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Not to be confused with Windows.


WinDOS is an operating system built on MS-DOS 9.0, originally released in 2000. It is the successor to MS-DOS. (as support for MS-DOS ended in 2001) It has a hybrid kernel containing mostly DOS and some Windows NT code. It builds on MS-DOS with things such as a graphical Windows Preinstallation Environment-like interface, support for Windows NT applications, long filenames, 2 terabytes of storage, and multiple user accounts. It also contains basic applications from Windows including:

  • Notepad (notepad.exe)
  • WordPad (write.exe or wordpad.exe)
  • Paint (mspaint.exe)
  • Control Panel (control.exe and .cpl files, relies on File Explorer)
  • File Explorer (explorer.exe, can also be used as a basic GUI)
  • About (winver.exe)
  • Setup (setup.iso)
  • Minesweeper (mines.exe)
  • WD Basic (a version of Visual Basic) (wdb.exe)
  • Internet Explorer for WinDOS (iexplore.exe, removed in 11.0)
  • Microsoft Edge for WinDOS (msedge.exe, added in 11.0 to replace IE)
  • Simple FTP (a basic FTP client) (sftp.exe)
  • Microsoft Antivirus (antivirus.exe)

At startup, it starts at Command Prompt. WinDOS still has a DOS (disk operating system) functionality, as it is small enough to fit on a floppy disk or CD. It is mainly popular among businesses and people who still have older computers from the 1980s and 1990s.

WinDOS is sold as the default operating system on some business-geared computers. It is also compatible with netbooks, low-end to mid-range laptops and even tablets, however not installed by default.

Problems[]

One of Microsoft's goals was to make WinDOS's Setup files small enough to fit on a modern floppy disk. However the Windows code and features adds a lot of file size. WinDOS 10.0's media is about a gigabyte in size. It's recommended you put it on an optical disk.

The higher quality graphics could not run on some older PCs, so they sometimes had to be limited to 16 colors. For this, extra bitmap and PNG files with an imperior palette were included in C:\Windows\System32\interface.dll (not in Windows).

Version history[]

Version Release date Windows code from Size of Setup media Notes
1.0 March 15, 2000 Windows ME build 4.90.2452.0 (not NT yet) 60.05 MB Based on MS-DOS 7.1
2.0 November 5, 2001 Windows XP build 5.1.2517.0 Professional 250.6 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0, now supports high color
3.0 December 23, 2006 Windows Vista build 6.0.5536.16385 Ultimate 400.3 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0
4.0 June 12, 2009 Windows 7 build 6.1.7100.0 Ultimate 632.55 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0
4.5 April 3, 2011 Windows 7 build 6.1.7601.17514 Enterprise 700.9 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0 and Windows 7 Service Pack 1
4.51 April 27, 2011 Windows 7.1 build 6.11.7601.17514 Enterprise 800.9 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0 and Windows 7.1 Service Pack 1
5.0 Beta December 17, 2011 Windows 8 build 6.2.8112.0 850.5 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0 and a Windows 8 Developer Preview build
5.0 November 6, 2012 Windows 8 build 6.2.8888.16384 Pro 855.6 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0 and Windows 8 Pre-RTM
5.5 Beta September 29, 2013 Windows 8.1 build 6.3.9431.0 Pro 900.0 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0 and Windows 8.1 Milestone Preview
5.5 November 10, 2013 Windows 8.1 build 6.3.9477.0 Pro 901.6 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0 and Windows 8.1 Pre-RTM
10.0 Beta January 2, 2015 Windows 10 build 6.4.9860.0 Pro 929.35 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0 and Windows 10 Technical Preview, originally going to be called version 6.0
10.0 November 12, 2015 Windows 10 build 10.0.10240.16384 Enterprise 950.22 MB Based on MS-DOS 8.0 and Windows 10 RTM
11.0 Beta August 26, 2021 Windows 11 build 10.0.22004.1 Pro 1.04 GB Based on MS-DOS 9.0 and Windows 11 Insider Preview
11.0 September 12, 2021 Windows 11 build 11.0.849200.1 Enterprise 1.16 GB Based on MS-DOS 9.0 and Windows 11
11.0 UltraDOS October 2, 2022 Windows 11 build 11.0.8500.1 Ultimate 1.74 GB Based on MS-DOS 9.0 and Windows 11 Ultimate
12.0 Beta 1 July 7, 2024 Windows 12 build 24810.1000 and 24820.50 1.33 GB Based on MS-DOS 9.0 and Windows 12 Microsoft Confidential Beta
12.0 Beta 2 September 8, 2024 Windows 12 build 24820.75 Pro 1.42 GB Based on MS-DOS 9.0 and Windows 12 Insider Preview
12.0 December 14, 2024 (original release date October 7, 2024, postponed after then) Windows 12 build 24820.200 Enterprise 1.61 GB Based on MS-DOS 9.0 and Windows 12

Features[]

  • WinDOS can run both .com and .exe files.
  • More apps can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store.

Gallery[]

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