Microsoft Windows DOS

Writer’s Note: I tried my best describing some of the Microsoft Plus! 98 sounds for the 2nd Windows 98 splash. There are also some places where the text is pasted from the original WikiFoundry page for Microsoft Windows, that’s because i’m sometimes lazy :I

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Note: The 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.

Windows 1.0 and 2.x

(May 8, 1985-May 15, 1989)

Preliminary Names:

●      Windows 1.0 - “Interface Manager”, “Window Manager”

●      Windows 2.x - “Windows 1.1”, “Windows 1.5”

Splash: On a blue or black background (depending on what graphics adapter you use), we see two segmented copies of the then-current Microsoft logo merging to form one big logo. Afterwards, the words 'Microsoft Windows' with the version/revision number below appear, along with a copyright stamp at the bottom of the screen.

Variants:

●      For the splash’s first two years (1985-1986), the 1982-1987 Microsoft logo was used instead.

●      On computers with an Intel i386 microprocessor, the “Microsoft Windows” text is extended to “Microsoft Windows/386”.

○      A similar variant for computers with an Intel 80286 microprocessor exists, with the text extended to “Microsoft Windows/286”.

●      On beta builds, the version/revision number is replaced with the beta’s nickname.

●      On Developer’s Beta 1 of Windows 2.x, the logo is shifted upwards.

●      The language of the splash can vary depending on which country your computer came from (France, Nederlands, Germany, etc.).

●      There are variants used on specific OEM versions. For a full list of these variants, see the OEM Variants page.

FX: The copies of the Microsoft logo merging and the text appearing.

Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare.

●      First seen on the Microsoft Windows Beta Release, which was released exclusively to beta testers on the 8th of May, 1985.

●      The regular version with the then-current Microsoft logo debuted on Windows 1.04, released on April 8, 1987.

●      The Intel i386 variant debuted on Windows 2.01, released exclusively to Compaq DeskPro 386 users on the 7th of September, 1987. Additionally, the Intel 80286 sub-variant debuted on the 286 version of Windows 2.1, released on October 18, 1988.

●      It made its final appearance on the 286 version of Windows 2.11, released on May 15, 1989.

●      With the discontinuation of both Windows 1.0 and Windows 2.x on December 31st, 2001, computers running either of these versions are extremely hard to come by in modern times (excluding the topic of virtual machines).

As for some beta versions, near extinction, as the only proof of some of these versions existing are their splashes.

●      The splashes for Preliminary Version 0.50, Beta V1.00.08 and Beta V1.03.04 can be found as leftovers in Premiere Edition, the first volume of the Windows Device Driver Library and Windows 1.03 respectively.

○      As for Preliminary Version 0.50, the WIN256.COM file for the build was found back in 2020, along with a fragmented version of the WIN100.EXE file, which included MSDOS.EXE and MSDOSD.EXE.

●      A screenshot of the splash for 2.0 Developer’s Beta 1 can be seen in a 2000’s issue of the polish CHIP magazine.

●      A German copy of Beta V1.02.02 was installed on an AVCA computer that was up for sale on eBay.

Editor’s Note: While not a good start for Microsoft Windows, you’ll have to remember that this was made before the existence of any kind of rendering or photo manipulation software.

Windows 3.0

1st Splash (July 27, 1989)

Preliminary Names:

●      Windows 3.00 - “Windows 3.0”

Splash: Same as the 1.0 and 2.x splash, except:

●      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: Same as above.

Sounds: None.

Availability: Extinct. Only seen on build 33 of Windows 3.0.

Editor’s Note: None.

2nd Splash (January 2, 1990-October 20, 1991)

Preliminary Names:

●      Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0 - “Multimedia Windows”

Splash: A more modern version of the 1.0 and 2.x splash.

●      The background color is now blue-violet (or for some graphics adapters, dark blue), with the color of the Microsoft logo being a brighter shade of the background color.

●      The Microsoft logo now takes up part of the top half of the screen.

●      “Microsoft Windows” is shortened to just “Windows”, is bigger, is set in the Times New Roman font and has a gray dropshadow. There is also a small trademark symbol next to it.

●      The version/revision number is replaced with just “Version 3.0”. It is also now set in the Times New Roman font, much like the “Windows” text.

●      The copyright stamp has a slightly different order.

●      The entire splash is now in the 4:3 aspect ratio instead of the 16:9-esque one seen in the previous splash.

Variants:

●      On build 55, the colors of the background and the Microsoft logo are swapped (with the background in light blue and the Microsoft logo in the regular blue, much like the previous splash’s background color).

●      On the IBM OEM of the Far East exclusive Windows 3.0A, a capital “A” is added to “Version 3.0”.

●      Later reissues of Windows 3.00a from 1991 have the copyright stamp modified to say “1985-1991”.

●      A special variant exists for the release of Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0. The “Version 3.0” text is replaced with “graphical environment with Multimedia Extensions 1.0” (with “Multimedia Extensions 1.0” below “graphical environment with”), and below that is the logo for Multimedia PC (the company who made the extensions) in white. To make room, “Windows” is shifted upwards slightly.

○      On MDK Version 59 (The only available beta build of this version), the regular Windows 3.0 splash is used instead. The only difference is that “with Multimedia Extensions” is added to “Version 3.0”.

○      An unknown variant exists. Here, the Multimedia PC logo is slightly different. The version text is also different as it instead says “Version 3.0 + Multimedia Extensions 1.0”, and below that is “for the”, making the full text read: “Windows Version 3.0 + Multimedia Extensions for the Multimedia PC”.

●      Much like the 1.0 and 2.x splash, the language can vary depending on which country your computer came from.

FX: None.

Sounds:

●      Windows 3.0: None.

●      Windows MDK Version 59:

○      Startup: A door creaking. (doors.wav)

○      Shutdown: None.

●      Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0:

○      Startup: Bells jingling. (bells.wav)

○      Shutdown: Water flowing. (water.wav)

Oddly enough, the startup sound for Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0 is disabled in the Tandy OEM of that version.

Availability: Ultra rare.

●      First seen on build 55 of Windows 3.00.

○      A squished version can be seen in a Youtube video which showcases a supposed build 48. However, since the build’s existence is unconfirmed, we sadly cannot tell whether or not this sub-variant is real or not.

●      The regular version of the splash with the blue-violet/dark blue background first appeared in the second release candidate for 3.00 and made its public debut on the RTM build.

●       Also seen on the 3.00 Test Drive by PC Magazine and the minor 3.00a update.

●       The “3.0A” variant only appeared on the aforementioned IBM OEM of Windows 3.0A.

●       It made its final appearance on Windows 3.0 with Multimedia Extensions 1.0 (albeit using its own custom variant), released on October 20, 1991.

○       The beta variant can only be seen on the aforementioned Windows MDK Version 59, which is the only available beta of Multimedia Extensions 1.0 (although it might also have appeared on other beta builds)

○       A screenshot of the ‘unknown’ variant’s VGA being opened in Paintbrush can be seen in a November 1991 issue of the Serbian Svet Kompjutera (World of Computers) magazine. Although we don’t know what version this variant appears in, various users speculated that it was either from another beta build or an OEM from an unknown company.

●      Much like Windows 1.0 and Windows 2.x, computers running Windows 3.0 are extremely hard to come by ever since the version’s discontinuation on December 31st, 2001.

Editor’s Note: None.

Windows 3.1x

1st Splash (April 5-August 27, 1991)

Preliminary Name: “Janus”

Splash: Same as the 3rd variant of the Windows 3.0 splash, except the “0” in “Version 3.0” is replaced with a 1.

Variants: Later pre-Final Beta builds of Windows 3.1 have a white box below “Version 3.0”:

●      Build 34f: The box is hollow and has the words “BETA RELEASE 1” inside.

●      Build 43e: The box is bigger and is filled in and the “1” in “BETA RELEASE 1” is replaced with a 2. At the bottom of the box’s interior is the phrase: “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: None.

Sounds: None.

Availability: Extinct. Only seen on builds 26-43e of Windows 3.1.

Editor’s Note: This would serve as a placeholder for the next splash.

2nd Splash (December 17, 1991-November 10, 1994)

Splash: On a black background, we see a turquoise rectangle in the center of the screen. Inside the rectangle is the then-current Windows flag (consisting of 4 panels: red, green, blue and yellow in a flying black window pane with red and blue trails), and below it are the stacked words: “MICROSOFT WINDOWS”, and below that is “Version 3.1”. At the bottom of the rectangle’s interior is a copyright stamp.

Variants:

●      For the logo’s first year, a small white rectangle with the words “Final Beta Release” is below “Version 3.1”.

●      Much like the previous splashes, the language can vary depending on which country your computer came from.

●      Special variants for foreign-specific builds exist.

○      Central and Eastern Europe (build 104): The text “For Central and Eastern Europe” is below “Version 3.1”.

○      English with Farsi Support (build 127): The rectangle’s elements are shifted to the right to make room for Farsi/Persian text (tilted 90 degrees counterclockwise).

○      Traditional Chinese (builds 141-153): The “Version 3.1” text is shifted upwards to make room for the chinese letters “中文版” (Chinese Edition).

○      Korean RTM (build 158): The entire splash (excluding the copyright stamp) is in Korean.

○      Japanese RTM (build 160): The splash is in the aspect ratio of the PC/AT and PC-98 computers. Due to this, the rectangle is noticeably shorter.

○      Thai Edition (3.11 build 50): The “Version 3.1” text (now with an extra 1, making it “Version 3.11”) is shifted upwards to make room for “Thai Edition”.

●      On Windows for Pen Computing 1.0, the Windows flag and “MICROSOFT WINDOWS” are shifted upwards to make room for “FOR PEN COMPUTING” (“FOR” tilted 90 degrees counterclockwise, with “PEN” in a bigger font next to it and “COMPUTING” below the both of them). The “3.1” in “Version 3.1” is replaced with “1.0”.

●      A Simplified Chinese variant exists, whereas it’s the same as the Traditional Chinese bootscreen, but with the “1” in “Version 3.1” replaced with a 2.

○      The RTM version of this bootscreen has the “Version 3.2” text and the chinese letters swap positions.

FX: None.

Sounds:

●      Startup: A “Ta-Da!” sound effect. (tada.wav)

●      Shutdown: Descending chimes. (chimes.wav)

Availability: Ultra rare.

●       First seen on build 61d of Windows 3.1.

●       The regular version made its first appearance on build 68 of Windows 3.1 and made its RTM debut with build 103.

●       The foreign-specific splashes appeared on their respective builds.

●       Don’t expect a special version of the splash to appear on build 2 of the minor 3.11 update, as it uses the regular splash instead.

●       The 4th variant appears on the aforementioned Windows for Pen Computing 1.0.

●       Also seen on the rather obscure Modular Windows and beta builds of Windows for Workgroups 3.1.

●       The Simplified Chinese variants can be seen on Windows 3.2. To be more specific, the regular version of the variant appears on the “Red China” build while the sub-variant appears on the aforementioned RTM build (build 153). This is also the final appearance of this splash.

●      Much like the other versions, computers running Windows 3.1x are extremely hard to come by ever since the version’s discontinuation on December 31st, 2001.

Editor’s Note: None.

Windows for Workgroups

(October 1, 1992-August 11, 1993)

Preliminary Names:

●       Windows for Workgroups 3.1 - “Sparta”, “Winball”

●      Windows for Workgroups 3.11 - “Snowball”

Splash: Same as the 2nd Windows 3.1 splash, except:

●       “MICROSOFT” is no longer in all capitals and is tilted 90 degrees counterclockwise.

●       “WINDOWS” is taller and is next to the Microsoft text.

●       “FOR WORKGROUPS” can be seen below the both of them.

●      “Version 3.1” is smaller to make room for the above text.

Variants:

●       On Windows for Workgroups 3.11, an extra 1 is added to “Version 3.1”.

●       Special variants are used for beta builds of Windows for Workgroups 3.11:

○       Builds 26-48: A red, hollow box with the words “BETA VERSION” is added below “Version 3.1”.

○       Build 70: “AUGUST BETA” in red and set in an Army-esque font is added below “Version 3.1”.

●       Release Candidate builds of Windows for Workgroups 3.11 leaked by the warez group High Voltage use custom variants:

○       October 13: The rectangle is dark gray and the panels on the flag are red and dark blue. Above the flag are the stacked words “PhoneStud -and- Killerette of  H I G H  V O L T A G E” and on either side are the stacked letters “HIGH VOLTAGE”, set in a cursive font.

○       October 21: Same as the regular splash, except the rectangle is brighter and the same stacked letters from before “HIGH VOLTAGE” (this time in the same font as the others) can be seen on either side.

●      Like the previous splashes, the language of the splash depends on where your computer came from.

FX: None.

Sounds:

●      Startup: The shutdown sound from the 2nd Windows 3.1 splash.

●      Shutdown: Same as startup.

Availability: Ultra rare.

●      First seen on build 102 of Windows for Workgroups 3.1 (the RTM build). Builds prior to that used the 2nd Windows 3.1 splash.

●      The “3.11” variant appears on the aforementioned Windows for Workgroups 3.11, which is also when this splash was last used.

●      The beta variants can be seen on the aforementioned builds 26-70 of Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

●      The High Voltage variants can be seen on the Release Candidate builds leaked by the aforementioned warez group.

●      The German version of the “3.11” variant can be seen on build 100 of Windows for Workgroups 3.1, as that build was a German beta.

●      Much like the other versions, computers running Windows for Workgroups are extremely hard to come by ever since the version’s discontinuation on December 31st, 2001. Despite that, OEM versions of Windows for Workgroups 3.11 were continued to be used on embedded computers until November 1, 2008.

Editor’s Note: None.

Windows 95

1st Splash (August 9, 1993-February 8, 1995)

Preliminary Names:

●      Windows 95 - “Chicago”, “Windows 4.0”, “Windows 93”, “Windows 94”

Splash: On a black background, we see the 3-dimensional words “Windows 95” in light blue (with a cloud texture) with “Microsoft” in blue at the upper left. At the bottom screen is a byline that states the build’s beta type in red. The flag from the previous two splashes can be seen rapidly moving around, changing colors from red, to green, to blue, to yellow.

Bylines: Here are all of the possible bylines for this splash:

●       “Preliminary Release - [month] [year]”

●       “Beta [number] - [month] [year]”

●       “Test Release - [month] [year]”

●       “[language] Beta [number]”

●      “[month] [year]”

There are few miscellaneous ones, however:

●       When setup is finished, the byline reads: “Please wait while Setup updates your configuration files. This may take a few minutes.” (This is only used on earlier builds.)

●       When your computer is shutting down, it reads: “Please wait while your computer is shutting down.”; Note the different font, position and size for the byline. (This is only used on later builds.)

●      When your computer is fully shut down, it reads: “You can now safely turn off your computer. If you want to restart your computer, press CTRL+ALT+DEL.”

Variant: For the logo’s first two years (1993-1994), the words “CHICAGO” in gray (with a light on the “G”) was used instead of “Windows 95” and the “Microsoft” text is slightly taller.

●      When your computer is fully shut down, the light on the “G” is replaced with a sparkling crescent moon with a blue mist.

FX: The Windows flag moving and changing colors.

Sounds:

●       Startup: The startup sound from the 2nd Windows 3.1 splash.

●      Shutdown: Same as startup.

Availability: Extinct.

●       First seen on build 58s of Windows 95.

●       The regular version with “Windows 95” debuted on build 189 of Windows 95.

●      It made its final appearance on build 331 of Windows 95.

Editor’s Note: The “CHICAGO” text in the early variant is not transparent, as can be seen when the Windows flag passes through the “G”.

2nd Splash (October 27, 1994-November 26, 1997)

Splash: On a blue-tinted background with pictures of various pieces of hardware (a keyboard, a computer mouse, adapters, 2 CDs and what appears to be a motherboard), we see a black rectangle at the bottom of the screen with the red words “Getting ready to run Windows 95 for the first time…”. To the left is a Windows flag that changes colors from blue to white.

Variants:

●       Earlier builds use a slightly different design for the splash:

○       Build 216: The rectangle is centered, there is no Windows flag, the text is white and it now reads: “Please wait while Setup prepares your Windows environment.”.

○       Build 267: The text is bigger and is in a different font.

●       Early builds of Windows 98 use a custom variant with “Memphis” cheaply inserted over “Windows 95” in the text.

●      Much like the other splashes, the language depends on where you got your computer from.

FX: The Windows flag changing colors.

Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare.

●       First seen on build 216 of Windows 95.

●       The regular version debuted on build 337 of Windows 95 and made its last appearance on Windows 95 OSR 2.5.

●      The “Memphis” variant can be seen on early builds of Windows 98 (specifically, Developer Release, Beta 1, Beta 2 and early Beta 2.1 builds).

Editor’s Note: None.

3rd Splash (February 15, 1995-November 26, 1997)

Preliminary Names:

●       Windows Nashville - “Windows 96”

●      Windows 95 OSR 2.x - “Detroit”

Splash: Against a cloudy sky, we see a semi-3 dimensional rendition of the then-current Windows flag (with a hint of clouds in the four window panes). Below it are the words “Microsoft Windows 95” (“Windows” in black and set in the Franklin Gothic font and “Microsoft” and “95” in white and set in a thinner version of said font, with “95” next to “Windows” and “Microsoft” at the upper left.). A gray progress bar with two moving blue ‘lights’ can be seen below the words, along with the then-current Microsoft logo at the top right corner of the screen.

Beta Variants: The splash had various changes throughout its lifespan.

●       The flag was bigger and the text was smaller.

●       The second, third, fifth and sixth blocks in the first column of trails in the flag had the same color as the window pane that they were next to. Starting with build 345, they were recolored to black, although some later builds kept the older design.

●       The gray bar went through several major design changes.

○       A majority of builds used a big gray rectangle with a small Windows flag to the left, blue counterclockwise triangles can be seen lighting up all the way to the small flag.

○       Build 337 had a thick, black border, red clockwise arrows can be seen lighting up in a similar fashion to above.

○       Build 405 had a thin, color-shifting border.

●       A byline can be seen at the bottom right of the text, with it saying one of the possible words:

○       “Final Beta Release”. This byline had French, Spanish and Italian versions.

○       “[month] 1995 Release”

○       “[language] Edition - PDK”

○       “[month] Test Release”

○       “Beta - Release”

●      Starting with build 468, the splash was changed to the regular version that is known and loved (although 2 builds reverted it to the gray rectangle variant). However, the byline wasn’t removed until build 810.

Other Variants:

●       A variant with “Microsoft Internet Explorer” at the bottom right of the text exists.

●       When your computer is shutting down, the Windows flag is replaced with the stacked words “Please wait while your computer shuts down.” in orange. The clouds in the sky are slightly different.

●       When Microsoft Plus! 95 is installed, a duplicate of “Microsoft” (albeit black) can be seen at the bottom right of the text, and next to it is the Microsoft Plus! logo (The differently-placed letters “P”, “L”, “u” and “s” in orange, yellow, green and blue respectively and set in the Franklin Gothic font, with a black “!” in a serif font next to the letters).

○       Beta builds had the “Microsoft” duplicate and the Microsoft Plus! logo shifted upwards. The different sky from the shutdown variant is used in place of the regular one for unknown reasons. Earlier builds, however, used the gray rectangle beta variant with no Microsoft Plus! indicator whatsoever.

○       When Microsoft Plus! 95 is installed on Windows 95 OSR 2.5, the Microsoft logo is omitted.

●       On NEC OEMs, the Windows flag is flat and the gray bar is bigger. The NEC logo can be seen at the top left corner of the screen.

○       On some occasions, the NEC logo is omitted.

○      A sub-variant similar to the first variant exists.

FX: Depends on the variant.

Sounds: A lot to go through.

●       Sound Schemes:

○       Default

■      Startup:

●      Builds 337-440: Same as the 1st splash.

●      Builds 445-1216: An ethereal synth theme with two synth chimes, followed by four beeps, and a synth pad, nicknamed "The Microsoft Sound". Composed by ambient musician Brian Eno.

■      Shutdown: Same as the 1st splash.

○       Jungle (sound scheme)

■      Startup: Nature sounds.

■      Shutdown: Crickets chirping and what sounds like a muffled thunderstorm.

○       Musica

■      Startup: A 6-note xylophone ditty.

■      Shutdown: A descending 4-note guitar tune.

○       Robotz

■      Startup: A synth pad.

■      Shutdown: A 2-note synth drone.

○       Utopia

■      Startup: A 5-note xylophone tune with a synth in the background.

■      Shutdown: A fast synth-piano tune and the sound of children laughing, all in reverse.

●       Microsoft Plus! 95 Themes

○       Dangerous Creatures

■      Startup: A jungle-esque tune, complete with nature sounds, a wolf howling, and timpani beats.

■      Shutdown: Same as startup.

○       Inside Your Computer

■      Startup: A synth-piano tune.

■      Shutdown: A sound similar to a computer having a technical failure.

○       Leonardo Da Vinci

■      Startup: A 3-note harpsichord tune.

■      Shutdown: Same as startup.

○       More Windows/Windows 95

■      Startup: Same as the default sound scheme startup sound.

■      Shutdown: A muffled three-note organ/synth tune, the last note is held in longer than the other notes.

○       Mystery

■      Startup: Thunder and rain sounds, a crow cawing, and a sample of the default sound scheme startup sound.

■      Shutdown: Wind sounds.

○       Nature

■      Startup: The sounds of seagulls and the shore from a beach.

■      Shutdown: Crickets chirping.

○       Science

■      Startup: A zapping sound.

■      Shutdown: A weird wobbling sound.

○       Sports

■      Startup: A crowd roaring with a trumpet playing in the background.

■      Shutdown: The sounds of a race car.

○       The 60’s USA

■      Startup: A reverse piano tune with a man counting down.

■      Shutdown: An electric guitar note.

○       The Golden Era

■      Startup: What sounds like a gong.

■      Shutdown: A very low pitched spring sound.

○       Travel

■      Startup: A man shouting "All aboard!" (albeit oddly cut off to just “board!”), then the sound of a train's whistle blowing.

■      Shutdown: A train chugging.

●       Microsoft Plus! for Kids Themes

○       Baseball

■      Startup: An organ theme.

■      Shutdown: A crowd cheering.

○       Bugs

■      Startup: Crickets chirping.

■      Shutdown: A low pitched cricket chirp.

○       Horses

■      Startup: A horse neighing.

■      Shutdown: A horse running away.

○       Jungle (theme)

■      Startup: Nature sounds.

■      Shutdown: A jaguar roaring.

○       Messy Room

■      Startup: A falling sound (a tone descending in pitch), then an explosion.

■      Shutdown: A door creaking then slamming shut.

○       RE-Man

■      Startup: A synth rising in volume, with helicopter blades in the background. A child says, "Oh, look!", another one says "RE-Man!", other children gasp in awe. Then another synth plays, this time with a noise that sounds like reverberated water drops.

■      Shutdown: The second synth from the startup, with the sound of a police siren.

○       Snowboarding

■      Startup: An electric guitar note being held while descending in pitch.

■      Shutdown: A horn.

○       Space

■      Startup: Digital beeps.

■      Shutdown: An synthesized whoosh.

○       Tree House

■      Startup: Eagle sounds accompanied with a cricket chirp.

■      Shutdown: What sounds like a muffled thunderstorm.

○       Underwater

■      Startup: Dolphins, seals and water sounds.

■      Shutdown: More water sounds.

Availability: Ultra rare.

●       First seen on build 337 of Windows 95.

●       The gray rectangle beta variant debuted on build 342 of Windows 95, with its latest appearance being build 818 of said system.

●       The regular version (albeit with the beta byline) debuted on build 468 of Windows 95, with the non-byline version debuting on build 810 and later on the system itself.

●       The Internet Explorer variant first appeared on build 1089 of Windows 95 OSR 2 and later on the system itself. It might also have appeared on Windows 95 OEMs that had Internet Explorer 1.0 installed.

●       Also seen on build 999 of the canceled Windows Nashville.

●       It made its final appearance on Windows 95 OSR 2.5.

●      Much like the other versions, computers running Windows 95 are extremely hard to come by ever since the version’s discontinuation on December 31st, 2001.

Editor’s Note: A favorite among the Microsoft Windows community.

Windows 98

1st Splash (December 13, 1996-September 4, 1997)

Preliminary Name: “Memphis”

Splash: On a black background, we see an oval that contains a sky similar to the 3rd Windows 95 splash. Set against the sky is the then-current Windows flag, and below it are the words “Microsoft Memphis” (structured similarly to the 3rd Windows 95 splash, “Memphis” in black and set in the Franklin Gothic font and “Microsoft” in a thinner version of said font (this time in black) and at the upper left of “Memphis”). At the bottom right of the text is a byline.

Bylines: Here are all of the possible bylines for this splash:

●       “Developer Release”

●      “Beta [number]”

Variants:

●       Like the 3rd Windows 95 splash, this one went through various changes during its lifespan.

○       Prior to build 1488, the oval was wider.

○       Build 1351 had a white background instead of a black one and the byline was set in a serif font.

○       The loading animation had one major change.

■      Prior to build 1525, the loading animation consisted of the black panels and frame from the Windows flag changing colors from black to light blue.

■      In build 1525, the loading animation was changed to the gray bar from the 3rd Windows 95 splash, albeit anti-aliased. To accommodate the change, the Windows flag was changed to the semi-3D rendition from said splash.

○       Starting with build 1546, “Memphis” was replaced with “Windows” and “98” (slightly spaced out and set in a thin version of Franklin Gothic, similarly to the “Microsoft” text) is added next to it.

●       When your computer is shutting down, either one of these screens will appear:

○       For build 1351, the oval is shrunken down a little to make room for the orange words “Please wait while your computer shuts down.”.

○      For build 1488, the orange words “Memphis is shutting down.” are added below the oval.

FX: Depends on the variant.

Sounds:

●       Startup: Same as the 3rd Windows 95 splash.

●      Shutdown: Same as the 3rd Windows 95 splash.

Availability: Extinct. Only seen on builds 1351-1581 of Windows 98.

Editor’s Note: None.

2nd Splash (September 22, 1997-February 11, 2004)

Splash: A 3-dimensional rendition of the 3rd Windows 95 splash. However, “95” is replaced with “98” and the “Microsoft” text and said text are recolored black.

Variants:

●       Like the previous and 3rd Windows 95 splashes, this one had several changes throughout its lifespan.

○       A majority of the builds had a quarter-red quarter-yellow quarter-green quarter-blue line above “98” with a byline saying “Beta [number]”.

○       Some builds had “Microsoft Internet Explorer” at the bottom right of the text in a similar fashion to the 2nd variant of the 3rd Windows 95 splash.

■      Build 1593 had “with” before “Microsoft Internet Explorer”, making it read: “with Microsoft Internet Explorer”.

○       The Windows flag had slightly different shading.

○       Builds 1593-1624 had a red glow behind the Windows flag.

○       Build 1687 had the text slightly raised up.

●       There are some variants with blue text at the bottom of the screen.

○       When setup is finished, the text reads: “Getting ready to run Windows for the first time.”

○       When your computer is shutting down, it reads: “Windows is shutting down.”

●      When Microsoft Plus! 98 is installed, the “9” is green, the “8” is red and the Microsoft Plus! logo from before can be seen above “98”.

FX: The blue ‘lights’ in the gray bar moving.

Sounds:

●       Default

○       Startup:

■      Build 1593: Same as the 3rd Windows 95 splash.

■      Builds 1602-1666: A single, continuous synth crescendo that was composed by Microsoft sound engineer Ken Kato.

■      Builds 1671-2222B: Same as above, albeit in stereo as opposed to mono.

○       Shutdown:

■      Build 1593: Same as the 3rd Windows 95 splash.

■      Builds 1602-1666: Three synth chime notes, followed by a synth pad that gets slightly louder at the end.

■      Builds 1671-2222B: Same as above, albeit shortened and at a higher pitch. Disabled by default.

●       Microsoft Plus! 98 Themes

○       Architecture

■      Startup: Echoing clicking sounds, followed by a piano tune and a synth. The atmosphere is like that of a factory.

■      Shutdown: A re-rendition of the startup, but shorter and without the piano tune.

○       Cathy

■      Startup: A 2-note synth.

■      Shutdown: Same as startup, albeit slowed down.

○       Cityspace

■      Startup: Walking, with digital synths and beeping, as well as a 3-note synth.

■      Shutdown: The same digital beeping and synth, as well as muffled failure sounds.

○       Corbis Photography

■      Startup: The sound of an old flash camera starting up, followed by camera shutter sounds. A synth follows.

■      Shutdown: A camera shutting down.

○       Doonesbury

■      Startup: An orchestral hit leading into a single chord, ending with the audience clapping.

■      Shutdown: A cartoonist fail sound (a descending noise).

○       Falling Leaves

■      Startup: A synth, followed by birds chirping.

■      Shutdown: Another synth, this time with crickets chirping.

○       Fashion

■      Startup: A jazz tune.

■      Shutdown: A different jazz tune.

○       Foxtrot

■      Startup: The sound of a car starting up and driving away.

■      Shutdown: A car stopping and powering down.

○       Garfield

■      Startup: A Garfield-esque tune.

■      Shutdown: A tune made with a piano and drums.

○       Geometry

■      Startup: Very odd space sounds.

■      Shutdown: Fast synth sounds.

○       Horror Channel

■      Startup: A guy shouting “It’s alive!”.

■      Shutdown: A bombastic, old-timey horror tune.

○       Jazz

■      Startup: A jazz tune.

■      Shutdown: Another jazz tune with a piano ditty.

○       Peanuts

■      Startup: A snippet of “Linus and Lucy”, composed by Vince Guaraldi.

■      Shutdown: Another snippet of “Linus and Lucy”.

○       Photodisc

■      Startup: A mixture of synths, guitar strings and piano notes.

■      Shutdown: A soft organ synth tune.

○       Rock-N-Roll

■      Startup: A guitar riff, which grows into a Rock n' Roll tune.

■      Shutdown: Another rock tune.

○       Science Fiction

■      Startup: A fanfare.

■      Shutdown: A descending synth. Suddenly, an explosion, a squeal from an alien creature and 2 synth whooshes with muffled rumbling.

○       Windows 98

■      Startup: Same as the default startup sound.

■      Shutdown: Same as the builds 1602-1666 default shutdown sound.

○       World Traveller

■      Startup: A sitar tune.

■      Shutdown: A slower sitar tune, followed by a synth.

Availability: Ultra rare.

●       First seen on build 1593 of Windows 98.

●       The regular version debuted on build 1702 of Windows 98 and later on the system itself.

●       Also seen on all builds of Windows 98 Second Edition.

●       It made its final appearance on build 1998A of Windows 98 and build 2222A of Windows 98 Second Edition, with the both of them being achievable after installing the Windows Security Update CD on either, dated February 11, 2004.

●      Much like the other versions, computers running either Windows 98 or Windows 98 Second Edition are extremely hard to come by ever since the discontinuation of both on July 11th, 2006.

Editor’s Note: Another favorite among the Microsoft Windows community.

Windows Millennium Edition

1st Splash (July 13, 1999-February 1, 2000)

Preliminary Name: “Millennium”

Splash: On a light blue background with a lens flare and a segmented ‘streak’, we see the then-current Windows flag. At the bottom right of it are the words “Microsoft Windows Millennium” (structured similarly to the previous splashes: “Windows” set in the Franklin Gothic font with “Millennium” in the same font and at the bottom right and “Microsoft” set in a thinner version of said font at the top left), and at the bottom right of that is a very rounded rectangle with a byline in white. At the top right corner of the screen is the then-current Microsoft logo and at the bottom is the same gray bar and blue ‘lights’ from the previous splashes.

Bylines: Here are all of the possible bylines for this splash:

●       "DEVELOPER RELEASE"

●      “BETA [number in letters]”

Later Variants:

●       Starting with build 2380, “code name:” is added to the left of “Millennium”.

●      Starting with build 2404, “code name:” is now in all capitals and without a space (making it read “CODENAME:”) and the rectangle and the byline are omitted.

FX: The blue ‘lights’ in the gray bar moving.

Sounds:

●       Startup: Same as the builds 1671-2222B default startup sound from the 2nd Windows 98 splash.

●      Shutdown: Same as the builds 1671-2222B default shutdown sound from the 2nd Windows 98 splash.

Availability: Extinct. Only seen on builds 2332-2460 of Windows Millennium Edition.

Editor’s Note: None.

2nd Splash (February 9, 2000-February 11, 2004)

Splash: On a white background, we see 3 differently placed squares colored in orange, blue and green gradients respectively (with the green box being misshapen). Inside of the green box is the then-current Windows flag, below the squares are the words “Microsoft Windows” (structured similarly to the previous splashes: “Windows” set in the Franklin Gothic font and “Microsoft” set in a thinner version of said font at the top left), next to it is “Me” (set in a script font and in a yellow-ish color) and below that are the stacked words “Millennium Edition”. At the top right of the screen is the then-current Microsoft logo, at the bottom of the screen is the same gray bar and blue ‘lights’ from the previous splashes and above it is a copyright stamp.

FX: The blue ‘lights’ in the gray bar moving.

Sounds:

●       Startup:

○       Builds 2465-2470: Same as the builds 1671-2222B default startup sound from the 2nd Windows 98 splash.

○       Builds 2476-3000A: Same as the builds 2000.3-2195.6717 startup sound from the 4th Windows 2000 splash.

●       Shutdown:

○       Builds 2465-2470: Same as the builds 1671-2222B default shutdown sound from the 2nd Windows 98 splash.

○      Builds 2476-3000A: Same as the builds 2000.3-2195.6717 shutdown sound from the 4th Windows 2000 splash.

Availability: Ultra rare.

●       First seen on build 2465 of Windows Millennium Edition.

●       The regular version with the Windows 2000 sounds debuted on build 2476 of Windows Millennium Edition and later on the system itself.

●       It made its last appearance on build 3000A of Windows Millennium Edition, achievable after installing the Windows Security Update CD on either, dated February 11, 2004.

●      Much like the other versions, computers running Windows Millennium Edition are extremely hard to come by ever since the version’s discontinuation on July 11th, 2006.

Editor’s Note: A good splash screen from an operating system that was unfortunately rushed before release.

Final Note: Consumer releases starting with Windows XP were based on the New Technology architecture, officially retiring the Classic/9x architecture after 16 years of use.