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Windows 3.1x
| Version of Microsoft Windows | |
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 | |
| OS family | 16-bit Windows |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.1x |
| Codename | Sparta, Winball (Windows for Workgroups 3.1) Snowball (Windows for Workgroups 3.11) |
| Architecture | x86 (PC/AT, PC-98, FM Towns) |
| Latest build | 3.11.300 (Windows for Workgroups 3.11) |
| Release date | 1992-04-06 (Windows 3.1) 1992-10-27 (WfW 3.1) 1993-08-11 (WfW 3.11) 1993-11-08 (Windows 3.11) 1994-11-22 (Windows 3.2) |
| Support end | 2001-12-31 2008-11-01 (for embedded purposes) |
| Replaces | |
| Windows 3.0 | |
| Replaced by | |
| Windows 95 | |
Windows 3.1x is a family of Windows versions following Windows 3.0 initially released on 6 April 1992. It added TrueType support and included multimedia components installed by default. System stability was greatly increased compared to Windows 3.0, while the user interface was refined and improved. It was succeeded by Windows 95 released in 1995.
It is the first version to support upgrade paths to Windows 95, as well as Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition.
History[edit | edit source]
The first release was Windows 3.1 in 1992. Windows for Workgroups 3.1 was released alongside Windows 3.1 in 1992 and featured support for networking. It was updated to Windows for Workgroups 3.11 in 1993, whose core was also backported to Windows 3.1 as an update. A separate simplified Chinese release called Windows 3.2 was also made, fixing problems related to the input of Chinese characters.
Aside from the standalone version, Microsoft also released a combined bundle of MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1 codenamed Janus.[1] Later, with the release of MS-DOS 6.00, an updated version codenamed Jastro was released.[2]
Microsoft ended support for all of the Windows 3.1x series on 31 December 2001, except the embedded version, which continued until 2008.[3]
System requirements[edit | edit source]
According to Microsoft, the following are the recommended system requirements for Windows 3.1x, including Modular Windows.[4] Windows 3.1 drops support for the 8088 real mode, and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 drops support for the 286 Standard mode. This table takes account retail versions; OEM versions will vary depending on the hardware that it was intended to be installed on.
| Name | CPU | RAM | Storage | Video adapter | MS-DOS version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 3.1 | 80286 processor | 1 MB | One hard disk with 6 MB of hard disk space | Hercules, CGA, EGA, or VGA | MS-DOS 3.10 and above |
| Windows for Workgroups 3.1 | 3 MB | One hard disk with 8 MB of hard disk space | MS-DOS 3.30 and above | ||
| Windows for Workgroups 3.11 | 80386 processor | ||||
| Modular Windows | 4 MB | One hard disk with 20 MB of hard disk space | MS-DOS 3.22 and above |
Easter egg[edit | edit source]
Windows 3.1, much like previous versions, features an easter egg that shows a list of people involved with the project. The easter egg can be triggered by repeatedly opening the About box of any application included with Windows, double clicking the logo in the top left corner while holding Ctrl+Alt+⇧ Shift and then clicking the OK button. Upon double clicking the logo for the second time, the product and system information is replaced with an animated Windows flag and a message reading "Dedicated to all the hard-working people of the Microsoft Windows 3.10 Team!".
Repeating the procedure for the third time results in the same area being replaced by a gray box showing an illustration of a person in a yellow suit presenting scrolling credits with the team members' e-mail aliases. The person's head changes randomly for each invocation between drawings of Bill Gates, Brad Silverberg, Steve Ballmer and a bear; the last of which is a reference to the team's mascot.
List of known builds[edit | edit source]
Available build Confirmed build Unconfirmed build Fake build Windows 3.1[edit | edit source]
Beta 1[edit | edit source]
Beta 2[edit | edit source]
Incremental Beta[edit | edit source]
Final Beta[edit | edit source]
Release Candidate[edit | edit source]
Pre-RTM[edit | edit source]
RTM[edit | edit source]
International RTM[edit | edit source]
East Asian Beta[edit | edit source]
East Asian RTM[edit | edit source]
Windows 3.11[edit | edit source]
RTM[edit | edit source]
Windows 3.2[edit | edit source]
Beta[edit | edit source]
RTM[edit | edit source]
Windows for Workgroups 3.1[edit | edit source]
Beta[edit | edit source]
Final Beta[edit | edit source]
RTM[edit | edit source]
Windows for Workgroups 3.11[edit | edit source]
Beta[edit | edit source]
Release Candidate 1[edit | edit source]
Release Candidate[edit | edit source]
RTM[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/TP011907.txt
- ↑ http://antitrust.slated.org/www.iowaconsumercase.org/assets/attachments/2_6_07_Schulman_Deposition.pdf
- ↑ Fiveash, Kelly. Microsoft retires Windows 3.11 on 18th birthday, The Register. 5 November 2008.
- ↑ Windows Version History, Microsoft Support (via Wayback Machine). 19 July 2005.
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