Editing Windows NT 4.0 (section)

==Features==
Although the chief enhancement has been the addition of the Windows 95 shell, there are several major performance, scalability and feature improvements to the core [[Architecture of Windows NT|architecture]], [[Kernel (operating system)|kernel]], [[Windows USER|USER32]], [[Component Object Model|COM]] and [[MSRPC]].<ref name="NT4UndertheHood"/><ref>[ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Developr/drg/COM/MarkRy/MS_DCE_COM.ppt Microsoft, DCE, and COM]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Windows NT 4.0 also introduced the concept of ''system policies''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/161334|title=Guide To Windows NT 4.0 Profiles and Policies (Part 1 of 6)|publisher=Microsoft|work=microsoft.com|access-date=August 10, 2011|archive-date=November 3, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041103111358/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/161334|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[System Policy Editor]].

Other important features were:

* [[Microsoft CryptoAPI|Crypto API]]<ref name="NT4UndertheHood" />
* [[Telephony Application Programming Interface|Telephony API 2.0]] with limited Unimodem support,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/msj/0498/tapi.aspx|title=For the Telephony API, Press 1; For Unimodem, Press 2; or Stay on the Line|last=Umeno|first=Hiroo|date=April 1998|work=MSDN|publisher=Microsoft|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040225080547/http://www.microsoft.com/msj/0498/tapi.aspx|archive-date=February 25, 2004|access-date=May 17, 2019}}</ref> which was the first release of TAPI on Windows NT
* [[Distributed Component Object Model|DCOM]] and new [[Object Linking and Embedding|OLE]] features<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/msj/0596/activex0596.aspx|title=Introducing Distributed COM and the New OLE Features in Windows NT™ 4.0|last=Box|first=Don|date=May 1996|work=MSDN|publisher=Microsoft|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031212113907/http://www.microsoft.com/msj/0596/activex0596.aspx|archive-date=December 12, 2003|access-date=May 17, 2019}}</ref>
* [[Microsoft Message Queuing]] (MSMQ), which improved [[interprocess communication]]
* [[Winsock|Winsock 2]] and the [[TCP/IP]] stack improvements
* File system [[defragmentation]] support<ref name="NTDefrag">{{Cite web |url=http://bandwidthco.com/whitepapers/compforensics/fsanalysis/fragmentation/Inside%20Windows%20NT%20Disk%20Defragmenting.pdf |title=Inside Windows NT Disk Defragmenting |access-date=December 14, 2010 |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707211108/http://bandwidthco.com/whitepapers/compforensics/fsanalysis/fragmentation/Inside%20Windows%20NT%20Disk%20Defragmenting.pdf |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
* [[Internet Explorer 2]]
The server editions of Windows NT 4.0 include [[Internet Information Services]] 2.0, [[Microsoft FrontPage]] 1.1, [[Windows Media Services|NetShow Services]], [[Remote Access Service]] (which includes a [[Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol|PPTP]] server for VPN functionality) and Multi-Protocol Routing service. There are new administrative [[Wizard (software)|wizards]] and a lite version of the [[Microsoft Network Monitor|Network Monitor]] utility shipped with [[System Management Server]]. The Enterprise edition introduced [[Microsoft Cluster Server]].

One significant difference from previous versions of Windows NT is that the [[Graphics Device Interface]] (GDI) is moved into kernel mode<ref>{{cite web|url=http://windowsitpro.com/Windows/Articles/ArticleID/2469/pg/2/2.html|title=Windows NT 4.0|author=Pleas|first=Keith|date=April 1996|website=Windows IT Pro|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310105758/http://www.windowsitpro.com/Windows/Articles/ArticleID/2469/pg/2/2.html/|archive-date=March 10, 2007|access-date=May 17, 2019}}</ref> rather than being in user mode in the CSRSS process. This eliminated a process-to-process context switch in calling GDI functions, resulting in a significant performance improvement over Windows NT 3.51, particularly in the graphical user interface. This, however, also mandated that graphics and printer drivers had to run in kernel mode as well,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unixwiz.net/techtips/win32-pdriver-ktou.html|title=Converting Win32 Kernel-mode Print Drivers to User Mode|work=unixwiz.net|access-date=September 30, 2011|archive-date=October 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008192305/http://www.unixwiz.net/techtips/win32-pdriver-ktou.html|url-status=live}}</ref> resulting in potential stability issues.

Windows NT 4.0 was the first release of Microsoft Windows to include [[DirectX]] as standard—version 2 shipped with the initial release of Windows NT 4.0, and version 3 was included with the release of Service Pack 3 in mid-1997. However advanced hardware accelerated Direct3D and DirectSound multimedia features were never available on Windows NT 4.0. Later versions of DirectX were not released for Windows NT 4.0. However, [[OpenGL]] was supported; it was used by [[Quake III Arena|''Quake 3'']]<ref>{{cite web|title=Quake 3 Arena overview|url=http://www.computerhope.com/games/games/q3.htm|publisher=Computerhope.com|access-date=April 13, 2014|archive-date=April 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414172020/http://www.computerhope.com/games/games/q3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Unreal Tournament]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.computerhope.com/games/games/unreal.htm|title=Unreal Tournament help and support|website=Computer Hope|access-date=May 17, 2019|archive-date=May 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517074914/https://www.computerhope.com/games/games/unreal.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

In early releases of 4.0, numerous stability issues did occur as graphics and printer vendors had to change their drivers to be compatible with the kernel mode interfaces exported by GDI. The change to move the GDI to run in the same process context as its caller was prompted by complaints from NT Workstation users about real-time graphics performance, but this change put a considerable onus on hardware manufacturers to update device drivers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/windows-nt-40-default-drivers-and-services/|title=Windows NT 4.0 default drivers and services|last=Jackman|first=Michael|date=September 22, 2000|website=TechRepublic|language=en|access-date=September 17, 2019|archive-date=October 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008134353/https://www.techrepublic.com/article/windows-nt-40-default-drivers-and-services/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Windows NT 4.0 also included a new [[Windows Task Manager]] utility. Previous versions of Windows NT included the Task List utility, but it only shows applications currently on the desktop. To monitor CPU and memory usage, users were forced to use [[Performance Monitor]]. The task manager offers a more convenient way of getting a snapshot of all the processes running on the system at any given time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itprotoday.com/cloud-computing/inside-nt-40-task-manager|title=Inside the NT 4.0 Task Manager|date=February 28, 1997|website=IT Pro|language=en|access-date=September 17, 2019|archive-date=February 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225072324/https://www.itprotoday.com/cloud-computing/inside-nt-40-task-manager|url-status=live}}</ref>

Windows NT 4.0 upgraded [[NTVDM]]'s x86 emulation in the [[RISC]] versions from [[Intel 80286|286]] to [[Intel 80486|486]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102555|title=INFO: How Windows handles floating-point calculations|date=November 21, 2006|work=Support|publisher=Microsoft|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919090823/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102555|archive-date=September 19, 2012|access-date=May 17, 2019|edition=2.3}}</ref> [[Sysprep]] was introduced as a deployment tool with Windows NT 4.0.

[[x86]] versions of Windows NT 4.0 require the [[BIOS]] firmware. [[RISC]] versions of Windows NT 4.0 require the [[ARC firmware]].