Editing Windows 95 (section)

==User interface==
Windows 95 introduced a redesigned [[Windows shell|shell]] based around a [[desktop metaphor]]; [[Shortcut (computing)#Microsoft Windows|File shortcuts]] (also known as shell links) were introduced <ref name="WinLNK">{{Cite journal |first=Raymond |last=Chen |date=October 2009 |journal=[[TechNet Magazine]] |title=Windows Confidential: Tracking Shortcuts |url=https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2009.10.windowsconfidential.aspx |access-date=April 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012055953/http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2009.10.windowsconfidential.aspx |archive-date=October 12, 2009 |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> and the windows were re-purposed to hold shortcuts to applications, files and folders, reminiscent of [[Mac OS]]. In part because of this, the abilty to enter full screen mode was added to most that are functionally robust enough. 

In [[Windows 3.1]], the desktop was used to display icons of running applications. In Windows 95, the currently running applications were displayed as buttons on a [[taskbar]] across the bottom of the screen.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Windows 3.0-style file browser lets you navigate like it's the 90s|url=https://www.engadget.com/2018-04-09-windows-3-file-browser-open-source.html|access-date=August 27, 2020|website=Engadget|date=April 9, 2018|language=en|archive-date=September 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905001720/https://www.engadget.com/2018-04-09-windows-3-file-browser-open-source.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The taskbar also contained a notification area used to display icons for background applications, a volume control and the current time.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 30, 2019|title=New version of Windows 95 gains a snazzy user interface on Windows 10, macOS and Linux|url=https://betanews.com/2019/08/30/windows-95-new-user-interface/|access-date=August 27, 2020|website=BetaNews|language=en|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806135815/https://betanews.com/2019/08/30/windows-95-new-user-interface/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Start menu]], invoked by clicking the "Start" button on the taskbar or by pressing the [[Windows key]], was introduced as an additional means of launching applications or opening documents. While maintaining the program groups used by its predecessor [[Program Manager]], it also displayed applications within cascading sub-menus.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Warren|first=Tom|date=February 11, 2016|title=A history of the Windows Start menu|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/11/10923808/microsoft-windows-start-menu-20-years-visual-history|access-date=August 27, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en-US|archive-date=August 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820043607/https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/11/10923808/microsoft-windows-start-menu-20-years-visual-history|url-status=live}}</ref>

The previous [[File Manager (Windows)|File Manager]] program was replaced by [[Windows Explorer]] and the Explorer-based [[Control Panel (Windows)|Control Panel]] and several other [[special folder]]s were added such as My Computer, Dial-Up Networking, Recycle Bin, Network Neighborhood, My Documents, Recent documents, Fonts, Printers, and [[Briefcase (Microsoft Windows)|My Briefcase]] among others. [[AutoRun]] was introduced for CD drives.

The user interface looked dramatically different from prior versions of Windows, empathizing more detail; however, its design language did not have a special name like ''[[Metro (design language)|Metro]]'' in Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10, ''Platinum'' in Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9, ''[[Windows Aero|Aero]]'' in Windows Vista onward, ''[[Aqua (user interface)|Aqua]]'' in macOS, and ''[[Material Design]]'' in most Google products since 2014. Internally it was called "the new shell" and later simply "the shell".<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20140729-00/?p=383|title = Did the Windows 95 interface have a code name?|date = July 29, 2014|access-date = August 8, 2018|website = The Old New Thing|author-last = Chen|author-first = Raymond|author-link = Raymond Chen (Microsoft)|archive-date = August 9, 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180809090816/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20140729-00/?p=383|url-status = live}}</ref> The subproject within Microsoft to develop the new shell was internally known as "Stimpy".<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20140520-00/?p=953|title = The code names for various subprojects within Windows 95|date = May 20, 2014|access-date = August 8, 2018|website = The Old New Thing|author-last = Chen|author-first = Raymond|author-link = Raymond Chen (Microsoft)|archive-date = July 4, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210704050138/https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/|url-status = live}}</ref>

{{Listen
 |filename     = The Microsoft Sound (Windows 95).wav
 |title        = "The Microsoft Sound"
 |description  = Startup sound for Windows 95, composed by Brian Eno
}}

In 1994, Microsoft designers [[Mark Malamud]] and Erik Gavriluk approached [[Brian Eno]] to compose music for the Windows 95 project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/intel-microsoft-research-in-motion-apple/5/25/2010/id/28465?refresh=1|title=Who Created The Windows Start-Up Sound?|last=Rohrlich|first=Justin|date=May 25, 2010|work=[[Minyanville]]'s Wall Street|access-date=June 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104221227/http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/intel-microsoft-research-in-motion-apple/5/25/2010/id/28465?refresh=1|archive-date=November 4, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The result was the six-second start-up music-sound of the Windows 95 operating system, ''[[The Microsoft Sound]]'' and it was first released as a startup sound in May 1995 on Windows 95 May Test Release build 468.<ref>{{Cite news |author=[[Joel Selvin]], Chronicle Pop Music Critic |url=http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Q-and-A-With-Brian-Eno-2979740.php |title=Q and A With Brian Eno |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=June 2, 1996 |access-date=June 19, 2012 |archive-date=October 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028193008/http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Q-and-A-With-Brian-Eno-2979740.php |url-status=live }}</ref> The previous "tada" startup sound from Windows 3.1 became the shutdown sound for Windows 95. In 2025, the Microsoft Sound was selected for preservation in the [[National Recording Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Edser |first=Andy |date=11 April 2025 |title=The Windows 95 start-up sound and the Minecraft soundtrack have been added to the US Library of Congress list of nationally significant recordings |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/software/operating-systems/the-windows-95-start-up-sound-and-the-minecraft-soundtrack-have-been-added-to-the-us-library-of-congress-list-of-nationally-significant-recordings/ |access-date=11 April 2025 |work=[[PC Gamer]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

When released for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, [[Internet Explorer 4]] came with an optional [[Windows Desktop Update]], which modified the shell to provide several additional updates to Windows Explorer, including a ''Quick Launch'' toolbar, and new features integrated with Internet Explorer, such as [[Active Desktop]] (which allowed Internet content to be displayed directly on the desktop).

Some of the user interface elements introduced in Windows 95, such as the desktop, taskbar, Start menu and Windows Explorer file manager, remained fundamentally unchanged on future versions of Windows.