Microsoft Windows DOS

Background
Windows is a series of computer operating systems distributed by Microsoft Corporation. The first public build launched on November 20th, 1985.

Note: The music and/or sounds on these screens are the sounds played by the computer at some point during the system log in. Most of the sounds are not heard on the screens themselves. The usage dates are determined by the release date of the system, up to the date that all support to the OS is discontinued.

(May 1, 1985-April 8, 1989 [end of production], December 31, 2001 [discontinued])
Codename: "Interface Manager" (1.01-1.04)

Background: The earliest confirmed build of Windows 1.0 dates back to May 1983 and was the feature of an article in BYTE magazine. Windows 1.0 is the first public version of the Windows line of operating systems (although Windows 1 through 3.1 were graphical shells installed on top of MS-DOS). Unlike future versions, Windows 1.x is the only one not to include overlapping and freely positionable windows on the desktop. Apple's Macintosh, released the previous year, already used overlapping windows. Microsoft decided to use "tiling" (which has made a bit of a comeback since Windows 7) in order to avoid a lawsuit from Apple.

Trivia: The date on this operating system does not go further than 1999. If a user attempts to change the date to the year 2000 or onward, the system will display a three-digit number ranging from 100-199.

Nicknames:
 * Versions 1.01-1.03: "8-Bit Microsoft Logo"
 * Versions 1.04-2.11: "8-Bit MS Pac-Man"

Screen: On a blue background, we see two white segmented copies of the then-current Microsoft logo at the top of the screen, blending together to form one whole logo. After they blend, text appears below the logo that reads "Microsoft Windows, Version 1.01". in white. At the bottom of the screen is a copyright notice.

Later Variant: As of December 9, 1987, the Microsoft logo is replaced by its succeeding logo (used from 1987-2012). Used since Versions 1.04 and 2.01 until 2.11.

Variants:
 * On the beta and premiere versions of Windows, the "Version 1.01" text is replaced with "Beta Release" on the beta, and "Premiere Edition" on the premiere release.
 * Versions 1.02 and 1.03 have their names listed on their respective operating systems.
 * Starting with Windows 2.x, "/386" is seen next to the word "Windows" (though some 2.0x versions didn't have anything next to "Windows"). With versions 2.1 and 2.11, "/286" is also seen next to "Windows".
 * Sometimes, the screen will scroll down as the text "Incorrect DOS version" and garbled sprites appear on the blue background and the internal beeper beeps wildly. As the text implies, this is due to an incompatible version of MS-DOS being used to run Windows. This could also be seen as the earliest incarnation of the Blue Screen.

FX/SFX: The Microsoft logo forming.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds): Usually none. PCs of the time only had the simple internal beeper. However, lots and lots of beeping for the glitched version.

Availability:
 * Versions 1.01-2.11: Extremely rare. Found only on computers running the original 2 versions of the Windows operating system.
 * Beta/Premiere Versions: Extinct and nearly long gone. While originally only in the hands of people given the operating systems by Microsoft to test out, copies have since leaked to the beta community dedicated to these kinds of operating systems.

Editor's Note: Although this doesn't hold up to today's standards, you have to remember that this was made in the 1980s, which was before any kind of rendering or photo-manipulation software.

1st Screen (July 27, 1989)
Codename(s): None

Background: The earliest confirmed build of Windows 3.0 dates back to February 22, 1989. Windows 3.0 was the first widely successful build of Windows. It included a significantly revamped interface and technical improvements to make better use of memory management for Intel processors. Unlike Windows 1.0 and 2.0, which had a very limited color palette for colored menus and window boxes with in-application graphics being monochrome (black & white), Windows 3.0 supported up to 256 colors.

Nickname: "We Believe in Magicǃ"

Screen: It's almost the same as the Windows 1.0 and 2x screen, but with a few differences:
 * The Microsoft logo is replaced with “Windows 3.0” (set in a font almost identical to the one seen in the logo)
 * The version/revision number is removed.
 * “Microsoft Windows” is replaced with “We Believe in Magic!”.
 * The copyright stamp is slightly different.

FX/SFX: Same as above.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds): None.

Availability: Extinct, the only known Windows build that has this logo is build 1.33, a copy has since leaked in September 23, 2022.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Screen (January 2, 1990-October 20, 1991 [end of production], December 31, 2001 [discontinued])
Screen: On a blue-violet (or sometimes, dark blue) background, we see the "Pac-Man" Microsoft logo, on the top of the screen, in a lighter shade of the background color. In the center, we see the following:

Times Times

On the bottom, we see a copyright notice.

Variants:
 * On computers running Windows MPC, "Version 3.0" is replaced with "graphical environment with Multimedia Extensions 1.0", and below that we see the MPC logo, which consists of a square. Inside the square is an "M" (bearing a resemblance to the Miramax wordmark) with a spinning disc (CD) below it. Right next to it is "PC". Below the trademark is "Multimedia PC". To make room, the text and logomarks have been shifted up a little.
 * On Windows 3.1 version 3.10.26, the version number is changed to read 3.1.
 * On Windows 3.1 Beta Release 2, a large white box is seen with the text "BETA RELEASE 2". Below it, "THIS PRODUCT IS A PRE-RELEASE VERSION AND MAY BE USED ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE MICROSOFT WINDOWS NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT".

FX/SFX: None.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds): None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Only on computers running Windows 3.0, Windows MPC 1.0, or early Windows 3.1 beta releases.

Editor's Note: None.

Windows 3.1x
===Windows 3.1: (December 17, 1991-November 10, 1994 [end of production], December 31, 2001 [discontinued]) Windows NT 3.1: (October 12, 1992-October 5, 1994 [end of production], December 31, 2000 [discontinued]) Windows for Workgroups: (April 4, 1992-December 31, 1993 [end of production], November 1, 2008 [discontinued])===

Codename(s):
 * Windows 3.1 - "Janus"
 * Windows for Workgroups
 * 3.1 - "Winball", "Sparta"
 * 3.11 - "Snowball"
 * Windows NT 3.1 - "NT OS/2"

Background: The earliest beta build of Windows 3.1 dates back to January 1991. Windows 3.1 included improved system stability, expanded support for multimedia, an updated font family (now called "TrueType"), and workgroup networking.

Nicknames: "Windows Flag", "Classic Windows Flag", "TADA!"

Screen: We see a turquoise rectangle in the center of the screen. Inside the turquoise rectangle, the then-current Windows logo could be seen (consisting of 4 panels, red, green, blue and yellow in a "flying" black window pane.)Underneath of that are the words "Times" in a serif font. Underneath of that, in a smaller serif font, are the words "Times". At the bottom of the rectangle is a copyright notice.

Variants:
 * The final beta release of Windows 3.1 contains a small white rectangle with the text "Final Beta Release" in it, which is placed in between "Version 3.1" and the copyright notice.
 * On Windows 3.2 Chinese, the version number is changed to '3.2' and there's Chinese characters under it.
 * On Version 3.11, it's says "Version 3.11" under the 'Windows' text.
 * On portable touchscreen devices (not so portable at the time), "Times" is added into the logo; somewhat like this: "Times" is tilted 90 degrees counterclockwise, "Times" is right next to "Times". Below that is "Times", and below all that is "Times". Everything else is as is.
 * On preliminary developer releases, "PRELIMINARY RELEASE FOR DEVELOPERS" is seen in an Army font, covering up "Version 3.1". The rectangle is also light gray.
 * On business computers, "MICROSOFT" is tilted 90 degrees counterclockwise, "WINDOWS" is much more stretched, and "FOR WORKGROUPS" is seen below the logo. The rest is as is.
 * On Windows NT 3.1, the rectangle is light gray and the text is carved in the rectangle. "NT" is added next to "WINDOWS".
 * Beta releases of Windows NT 3.1 contained the text "BETA -" (pretty much the same thing as "PRELIMINARY RELEASE FOR DEVELOPERS"). Following it would be the beta release month and year (OCTOBER 1992, MARCH 1993).
 * Server operating systems contained "ADVANCED SERVER" below the text.
 * On a beta version of Windows NT Advanced Server 3.5, the logo changed to a white flag with the Windows logo in it.

FX/SFX: None.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds):
 * Startup: A "TA-DAAA" sound effect used by the system, called "tada.wav".
 * Shutdown: Descending chimes, another sound effect used by the system, called "chimes.wav".

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds) Variant: Windows for Workgroups Version 3.11 uses "chimes.wav" for both the startup and shutdown.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds) Trivia: In Roblox's early years (2006-2012), every time you'd complete something in a level, collect a badge or use a face changer model, the Windows 3.1 Startup would be heard. Although some games on the website such as Work at a Pizza Place uses Windows XP's "tada.wav".

Availability: Very rare. Only on computers running on Windows 3.1, 3.11, or NT 3.1.

Editor's Note: The sound can startle a few. The music sounds cheap and unfitting. Also, the Windows logo in the Windows NT Advanced Server 3.5 beta looks ugly and the motion blur effect (to make it look like a person was waving the flag) makes it look even worse.

(September 21, 1994-December 31, 2001)
Nicknames: "Windows Flag II", "Classic Windows Flag II", "3D Windows Flag", "TADA! II"

Screen: On a white background, we see the flag logo in CGI. Underneath, in a narrow serif font, is "Times". At the bottom is written, in the same font, "Times".

Variant: On computers running Windows NT 3.51, the background is a shady pale green, and the bottom now says "Times".

FX/SFX: None.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds): Same as Windows 3.1.

Availability: Very rare. Only on computers running on Windows NT Workstation 3.5 or 3.51.

Editor's Note: Still very basic. The 3D Windows logo looks cool though.

(July 31, 1996-July 11, 2006)
Nicknames: "Windows Flag III", "Classic Windows Flag III", "Nighttime Windows"

Screen: Just the Windows logo with the first panel being red-orange with the text "Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 with Microsoft Internet Explorer" below it on a starry blue-white gradient background. On the upper-right corner of the screen, we see the text "Copyright 1985-2006 Microsoft Corporation" under the then-current Microsoft logo. Below is the text "The product is protected by US and International copyright laws as described in the About Box.".

Variant: There's a version where without the text "with Microsoft Internet Explorer" and "Embedded" replaces "Workstation". Below is the text "The product is protected by US and International copyright laws as appropriate.".

FX/SFX: None.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds):
 * Startup: A "soaring" synth/uplifting piano sounder throughout, combined with synth chimes and a flourish at the end.
 * Shutdown: Same as the startup sound, but in reverse.

Availability: Rare. Seen on computers running Windows NT 4.0, which were not a popular operating system from Windows.

Editor's Note: The music suddenly becoming more tense might startle a younger/daydreaming/dark-room situated viewer, but the fact that the shutdown music is the startup music reversed may be considered funny.

Windows NT 5.0 (early beta builds of Windows 2000)
TBA.

(1999)
TBA.

(February 17, 2000-September 13, 2005 [end of production], July 13, 2010 [discontinued])
Codename (64-bit version only): "Janus"

Nicknames: "Windows Flag IV", "Classic Windows Flag IV", "The Squares", "The Progress Bar"

Screen: On a white background, four squares are layered over each other in the same panel colors (red-orange, blue, green, and yellow). On top of the top square is the then-current Windows flag logo. Below the squares are the words "Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional", arranged much like the fourth and fifth screens, with "Professional" on the bottom. Below this is the text "Built on NT Technology." At the top-right corner of the screen is the then-current Microsoft logo. At the very bottom of the screen, there is a gray bar, with the words "Starting up..." and a progress-style bar, and beneath that is a copyright notice.

FX/SFX: The scrolling of the progress bar.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds):
 * Startup: A piano arpeggio, followed by some string tones.
 * Shutdown: A string theme based off the startup sound.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen on Windows 2000, which is not supported anymore--however, you can still easily access it.

Editor's Note: Another favorite of many.

Windows Whistler (beta builds of Windows XP, August 10, 2000-May 8, 2001)
Nicknames: TBA.

Screens: TBA.

FX/SFX: TBA.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds):
 * Before build 2481: Same as Windows 2000 and ME.
 * Build 2481-2542: The sounds from the next screen.

Availability: TBA.

Editor's Note: TBA.

(October 25, 2001-April 14, 2009 [end of production], April 8, 2014 [discontinued])
Nicknames: "Windows Flag V", "New Windows Flag", "The Progress Bar II"

Screens: On a black background, the then-current Windows flag logo (which has been redesigned to have only the colored "panels" the first panel might be red-orange or orange), along with the text below:

Microsoft Windowsxp

fading in. Below that is a blue progress bar (a la Windows 2000). In the bottom-left corner is a copyright notice, and on the bottom-right is the then-current Microsoft logo.

Variants:
 * Prior to Service Pack 2 of XP, the edition name would appear on the bottom of the XP wordmark (on the Home Edition however, the progress bar would appear green).
 * On computers running the 64-bit version of Windows XP, either the word "64-Bit Edition" (for the Itanium version) or "x64 Edition" (for the AMG64 version) is added under the XP logo.
 * On Windows Server 2003, the name was changed to its appropriate title. The progress bar is gray.
 * When Windows XP is first installed, the normal logo is seen with the progress bar replaced with the words "Please wait..."

FX/SFX: The scrolling of the progress bar.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds):
 * Original Version:
 * Startup: A seven-note piano tune with a rising string section at the end. Composed and conducted by Bill Brown and performed by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
 * Shutdown: A four-note piano tune with similar strings, based off the startup sound.
 * Microsoft Plus! Sounds:
 * Default:
 * Startup: Same as original.
 * Shutdown: Same as original.
 * Aquarium:
 * Startup: An ascending xylophone/synth tune, with a synth note held in.
 * Shutdown: Water sounds and clicking.
 * Da Vinci:
 * Startup: A 3-note harp tune.
 * Shutdown: A 5-note harpsichord tune.
 * Nature:
 * Startup: Bugs, with a bird chirping.
 * Shutdown: Crickets chirping and a wolf howling.
 * Space:
 * Startup: A 3-note trumpet theme, followed by a deep bass synth note. May remind some of "A Space Odyssey: 2001".
 * Shutdown: Melodic electronic warbling.

Availability: Common, due to the fact that until August 2012, Windows XP was the most commonly used operating system. Even though support ended in April 2014, it's still pretty easy to find. Also seen in Windows Server 2003 and the last few Windows Whistler betas. It can still be seen on computers running Windows Embedded 2009, as some kiosks in retail stores and banks still contain the OS. Support for the embedded OS was fully discontinued on April 9, 2019.

Editor's Note: Both this screen and the startup and shutdown music are cherished by many logo and non-logo fans, to the point where it became an internet sensation.

Windows Longhorn (beta builds of Windows Vista, March 5, 2003-December 18, 2005)
Nicknames: TBA.

Screens: TBA.

FX/SFX: TBA.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds): Same as Windows XP.

Availability: TBA.

Editor's Note: TBA.

(January 30, 2007-April 10, 2012 [end of production], April 11, 2017 [discontinued])
Nicknames: "Windows Flag VI", "New Windows Flag II", "Windows Orb", "The Flashing Orb"

Screen: On a black background, a light blue orb with the then-current Windows flag logo with the first panel being orange quickly fades in. Then, the edges of the "panes" begin to glow, until the glow reaches outside of the orb and stops at corners, forming a square shape.

FX/SFX: The flashing.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds):
 * Startup: Four high pitched synth chimes, followed by a mellow synth pad. It was composed by Robert Fripp, the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band King Crimson.
 * Shutdown: A synth chime note.

Availability: Rare, due to Windows Vista rapidly losing usage following the release of Windows 7, as well as it not being used as much as other versions of Windows to begin with. This precedes the logon screen, as the actual boot screen is very similar to the previous one.

(October 27, 2009-July 1, 2011 [end of production], January 14, 2020 [discontinued]
Nicknames: "Windows Flag VII", "New Windows Flag III", "The Orbs"

Screen: On a black background, we see the words "Starting Windows" and a copyright notice. Suddenly, four colored orbs appear and move around a bit until they form the "panels" of the then-current Windows logo. The edges of the panels glow for a little bit.

Variants:
 * If the computer is resuming from a previous session, the text will say "Resuming Windows".
 * When a system running Windows 7 in the middle of an update, after a few seconds "Starting Windows" changes to "Applying update operation of  (filename.filetype)", wherein  is the number of the active update, whereas  is the total amount of updates to the system.

FX/SFX: The orbs and flashing. Impressive animation for a startup graphic. It's an improvement over the previous screens as well.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds): Same as Windows Vista.

Availability: Very common, due to Windows 7 being the most commonly used operating system.

Editor's Note: None.

(April 22, 2011- )
Codenames:
 * Windows 8: "8"
 * Windows 8.1: "Blue"
 * Windows Server 2012: "8 Server"
 * Windows 10: "Threshold", "Redstone"

Background: Windows 8 introduced a major overhaul in the desktop UI, including completely revamping the Start menu.

Nicknames: "Windows Flag VIII", "The Loading Circle II", "The Simple Flag"

Screen:
 * Milestone 3 (build 7989): On a black background, we see a beta fish, with bubbles coming out of its mouth (in a static image). At the bottom of the screen, we see the word "Welcome". Then, we see dots going around in a circle.
 * Developer Preview (build 8102): Same as build 7989, except the beta fish is replaced with the words "Windows Developer Preview", in white. The trademark symbol, an "R" enclosed inside a circle, is seen next to the word "Windows". The word "Welcome" is also omitted.
 * Consumer Preview (build 8250): Same as build 7989, except the beta fish is rendered in a flat bitmap file, itself rendered inside a blue square. Inside the square is a barely-legible "8", resembling Windows 8. The word "Welcome" is also omitted.
 * Release Preview (build 8400): Same as the Developer Preview, except this time "Developer Preview" is omitted.
 * RTM (build 8888) and onward: Same as the Release Preview, except the text is replaced with the current Windows logo (consisted of a simple window tilted to the left), colored light-blue.

Variants:
 * On some computers, the computer manufacturer's logo (i.e. MSI, Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard etc.) replaces the Windows logo.
 * On the Surface Studio all-in-one desktop, the background is colored dark grey.

Trivia: The new Windows logo (starting with the RTM (build 8888) and onward) was unveiled in February 2012 and was created by Wolff Olins and Pentagram.

FX/SFX: The dots going in a circle.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds):
 * Startup: None by default, though when enabled it's the same as Windows Vista and Windows 7.
 * Shutdown: None.

Availability: Common. Can be found on any computer running Windows 8, 8.1, or 10.

(2019-2021)
Codenames: "Santorini", "Windows Lite"

Screen: TBA.

Variant: TBA.

FX/SFX: TBA.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds): None.

Availability: TBA.

(June 15, 2021- )
Codename: "Sun Valley"

Background: Windows 11 introduced another major overhaul in the desktop UI, including completely revamping the Start menu.

Nicknames: "Windows Flag IX", "The Loading Circle III", "The Front-Facing Flag", "The Front-Facing Window", "The Microsoft's Logo"

Screen: On a black background, we see the Microsoft squares, in dark blue (bearing a resemblance to the Microsoft logo or the front-facing Windows flag, consists of a simple window tilted to the front). Below that is the loading animation used in the previous screen.

Variant: Starting with Sun Valley 2 (22H2) update, dots is replaced with a loading bar going around in a circle.

Trivia: The Windows logo is very similar to the Windows 95 commercials from the mid-1990s, the Microsoft Store logo from 2009, and Microsoft's 2012 logo, but retains the color of Windows 10's logo.

FX/SFX: Same as before.

Startup Sound (Music/Sounds): TBA.

Availability: Common. Seen on newer PCs running Windows 11.