprise environments because of support policy changes by Microsoft, including consumer-oriented upgrade lifecycle length, and only offering extended support for individual builds to Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 10.^[330]

Critics have acknowledged that Microsoft’s update and testing practices had been affecting the overall quality of Windows 10. In particular, it was pointed out that Microsoft’s internal testing departments had been prominently affected by a major round of layoffs undertaken by the company in 2014. Microsoft relies primarily on user testing and bug reports via the Windows Insider program (which may not always be of sufficient quality to identify a bug), as well as correspondence with OEMs and other stakeholders. In the wake of the known folder redirection data loss bug in the version 1809, it was pointed out that bug reports describing the issue had been present on the Feedback Hub app for several months prior to the public release. Following the incident, Microsoft updated Feedback Hub so that users may specify the severity of a particular bug report. When announcing the resumption of 1809’s rollout, Microsoft stated that it planned to be more transparent in its handling of update quality in the future, through a series of blog posts that will detail its testing process and the planned development of a «dashboard» that will indicate the rollout progress of future updates.^{[331][332][333][334][335]}

Distribution practices

Microsoft was criticized for the tactics that it used to promote its free upgrade campaign for Windows 10, including adware-like behaviors,^[336] using deceptive user interfaces to coax users into installing the operating system,^{[337][338][339][340]} downloading installation files without user consent,^[341][336] and making it difficult for users to suppress the advertising and notifications if they did not wish to upgrade to Windows 10.^{[341][336][342]} The upgrade offer was marketed and initiated using the «Get Windows 10» (GWX) application, which was first downloaded and installed via Windows Update in March 2015.^[337][340] Third-party programs were created to assist users in applying measures to disable GWX.^[343]

In September 2015, it was reported that Microsoft was triggering automatic downloads of Windows 10 installation files on all compatible Windows 7 or 8.1 systems configured to automatically download and install updates, regardless of whether or not they had specifically requested the upgrade. Microsoft officially confirmed the change, claiming it was «an industry practice that reduces the time for installation and ensures device readiness.» This move was criticized by users with data caps or devices with low storage capacity, as resources were consumed by the automatic downloads of up to 6 GB of data. Other critics argued that Microsoft should not have triggered any downloading of Windows 10 installation files without user consent.^{[336][341][344]}

In October 2015, Windows 10 began to appear as an «Optional» update on the Windows Update interface, but pre-selected for installation on some systems. A Microsoft spokesperson said that this was a mistake, and that the download would no longer be pre-selected by default.^[339] However, on October 29, 2015, Microsoft announced that it planned to classify Windows 10 as a «recommended» update in the Windows Update interface sometime in 2016, which would cause an automatic download of installation files and a one-time prompt with a choice to install to appear.^[345][346] In December 2015, it was reported that a new advertising dialog had begun to appear, only containing «Upgrade now» and «Upgrade tonight» buttons, and no obvious method to decline installation besides the close button.^[338]

In March 2016, some users also alleged that their Windows 7 and 8.1 devices had automatically begun upgrading to Windows 10 without their consent.^[347] In June 2016, the GWX dialog’s behavior changed to make closing the window imply a consent to a scheduled upgrade.^[348][349] In December 2016, Microsoft’s chief marketing officer Chris Capossela admitted that the company had «gone too far» by using these tactics, stating «we know we want people to be running Windows 10 from a security perspective, but finding the right balance where you’re not stepping over the line of being too aggressive is something we tried and for a lot of the year I think we got it right.»^[350]

On January 21, 2016, Microsoft was sued in small claims court by a user whose computer had attempted to upgrade to Windows 10 without her consent shortly after the release of the operating system. The upgrade failed, and her computer was left in a broken state thereafter, which disrupted the ability to run her travel agency. The court ruled in favor of the user and awarded her $10,000 in damages, but Microsoft appealed. However, in May 2016, Microsoft dropped the appeal and chose to pay the damages. Shortly after the suit was reported on by the Seattle Times, Microsoft confirmed it was updating the GWX software once again to add more explicit options for opting out of a free Windows 10 upgrade;^{[351][352][349]} the final notification was a full-screen pop-up window notifying users of the impending end of the free upgrade offer, and contained «Remind me later», «Do not notify me again» and «Notify me three more times» as options.^[353]

In March 2019, Microsoft announced that it would display notifications informing users on Windows 7 devices of the upcoming end of extended support for the platform, and direct users to a website urging them to upgrade to Windows 10 or purchase new hardware. This dialog will be similar to the previous Windows 10 upgrade prompts, but will not explicitly mention Windows 10.^[354]

Privacy and data collection

Privacy advocates and other critics have expressed concern regarding Windows 10’s privacy policies and its collection and use of customer data.^[355] 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, allowing apps to use a unique «advertising ID» for analytics and advertising personalization (functionality introduced by Windows 8.1)^[356] 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 data collection did not include «trusted partners»^[288]). Users can opt out from most of this data collection,^[288][355] but telemetry data for error reporting and usage is also sent to Microsoft, and this cannot be disabled on non-Enterprise editions of Windows 10.^[288] Microsoft’s privacy policy states, however, that «Basic»-level telemetry data is anonymized and cannot be used to identify an individual user or device.^[357] The use of Cortana also requires the collection of data «such as Your PC 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 PC» to personalize its functionality.^[355][358]

Rock Paper Shotgun 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’.»^[355] Joel Hruska of ExtremeTech wrote that «the company that brought us the ‘Scroogled’ campaign now hoovers up your data in ways that would make Google jealous.»^[288] 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 cloud computing and other forms of external processing, as well as similar data collection requirements for services on mobile devices such as Google Now and Siri.^[355][358] In August 2015, Russian politician Nikolai Levichev called for Windows 10 to be banned from use within the Russian government, as it sends user data to servers in the United States. The Russian government had passed a federal law requiring all online services to store the data of Russian users on servers within the country by September 2016 or be blocked.^[359][360] Writing for ZDNet, Ed Bott said that the lack of complaints by businesses about privacy in Windows 10 indicated «how utterly normal those privacy terms are in 2015.»^[361] In a Computerworld editorial, Preston Gralla said that «the kind of information Windows 10 gathers is no different from what other operating systems gather. But Microsoft is held to a different standard than other companies».^[362]

The Microsoft Services agreement reads that the company’s online services may automatically «download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices.» Critics interpreted this statement as implying that Microsoft would scan for and delete unlicensed software installed on devices running Windows 10.^[363] However, others pointed out that this agreement was specifically for Microsoft online services such as Microsoft account, Office 365, Skype, as well as Xbox Live, and that the offending passage most likely referred to digital rights management on Xbox consoles and first-party games, and not plans to police pirated video games installed on Windows 10 PCs.^[363][364] Despite this, some torrent trackers announced plans to block Windows 10 users, also arguing that the operating system could send information to anti-piracy groups that are affiliated with Microsoft.^[365] Writing about these allegations, Ed Bott of ZDNet compared Microsoft’s privacy policy to Apple’s and Google’s and concluded that he «[did not] see anything that looks remotely like Big Brother.»^[361] Columnist Kim Komando argued that «Microsoft might in the future run scans and disable software or hardware it sees as a security threat», consistent with the Windows 10 update policy.^[366]

In September 2019, Microsoft hid the option to create a local account during a fresh installation if a PC is connected to the internet. This move was criticized by users who did not want to use an online Microsoft account.^[367][368] Additionally, in Windows 10 Home, the first Microsoft account linked to the primary user’s account can no longer be unlinked, but other users can unlink their own Microsoft accounts from their user accounts.

In late-July 2020, Windows Defender began to classify modifications of the hosts file that block Microsoft telemetry servers as being a severe security risk.^[369]

See also

• Comparison of operating systems
• History of operating systems
• List of operating systems
• Microsoft Windows version history

References

External links

• Download Windows 10 from Microsoft website
• Windows 10 release information from Microsoft

Windows 10 (codenamed Threshold) is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. Officially unveiled on September 30, 2014 after a brief demo at Build 2014,^[1] the operating system reached general availability on July 29, 2015 as the successor to Windows 8.1. Instead of releasing an entirely new and different version of its desktop OS every few years, Microsoft took an Apple-like approach to subsequent Windows releases, standardizing on Windows 10 as its Cupertino-based rival has done with macOS.^[2] Microsoft announced its successor, Windows 11, on June 24, 2021.^[3][4] However, Windows 10 remains supported with the latest 22H2 update that was released on October 18, 2022 for systems that lack the TPM requirements of Windows 11.^[5]

History[]

Before Windows 8.1 was released, there were many reports that claimed the existence of «Windows Threshold», a supposed OS that would be the successor to Windows 8. Nine months later on July 21, 2013, build 9795 was leaked. Screenshots showed the new Start Menu, almost the same as the one shown at Build 2013. Microsoft China also confirmed Windows 10 on September 2, 2013 on Weibo. Additionally, Build 9834 was leaked by sites WinFuture and ComputerBase. It introduced multiple desktops to improve multitasking. Before Microsoft officially announced it, news reports referred to the operating system by several names, most notably Windows 9. Along with the announcement of Windows 10, Microsoft introduced the Windows Insider Program. The program is designed to allow people see the future of Windows and give feedback, introducing a public element to the development process. To aid in the receiving if feedback, Microsoft included a Windows Feedback app into the released builds of Windows 10. Build 9860 introduced a speed to receiving updates, along with an explanation as to how the Windows Insiders (as they’ve been called by Microsoft) get the builds. Since its unveiling in September 2014, Microsoft has pushed 15 builds officially through the Windows Insider Program: Build 9841, Build 9860, Build 9879, Build 9926, Build 10041, Build 10049, Build 10061, Build 10074, Build 10122, Build 10130, Build 10158, Build 10159, Build 10162, Build 10166 and Build 10240 (RTM). Additional builds, like Build 10051, were leaked and acknowledged by Microsoft, but were not officially released by Microsoft.

Features[]

Microsoft replaced the Start Menu screen with an updated «Start Menu» box similar to the one from Windows 7. The left side of the Start Menu resembles the left side of the XP style Start Menu, while the right side is a reduced version of the Windows 8 Start Menu. Windows 10 includes Virtual Desktops and a Notification Center, and has the ability to run apps in desktop windows. Leaked builds showed an integration of Cortana, the personal assistant that was introduced in Windows Phone 8.1. Files for Cortana can also be found within current Windows 10 Builds. Animations have been improved for opening, maximizing, minimizing, and restoring down windows, as well as switching between virtual desktops. Current builds released to the public also suggest a new means of updating the operating system, as each build has been updated through a function within Windows Update rather than through clean installs. A feature showed off at the announcement presentation in September, named Continuum, showed the ability for the Start Menu to switch between the traditional Start Menu and a new version of the Start Screen from Windows 8. Build 9901, which was leaked in December 2014, showed off a more complete user interface, introducing an opaque taskbar and cleaner app windows, as well as a cleaner search bar in the taskbar where Cortana can be accessed. The build also features entirely new apps for the Calculator, Alarms, Photos, and Windows Store, which appear more desktop friendly. Control Panel also has begun to be deprecated, and PC Settings has been renamed «Settings.» In addition, Settings has been removed from the Charms. On January 21, 2015, Microsoft held an event on the future of Windows 10. A new build was shown off, which shows off a more unified and complete user interface. Cortana is now integrated and functioning properly within Windows. A cleaner Start Menu, coded using XAML, was also presented, along with the ability to switch between the standard and full-screen modes of the Start Menu. Windows 10 was also unveiled for the first time on mobile phones. With this announcement came the presentation of a new Action Center with interactive notifications for both desktop and phones. New universal apps for both systems were unveiled, including new apps for Photos, Outlook Mail, People and Calendar. The rumored «Project: Spartan», a new browser that could potentially replace Internet Explorer, was unveiled and shown off, with integrated Cortana, a new annotation mode that works with Microsoft OneNote and a new Reading List. In addition, Windows 10 was announced to power gaming within the operating system through XBOX, along with a new Game DVR to record games, and a new streaming feature to stream and play XBOX games through the XBOX One console onto any device running Windows 10. Two additional hardware devices were unveiled that would run Windows 10: the Surface Hub and the Microsoft HoloLens. The build shown off at throughout most of the event was Build 9924, though the next build was reported to be Build 9926,^[6] and not all the features shown off at the event were immediately available. The build became available through the Windows Insider Program in the week following the event, while the first build for Windows 10 on mobile phones was scheduled to become available in early February («After the Seahawks win the Super Bowl»). Microsoft also announced that Windows 10 would be a free upgrade for all computers and devices running Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8.1, and Windows 7 during the first year after the launch of Windows 10.

Upgrade path[]

Microsoft made Windows 10 available as free upgrade for qualified Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 devices. It became available on July 29, 2015 and remained a free upgrade for one year. You can still technically upgrade to Windows 10 for free, but it requires using the Media Creation Tool to upgrade your PC to Windows 10. When upgrading, you’ll stay on like-to-like editions of Windows. For example, Windows 7 Professional will upgrade to Windows 10 Home.

Windows Version & Edition	Eligible Windows 10 Upgrade Edition
Windows 1.0 Windows 2.0 Windows 2.1x Windows 3.0 Windows 3.1x Windows NT 3.1 Windows NT 3.5 Windows NT 3.51 Windows NT 4.0 Windows 95 Windows 98 Windows 2000 Windows ME Windows XP Starter Windows XP Home Windows XP Professional Windows Vista Starter Windows Vista Home Basic Windows Vista Home Premium Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Ultimate Windows 7 Enterprise Windows Phone 7 Windows 8 (Core) Windows 8 Pro Windows 8 Enterprise Windows RT Windows RT 8.1 Windows Phone 8	Ineligible
Windows 7 Starter Windows 7 Home Basic Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 8.1 (Core) Windows 8.1 with Bing	Windows 10 Home
Windows 7 Professional Windows 7 Ultimate Windows 8.1 Pro Windows 8.1 Pro for Students	Windows 10 Pro
Windows Phone 8.1	Windows 10 Mobile

Windows 10 is serviced in a significantly different manner from previous releases of Windows. Is delivery is often described by Microsoft as a «service», due to its ongoing updates, with Terry Myerson explaining that Microsoft’s aim is that «the question of ‘what version of Windows are you running’ will cease to make sense.»

Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows Update does not allow the selective installation of updates; instead, all updates (including patches, feature updates, and driver software) are downloaded automatically. Users can only choose whether the system will reboot automatically to install updates while the system is inactive , or be notified to schedule a reboot. Windows Update also uses a peer to peer system for distributing updates; by default, users’ bandwidth is used to distribute previously downloaded updates to other users, in combination with Microsoft servers. Users can instead choose to only use peer-to-peer updates within their local area network.

Upgraded builds[]

Windows 10 versions[]

Every version of Windows 10 has a version number. The version number comes out when an update is released and it ends when it’s no longer maintained.

• Version 1507 (RTM) — July 29, 2015
• Version 1511 (November Update) — November 10, 2015
• Version 1607 (Anniversary Update) — August 2, 2016
• Version 1703 (Creators Update) — April 5, 2017
• Version 1709 (Fall Creators Update) — October 17, 2017
• Version 1803 (April 2018 Update) — April 30, 2018
• Version 1809 (October 2018 Update) — October 2, 2018
• Version 1903 (May 2019 Update) — May 21, 2019
• Version 1909 (November 2019 Update) — November 12, 2019
• Version 2004 (May 2020 Update) — May 27, 2020
• Version 20H2 (October 2020 Update) — October 20, 2020
• Version 21H1 (May 2021 Update) — May 18, 2021
• Version 21H2 (November 2021 Update) — November 16, 2021

Tweaks/Tricks[]

• Enable Balloon Tips: Windows 10 comes with a new feature — it shows all app and system notifications as toasts. Gone are the balloon notifications which were there since Windows 2000. Instead, you will see a toast notification in Windows 8 style, which, probably, will work along with the new Notification Center in Windows 10. However, if you like balloon notifications and are mad with toasts, you can restore balloon notifications back in Windows 10.
• Use Classic Battery Flyout Power Indicator: When you click/tap on the Power icon in the taskbar notification area, you will see the battery level indicator. Gone is the old classic flyout power indicator, which was here since Windows Vista. Instead, you will see a pop-up in Windows 8.x style. However, if you like balloon notifications and are mad with the modern battery flyout, you can use the old style battery flyout instead of the modern version, click this link.

Note: You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to switch to the old battery indicator.

• Use Classic UAC Prompt Instead of Modern Prompt: After installing the version 1607 Anniversary update, when running an EXE, Microsoft has updated the appearance of the UAC prompt. The refined dialog looks more like a dialog from a Universal (Metro) app and fits the overall flat appearance of the operating system. Open Registry Editor, Go to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\TestHooks, change the XamlCredUIAvailable value, then set its value data to 0. After set to 0, run an EXE as an administrator, and now you can see the old Windows Vista-like UAC Prompt.
• Disable UAC: Before version 1703, disabling User Account Control can cause metro apps to terminate or cause errors, except older apps. This is how they did it. That’s changed in later version numbers. If you’re running version 1703 or later version numbers, you can disable User Account Control safe and metro apps will work great, including older apps.
• Classic MSCONFIG & Task Manager: In Windows 8.x, a new modern Task Manager & MSCONFIG app are both introduced. Windows 10 comes with the same ones, but your favorite options from MSCONFIG were removed and moved into the modern Task Manager. You can get the vintage task manager and System Configuration from earlier versions back by clicking one of the links for your PC:
  • Task Manager (32-bit)
  • Task Manager (64-bit)
  • MSCONFIG (32-bit)
  • MSCONFIG (64-bit)
• Get Classic Start Menu Back in Windows 10: When you’re using Windows 8.x, when clicking the start button, you’ll see a start screen with pinned apps in metro style. Windows 10 comes with the same metro start screen, but on your desktop. If you don’t like the metro start menu or start screen, install and run StartIsBack get the classic menu back: StartIsBack++. The loader Activator link for your real start menu is still available. If you want to transform into Windows XP, you can use this link.
• Disable Blur on Sign-in screen: In Windows 10 version 1903 or later version numbers, the blur-effect is applied to the sign-in or lock screen. You can turn this feature off in the Personalization app by unchecking transparancy effects.
• Calendar & Date Pane: In stable builds of Windows 10 like Version 1511 (RTM) and Version 1511 (November Update), when you click the clock in the notification area/tray area of the taskbar which is usually in the bottom right corner, a new Calendar and Date-Time pane will appear on the screen. This change was made by Microsoft to adapt the old calendar function to new devices with touch screens. If you are not interested and would like to revert it to the Windows Vista-like calendar popup, you will be surprised to know that it is still possible. Here is how to change it back.
• Old Volume Control: Windows 10 provides no way to restore the Windows Classic scheme, Windows Media Center, or other much-loved features. But, for some reason, there is a hidden registry setting that will re-enable Windows Vista’s old volume control interface on Windows 10. The new volume control has a cool new feature for easily switching audio playback devices, and you’ll be giving that up. But, if you want to make Windows 10 look more like Windows Vista (for some reason), the below registry hack will do it.
• Take Ownership: In Windows 8.x and Windows 10, it’s no longer possible to replace things in a wim. A user that has ownership of a file or folder has implicit rights to change permissions on that object. That user is also always allowed to access the file or folder—even when other permissions seemingly contradict that access. Sometimes, you might run into a situation where you need to take over the ownership of a file or folder. It might be a system file you need to alter to apply some hack—like replacing Notepad with another text editor—in which case, a built-in user account named Trusted Installer has the ownership by default. Or you might have a hard drive from another computer that you need to control files on. You can still disable TrustedInstaller with a Windows Vista or a Windows 7 installation CD while modifying its wim files. Click the link to download the tricks.
• Microsoft Games: Windows Vista had a set of nice, beautiful games including the classic card games with new shiny graphics and some great new games from Vista like Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans and Purble Place. For some reason, Microsoft decided to discontinue these games and offer bloated Modern games from the Store instead. For fans of the original Windows Vista games, here is a simple tutorial to revive them on Windows 8.x and 10.
• Windows Sidebar: Many people including old grandparents still love the old desktop gadgets that were introduced in Windows Vista. They were removed completely in Windows 8.x and Windows 10 which made many people heartbroken. Microsoft wants to push live tiles as their replacement and therefore they claim Gadgets as insecure, just like they push Store apps over Desktop apps. If you can’t remember the Desktop without your favorite gadgets, here is how to get them back again in Windows 8.x and 10. Click the link to get your gadgets back in Windows 8.x and Windows 10!
• Taskbar Tweaker: In Windows 7 or later, hovering over the taskbar buttons show a preview of the open task. Gone are the tooltips when hovering a taskbar button, which was here since Windows 95. Click the following link to get the Taskbar Tweaker for Windows 7, 8.x and 10
• Classic Control Panel Applets: Early versions of Windows 10 had the classic applets in the Control Panel, but an update removed them, as clicking on them will redirect you to Settings. A few procedures were found to get through the applets without sending you to the settings, such as running Control Panel commands via the Run application, or creating a shortcuts for the commands. The following is a list of commands you can use to enter the classic applets without redirecting you to the settings app:

Applet name	Command
Personalization	explorer shell:::{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921}
Wallpaper (Personalization)	explorer.exe shell:::{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921} -Microsoft.Personalization\pageWallpaper
Colors (Personalization)	explorer.exe shell:::{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921} -Microsoft.Personalization\pageColorization
System Info	explorer.exe shell:::{BB06C0E4-D293-4f75-8A90-CB05B6477EEE}

• Windows Classic Theme: Since Windows XP, there was a theme that will make the whole desktop look like Windows 95 to Windows ME, but it was removed since Windows 8. If you want the theme back, there is a way to get it back. Click here to get the classic theme back to Windows 10.

Features removed in version 1507 (RTM)[]

Windows shell[]

• The charms are removed, and replaced with the Action Center. In Windows Runtime apps, a menu button appears on the title bar that can be used to access the functions that previously required its usage.
• Users are no longer able to synchronize Start menu layouts across all devices associated with a Microsoft account. A Microsoft developer justified the change by explaining that a user may have different applications they want to emphasize on each device that they use, rather than use the same configuration across each device. The ability to automatically install a Windows app across all devices associated with an account was also removed.

System components[]

• User control over Windows Updates is removed (except in enterprise versions). In earlier versions, users could opt for updates to be installed automatically, or to be notified so they could update as and when they wished, or not to be notified; and they could choose which updates to install, using information about the updates. Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise users may be configured by an administrator to defer updates, but only for a limited time. Under the Windows end-user license agreement, users consent to the automatic installation of all updates, features and drivers provided by the service, and implicitly consent «without any additional notice» to the possibility of features being modified or removed. The agreement also states, specifically for users of Windows 10 in Canada, that they may pause updates by disconnecting their device from the Internet.
• Drivers for external (USB) floppy drives are no longer integrated and must be downloaded separately.
• While all Windows 10 editions include fonts that provide broad language support, some fonts for Asian languages (Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, etc.) are no longer included with the standard installation «to reduce the amount of disk space that Windows requires», but are available without charge as optional font packages. When software invokes text in languages other than those for which the system is configured and does not use the Windows font fallback mechanisms designed always to display legible glyphs, Windows displays unsupported characters as a default «not defined» glyph, a square or rectangular box, or a box with a dot, question mark or «x» inside.

Media features[]

• Windows Media Center is discontinued, and is uninstalled when upgrading from a previous version of Windows. Upgraded Windows installations with Media Center will receive the paid app Windows DVD Player free of charge for a limited, but unspecified, time. Microsoft had previously relegated Media Center and integrated DVD playback support to a paid add-on beginning on Windows 8 due to the cost of licensing the required DVD playback related patents, and the increasing number of PC devices that have no optical drives.

Internet and networking[]

• Web browsers can no longer set themselves as a user’s default without further intervention; changing the default web browser must be performed manually by the user from the «Default apps» page in Settings app, ostensibly to prevent browser hijacking.
• Parental controls no longer support browsers other than Internet Explorer and Edge, and the ability to control browsing by a whitelist was removed. Also removed was the ability to control local accounts, and the ability to scan a machine for applications to allow and block.

Bundled software[]

• The Food & Drink, Health & Fitness, and Travel apps have been discontinued.
• Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft does not offer WinHelp viewer for this (or higher) version. The last version of Windows on which it was possible to open WinHelp files, using a downloadable component, is Windows 8.1.

Features restored in later versions[]

• Windows Defender could be integrated into File Explorer’s context menu in Windows 8.x, but Microsoft initially removed integration from Windows 10, restoring it in Windows 10 build 10571 in response to user feedback.
• The OneDrive built-in sync client, which was introduced in Windows 8.1, no longer supports offline placeholders for online-only files in Windows 10. This functionality was re-added in Windows 10 version 1709, under the name «Files On-Demand».

Features removed in version 1607[]

• Cortana can now operate in a feature-limited mode with basic web and device search functionality, if users have not opted into data collection and personalization. On previous versions, a generic «Search» experience without Cortana branding was shown if the user had not granted permission to activate Cortana.
• In April 2016, Microsoft announced that it will no longer allow Cortana web searches to be executed through any other web browser and search engine combination but Microsoft Edge and Bing, intentionally disregarding user settings. Microsoft alleges that other web browsers and search engines results in a «compromised experience that is less reliable and predictable», and that only Microsoft Edge supports direct integration with Cortana within the browser itself.
• The ability to change the Exit Windows, Windows Logoff and Windows Login sounds was hidden in Version 1607, although these features can be enabled by going to the Windows Registry and under the EventLabels folder and setting the value to 0.
  • Certain features related to embedded advertising in the operating system can no longer be disabled on non-Enterprise or Education versions of Windows 10 using management settings such as Group Policy, including disabling Microsoft Store and Universal Windows Platform apps, «Microsoft consumer experiences» (which pushes tiles to the Start menu advertising promoted Microsoft Store apps, typically following a new installation of Windows 10), Windows Tips, turning off the lock screen (which can optionally display ads as part of «Spotlight» tips), or enforcing a specific lock screen background. Critics argued that this change was meant to discourage Windows 10 Pro from being used in business environments, since Microsoft was reducing the amount of control administrators have over their devices’ environments without using an enterprise version of Windows 10.
• The ability to share Wi-Fi credentials with other contacts via Wi-Fi Sense was removed; Wi-Fi passwords can still be synced between devices tied to the same Microsoft account.

Features removed in version 1703[]

• Windows 10 is no longer supported on devices containing an Intel Atom «Clover Trail» system-on-chip. Affected devices may not be upgraded to 1703 or any future feature updates of Windows 10. Microsoft will continue to provide security patches for version 1607 (the build has a long-term support version for enterprise markets) on these devices through January 2023.
• Windows Update will no longer postpone the download of certain critical updates if the device is connected to a network that was designated by the user as being «metered». Although meant to prevent the updates from utilizing data allotments, this behavior had been used as a workaround by users to avoid the requirement for all updates to be automatically downloaded.
• The Interactive Service Detection service, introduced in Windows Vista to combat shatter attacks, is removed in 1703.

Features removed in version 1709[]

• The Syskey utility is removed, citing insecure cryptography and increasing use as ransomware in tech support scams.
• Server Message Block version 1 (SMB1) is disabled by default on version 1709. The Home and Pro editions only disable the SMB1 server but retain the SMB1 client, so they can connect to SMB1 network shares. The Enterprise and Education editions disable the SMB1 entirely. This version of the 30-year-old protocol gained notoriety in the WannaCry ransomware attack, although Microsoft had been discouraging its use even before.
• 3D Builder is no longer installed by default. However, it can still be downloaded from Microsoft Store.

Features removed in version 1803[]

• The Games Explorer, first seen in Windows Vista, has been removed, and running the command «shell:games» will prompt an error.
• Language options in the Control Panel have been moved to the Settings app.
• By default, Windows 10 no longer automatically backs up the Registry in the RegBack folder. Microsoft recommends using System Restore instead.
• HomeGroup, a home network file sharing feature first introduced in Windows 7, is removed.
• XPS Viewer is no longer installed by default on new installations.
• The Phone Companion app is deprecated, with its functionality moved to the Settings app.

Features removed in version 1809[]

• Windows 10 setup makes it impossible to create a local user account not linked to a Microsoft account if the PC is able to connect to the internet during the setup process.
• The Hologram app has been replaced by the Mixed Reality Viewer.

Features removed in version 1903[]

• The sync feature of the desktop version of the Messaging app has been removed.

Features removed in version 1909[]

• Roaming of Taskbar settings is removed.
• The Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) cloud service was removed in Windows 10, version 1809. It’s been planned to complete the removal process by removing the corresponding APIs.

Features removed in version 2004[]

• Certain capabilities of Cortana have been removed, such as music and connected home.
• Windows To Go is removed.
• The Mobile Plans and Messaging apps are removed for non-cellular devices and are not installed by default.

Deprecated features[]

Microsoft has published a list of Windows features that are no longer actively developed. Microsoft states that these features may potentially be removed in future updates to Windows 10.

• My People in the shell no longer developed.
• Hyper-V vSwitch on LBFO (to be bound via Switch Embedded Teaming)
• Package state roaming for UWP apps (being replaced by Azure App Service)
• ReFS (volumes can only be created on Windows 10 Pro for Workstations and Enterprise)
• Snipping Tool (replaced by Store app Snip & Sketch)
• Language Community tab in Feedback Hub
• Software Restriction Policies (replaced primarily by AppLocker and Windows Defender Application Control)
• System Image Backup
• Internet Explorer
• Windows Hello Companion Device Framework API for external devices to unlock Windows logon when biometrics are unavailable
• Legacy Microsoft Edge (will be removed from Windows 10 PCs with the April 2021 Patch Tuesday update)
• Dynamic Disks (will be replaced by Storage Spaces in a future update)

Hardware requirements[]

The basic hardware requirements to install the Windows 10 Insider Preview are the same as Windows 8.1, however some older 64-bit CPUs may not be supported as well as some 32 GB and all 16 GB devices with a compressed system image.

Basic Requirements[]

• Latest OS — Make sure you are running Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update
• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC
• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
• Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit OS or 20 GB for 64-bit OS
• Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
• Display: 800×600

Important notes[]

• The upgradeability of a device has factors beyond the system specification. This includes driver and firmware support, application compatibility, and feature support, regardless of whether or not the device meets the minimum system specification for Windows 10.
• If your PC or tablet is currently running Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update, you can check to see if it meets the requirements by using ‘Check my PC’ in the Get Windows 10 app.
• Applications, files and settings will migrate as part of the upgrade, however some applications or settings may not migrate.
  • For Anti-virus and Anti-malware applications, during upgrade Windows will check to see if your Anti-virus or Anti-malware subscription is current. Windows will uninstall your application while preserving your settings. After upgrade is complete, Windows will install the latest version available with the settings that were set prior to upgrade. If your subscription is not current, upgrade will enable Windows defender.
  • Some applications that came from your OEM may be removed prior to upgrade.
  • For certain third party applications, the “Get Windows 10” app will scan for application compatibility. If there is a known issue that will prevent the upgrade, you will be notified of the list of applications with known issues. You can choose to accept and the applications will be removed from the system prior to upgrade. Please copy the list before you accept the removal of the application.

Additional requirements[]

• Speech recognition will vary by device microphone. For better speech experience you will need a:
  • High fidelity microphone array
  • Hardware driver with Microphone array geometry exposed
• Windows Hello requires specialized illuminated infrared camera for facial recognition or iris detection or a finger print reader which supports the Window Biometric Framework.
• Continuum is available on all Windows 10 editions by manually turning “tablet mode” on and off through the Action Center. Tablets and 2-in-1’s with GPIO indicators or those that have a laptop and slate indicator will be able to be configured to enter “tablet mode” automatically.
• Music and Video stream through the Xbox Music or Xbox video app available in certain regions. For the most up to date list of regions, please go to Xbox on Windows website.
• Two factor authentication requires the use of a PIN, Biometric (finger print reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities.
• The number of applications that can be snapped will depend upon the minimum resolution for the application.
• To use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multi-touch. (more info)
• Microsoft account required for some features.
• Internet access (ISP) fees might apply.
• Secure boot requires firmware that supports UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and has the Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database.
• Some IT administrators may enable Secure Logon (Ctrl + Alt + Del) before bringing you to the log in screen. On tablets without a keyboard, a tablet with the Windows button maybe required as the key combination on a tablet is Windows button + Power button.
• Some games and programs might require a graphics card compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance.
• BitLocker To Go requires a USB flash drive (Windows 10 Pro only).
• BitLocker requires either Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2, TPM 2.0 or a USB flash drive (Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise only).
• Client Hyper-V requires a 64-bit system with second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities and additional 2 GB of RAM (Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise only).
• Miracast requires a display adapter which supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.3, and a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct.
• Wi-Fi Direct Printing requires a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct and a device that supports Wi-Fi Direct Printing.
• To install a 64-bit OS on a 64-bit PC, your processor needs to support CMPXCHG16b, PrefetchW, and LAHF/SAHF.
• InstantGo works only with computers designed for Connected Standby.
• Device encryption requires a PC with InstantGo and TPM 2.0.

Trivia[]

• Windows 8 to 10 are the only versions of Windows to have different desktop and tablet UIs, with Windows 10’s tablet mode, and Windows 8’s Metro UI and desktop mode.^[7]
• In Windows 10, the «X» button to close windows only turns red when you hover over it.^[8]
• Windows 10’s Cortana digital assistant was migrated to a feature of Microsoft 365 with the release of Windows 11.^[9]
• Windows 10 was the last version of Windows to allow its taskbar to be moved to the top, left, and right of the screen. These options were removed in Windows 11.^[10]
• In the Technical-Insider Preview (mostly in builds 9926, 10036, etc.) Windows 10 was supposed to use completely 2D icons which were changed to the icons in Windows 10 that we know today in later builds.
• Windows 10 is the last version to have sharp corners. This was added in Windows 8 but originally existed in the Windows Classic theme.
• Windows 10 had its logo as its default background along with Windows 7

Videos[]

References[]

External links[]

• Get Windows 10 at Microsoft
  • How to Find Windows 10 Computer Specifications & Systems Requirements
  • Windows 10 Home and Pro — Microsoft Lifecycle at Microsoft Docs
• Windows 10 at the BetaWiki
• Windows 10 at Wikipedia

Microsoft Windows family
Versions • Components • History
Original
DOS-based
Windows 1.0 • Windows 2.0 • Windows 2.1 (Windows/286 • Windows/386) • Windows 3.0 • Windows 3.1
Windows 9x
Windows 95 • Windows 98 • Windows Me
Windows NT
Early versions
Windows NT 3.1 • Windows NT 3.5 • Windows NT 3.51 • Windows NT 4.0 • Windows 2000
Client
Windows XP (development) • Windows Vista (editions • development) • Windows 7 (editions • development) • Windows 8 • Windows 10 • Windows 11
Windows Server
Server 2003 • Server 2008 (2008 R2) • HPC Server 2008 • Home Server • Small Business Server • Essential Business Server • Windows Server 2012 • Windows Server 2016 • Windows Server 2019 • Windows Server 2022
Specialized
Windows Embedded • Windows PE • Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
Mobile
Windows Mobile • Windows Phone
Cancelled
Cairo • Nashville • Neptune • Odyssey • Windows 10X
Related
Metro • Midori • OS/2 • Windows Aero • Windows Setup • Windows XP themes • Microsoft Plus!