Windows 3.0

Windows 3.0
	Version of Microsoft Windows
OS family	16-bit Windows
Version	3.0
Codename
Preliminary name
Semester
Architecture	x86 16-bit
Latest build	3.0 (with Multimedia Extensions)
Release date	1990-05-22
Support end	2001-12-31
Replaces
	Windows 2.x
Replaced by
	Windows 3.1x

Windows 3.0 is a major release of Microsoft Windows that was released on 22 May 1990 as the successor to Windows 2.x and was the first truly popular version of Windows. It was a major improvement over Windows 2.x, featuring a completely revamped user interface.

It was the last version to support 8088/8086 real mode (640k RAM) as Windows 3.1 only offered "Standard mode" (max 16MB RAM on 80286) and "386 Enhanced mode" (on 80386). Regardless of which mode is chosen, Windows 3.0 cannot recognize more than 16 MB of RAM, even in 386 enhanced mode.

Windows 3.0 can run in up to 24-bit color mode, given the proper display driver and graphics card.

Easter egg[edit | edit source]

Background Easter egg in Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0

All builds of Windows 3.0 include an Easter egg.^[1] In build 14, it was implemented the same way as in Windows 2.x, but the function for the credits window was stubbed out. Build 55 changed the Easter egg entirely to paint the background white with a plaintext string of the credits itself. In build 55, it could be activated with F8, F4, F8, F4, and Backspace in quick succession, but the background would have no text due to the credits string data being empty. The RC2 build changed the hotkey to require the user to type WIN3 then press Backspace while holding F3, and included the actual credits data.