Windows NT 3.1

Windows NT 3.1 is the first version of Windows NT. It had a very similar interface to Windows 3.1 but unlike Windows 3.1, Windows NT 3.1 was a complete 32-bit based operating system while Windows 3.1 was a constrictive 16-bit based operating system. Windows NT 3.1 also doesn't rely on DOS. The name NT stands for "New Technology", meaning that Windows NT 3.1 was a re-engineered Windows operating system.

Its codename was NT OS/2 due to the fact that the original chip that's used to develop this OS for was a non-x86 processor called Intel i860 and its codename was "N10" (it was later decided that Intel i860 wasn't a suiting choice for development of NT OS/2). After that, DEC sued them for using stolen code from Mica. Microsoft then agreed to support the DEC Alpha processor for Windows NT 3.1. Later, it was ported over to MIPS R4000 and Intel i386.

Windows NT was publicly demonstrated for the first time at COMDEX in October 1991. At the Win32 PDC conference in June 1992, Windows NT was demonstrated for the x86 and MIPS processors. On 26 July 1993, Windows NT 3.1 was released for x86 and MIPS, followed by the DEC Alpha version in September. The Workstation version was sold at $495 while the server version was $1495.

This OS was initially going to be OS/2 3.0. However, even before OS/2 2.0 was completed, IBM and Microsoft ended their partnership (due to the high sales success of Windows 3.0 and IBM learning of Microsoft Windows NT project in January 1991) and the latter developed Windows NT on their own and the new OS was very reminiscent of OS/2. For example, the NTFS file system it introduced is heavily based upon IBM's HPFS used in OS/2, both even use the same disk partition ID. It was succeeded by Windows NT 3.5 in 1994. Several update packages were released for NT 3.1 during its lifetime.

The boot screen only shows the processor count if a multiprocessor kernel and HAL is being used, which would be the case on systems like the Compaq SystemPro/XL and its clones.

Windows NT 3.1 comes with two editions: Workstation and Advanced Server.