Editing Windows 9x (section)

{{short description|Series of Microsoft operating systems}}
{{redirect|Windows 4.x|the operating system in the NT family|Windows NT 4.0}}
{{for|the Microsoft Windows operating system formerly referred to as Windows 9|Windows 10}}
{{infobox OS
| name = Windows 9x
| logo = File:Windows Logo (1992-2001).svg
| logo_size = 70px
| screenshot = File:Windows 95 Desktop screenshot.png
| caption = Screenshot of [[Windows 95]], the first version of Windows in the 9x series
| developer = [[Microsoft]]
| released = 4.00.950 / {{Start date and age|1995|7|14}}<br>(as [[Windows 95]])
| discontinued = yes
| latest release version = 4.90.3000 / {{End date and age|2000|6|19}}<br>(as [[Windows Me]])
| family = [[MS-DOS]]
| source_model = [[Closed source]]
| kernel_type = [[Monolithic kernel|Monolithic]]
| userland = [[Windows API]]
| ui = [[Windows shell]] ([[Graphical user interface|Graphical]])
| supported_platforms = [[IA-32]]
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[commercial software]]
| preceded_by = [[Windows 3.1]] (1992-1993)
| succeeded_by = [[Windows XP]] (2001)
| influenced by = [[MS-DOS]], [[OS/2]], [[Windows 3.1]]
| working_state = Discontinued
| support_status = Mainstream support for Windows 95 ended on December 31, 2000. Extended support ended on December 31, 2001.<ref name=Lifecycle95>{{cite web |title=Microsoft Support Lifecycle |url=http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=7864 |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=April 12, 2019}}</ref><br/><br/>
Mainstream support for Windows 98 ended on June 30, 2002. Mainstream support for Windows Me ended on December 31, 2003. Extended support for both ended on July 11, 2006.<ref name=Lifecycle98>{{cite web |title=Microsoft Support Lifecycle |url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search?alpha=Microsoft%20Windows%2098 |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=April 12, 2019}}</ref><ref name=LifecycleME>{{cite web |title=Microsoft Support Lifecycle |url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search?alpha=Microsoft%20Windows%20ME |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=April 12, 2019}}</ref>
| updatemodel = [[Windows Update]]
}}

'''Windows 9x''' is a generic term referring to a line of discontinued [[Microsoft Windows]] [[operating system]]s released from 1995 to 2000 and supported until 2006, which were based on the kernel introduced in [[Windows 95]] and modified in succeeding versions, with its underlying foundation based on [[MS-DOS]].<ref name="Lea_1998_Cebit">{{cite web
 |title=Caldera shows Windows on DR-DOS, denying Microsoft claims
 |author-last=Lea
 |author-first=Graham
 |author-link=Graham Lea (journalist)
 |date=1998-03-23
 |series=[[CeBIT]] news
 |location=Hanover, Germany 
 |url=http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/1996865/cebit-caldera-windows-dr-dos-denying-ms-claims
 |access-date=2012-03-15
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315080721/http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/1996865/cebit-caldera-windows-dr-dos-denying-ms-claims
 |archive-date=2012-03-15}}</ref> The first version in the 9x series was Windows 95, which was succeeded by [[Windows 98]] and then [[Windows Me]], which was the third and last version of Windows on the 9x line, until the series was superseded by [[Windows XP]].<ref>The term ''Windows 9x/Me'' is usually used to refer to the three operating systems, as in [https://web.archive.org/web/20110125175944/http://www.governmentsecurity.org/articles/windows-9x-me-security-system-restrictions.html this tutorial]. Sometimes Windows Me is included as a member of ''Windows 9x'', e.g in [http://users.iafrica.com/c/cq/cquirke/win95ver.htm this version list] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619175630/http://users.iafrica.com/c/cq/cquirke/win95ver.htm |date=June 19, 2010 }}. In this article the term ''Windows 9x'' is used to include Windows 95, 98, and Me.</ref>

Windows 9x is predominantly known for its use in [[Desktop computer|home desktops]]. In 1998, Windows made up 82% of operating system market share.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/windows/win1997.htm|title=Chronology of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems|last=Polsson|first=Ken|date=April 22, 2008|website=www.islandnet.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502044722/http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/windows/win1997.htm|archive-date=May 2, 2008|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref>

The internal release number for versions of Windows 9x is 4.x. The internal versions for Windows 95, 98, and Me are 4.0, 4.1, and 4.9, respectively. Previous MS-DOS-based versions of Windows used version numbers of [[Windows 3.x|3.2 or lower]]. [[Windows NT]], which was aimed at professional users such as networks and businesses, used a similar but separate version number between 3.1 and 4.0. All versions of Windows from [[Windows XP]] onwards are based on the Windows NT codebase.