Technical information
DOS-based (MS-DOS/9x-based)
Name
|
Kernel
|
Kernel type
|
Architecture
|
Integrated firewall
|
SMP support
|
Multiple architecture support
|
USB Support
|
UDMA Support
|
Long Filename Support
|
Update management
|
APIs
|
Safe Mode
|
Windows 1.0
|
?
|
?
|
16-bit
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Win16
|
No
|
Windows 2.0
|
?
|
?
|
16-bit
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Win16
|
No
|
Windows 3.0
|
?
|
?
|
16-bit
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Win16
|
No
|
Windows 3.1x
|
? (OS or shell?)
|
?
|
16-bit (partial 32-bit compatibility through Win32s)
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Win16, Win32s
|
No
|
Windows 95
|
MS-DOS 7.0, MS-DOS 7.1 (Win95B)
|
Monolithic kernel
|
Hybrid 16/32-bit
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Only OEM Service Release 2.1 or higher
|
Only OEM Service Release 2 or higher
|
Yes
|
Windows Update (If Internet Explorer 5 is installed)
|
Win16, Win32c
|
Yes
|
Windows 98
|
MS-DOS 7.1
|
Monolithic kernel
|
Hybrid 16/32-bit
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Windows Update
|
Win16, Win32
|
Yes
|
Windows Me
|
MS-DOS 8.0
|
Monolithic kernel
|
Hybrid 16/32-bit
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Windows Update
|
Win16, Win32
|
Yes
|
NT Kernel-based
The NT kernel powers all recent Windows operating systems. It runs on x86, x86-64 and Itanium processors.
Name
|
Kernel
|
Architecture
|
Integrated firewall
|
SMP support
|
Multiple architecture support
|
USB Support
|
UDMA Support
|
Long File Name Support
|
Package management
|
Update management
|
APIs
|
Safe Mode
|
Data Execution Prevention
|
Windows NT 3.1
|
NT 3.1
|
32-bit
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
?
|
Yes (NTFS and HPFS Volumes only)
|
|
|
Win32, OS/2, POSIX
|
No
|
No
|
Windows NT 3.5
|
NT 3.5
|
32-bit
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
?
|
Yes (Except on CDFS volumes)
|
|
|
Win32, OS/2, POSIX
|
No
|
No
|
Windows NT 3.51
|
NT 3.51
|
32-bit
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
?
|
Yes (Except on CDFS volumes)
|
|
|
Win32, OS/2, POSIX
|
No
|
No
|
Windows NT 4.0
|
NT 4.0
|
32-bit
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes (if the Ion USB update is installed)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Windows Update (if Internet Explorer 5 or later is installed)
|
Win32, OS/2, POSIX
|
No
|
No
|
Windows 2000
|
NT 5.0
|
32/64-bit
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes (IA-64/Itanium in Advanced Server and Datacenter Server)
|
Yes (USB 2.0 with update or SP4)[3]
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
MSI, custom installers
|
Windows Update
|
Win32, OS/2, POSIX
|
Yes
|
No
|
Windows XP
|
NT 5.1.2600; NT 5.2.3790
|
32/64-bit
|
Yes
|
Yes (Professional Edition only)
|
Yes (IA-64/Itanium, x86, x86-64)
|
Yes (USB 2.0 with update or SP1+)[4]
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
MSI, custom installers
|
Windows Update
|
Win32, .NET
|
Yes
|
Yes (in SP2)
|
Windows Server 2003
|
NT 5.2.3790
|
32/64-bit
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes (USB 2.0)[5]
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
MSI, custom installers
|
Windows Update
|
Win32
|
Yes
|
Yes (in SP1)
|
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
|
NT 5.1.2600
|
32-bit
|
Yes
|
?
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
MSI, custom installers
|
Windows Update
|
Win32
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Windows Vista
|
NT 6.0.6000 ; NT 6.0.6001 (SP1) ; NT 6.0.6002 (SP2)
|
32/64-bit
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes (x86, x86-64)
|
Yes (USB 2.0)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
MSI, custom installers
|
Windows Update Application
|
Win32, .NET, POSIX (only Enterprise and Ultimate)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Windows Server 2008
|
NT 6.0.6001 ; NT 6.0.6002 (SP2)
|
32/64-bit
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes (IA-64/Itanium, x86, x86-64)
|
Yes (USB 2.0)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Windows Update Application
|
Win32
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Windows Home Server
|
NT 5.2
|
32-bit
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Yes (USB 2.0)
|
?
|
Yes
|
|
|
Win32
|
?
|
?
|
Windows 7
|
NT 6.1
|
32/64-bit
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes (x86, x86-64)
|
Yes (USB 2.0)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Windows Update Application
|
Win32, .NET
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Windows Server 2008 R2
|
NT 6.1
|
64-bit
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes (IA-64/Itanium, x86-64)
|
Yes (USB 2.0)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Windows Update Application
|
Win32, .NET
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Windows Home Server 2011
|
NT 6.1
|
64-bit
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Yes (USB 2.0)
|
?
|
Yes
|
|
|
Win32
|
?
|
?
|
Supported file systems
Various versions of Windows support various file systems, including: FAT16, FAT32, HPFS, or NTFS, along with network file systems shared from other computers, and the ISO 9660 and UDF file systems used for CDs, DVDs, and other optical discs such as Blu-ray. Each file system is usually limited in application to certain media, for example CDs must use ISO 9660 or UDF, and as of Windows Vista, NTFS is the only file system which the operating system can be installed on. Windows Embedded CE 6.0, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and Windows Server 2008 onwards support ExFAT, a file system more suitable for flash drives.
DOS-based (MS-DOS/9x-based)
|
FAT16
|
FAT32
|
HPFS
|
ISO9660
|
NTFS
|
UDF
|
Windows 95
|
Yes
|
Yes (OSR2 or above)
|
Network Drive
|
Yes
|
Network Drive
|
No
|
Windows 98
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Network Drive
|
Yes
|
Network Drive
|
Yes (1.5, read)
|
Windows Me
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Network Drive
|
Yes
|
Network Drive
|
Yes (1.5, read)
|
NT Kernel-based
|
FAT16
|
FAT32
|
HPFS
|
ISO9660
|
NTFS
|
UDF (More Info)
|
Windows NT 3.1, 3.5, 3.51
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes v1.0/v1.1
|
?
|
Windows NT 4.0
|
Yes
|
No
|
Partial
|
Yes
|
Yes v1.2
|
?
|
Windows 2000
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes v3.0
|
Yes
|
Windows XP
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes v3.1
|
Yes (2.01)
|
Windows Server 2003
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes v3.1
|
Yes
|
Windows Vista
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes v5
|
Yes (2.6)
|
Windows Server 2008
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes v5
|
Yes
|
Windows 7
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes v5
|
Yes (2.6)
|
Windows Server 2008 R2
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes v5
|
Yes (2.6)
|
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