In 1985, Microsoft released Windows 1.0. However, it was not a new operating system, but merely a graphical overlay on MS-DOS. It was one of the company's first milestones and a foundation for further development of its future flagship product. ¹⁾

Windows 95 was released in 1995. The system was no longer an MS-DOS frontend but a stand-alone creation that was, of course, partially compatible with MS-DOS for a long time to come. ²⁾

The famous Windows XP desktop photo is probably the most-viewed photo in history. It was taken in 1996 by photographer Charles O'Rear, and Microsoft bought the copyright from him. ³⁾

Many of us have never heard the great music that is supposed to make your time spent at your computer more pleasant when you first set up Windows XP, right after installing the operating system. Microsoft chose a great song, but to be able to hear it, you need to have drivers installed for your sound card. Unfortunately, the Microsoft database lacks the software for many models, so the sound cannot be heard. Rest assured, in the “C:Windows” directory you will find a file named “title” — that's the tune! ⁴⁾

You can watch Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope, on Windows XP. Open the dialog box (Start - Run - cmd), then type “telnet,” “about” and in the triangular brackets (<>) enter the address “towel.blinkenlights.nl” ⁵⁾

In Windows XP, the recycle bin reserved only 10% of the disc space. It refused to hold more. ⁶⁾

Long after its glory years, Windows XP was still the dominant operating system in ATMs - supporting more than 90 percent of them. ⁷⁾

In 1993, Microsoft released Windows 3.1 NT, which was based on a completely new kernel. ⁸⁾

Windows XP supported remote desktop. Today, companies support external programs and tools for remote desktop - for example, when we need technical support. In Windows XP, such a feature was pre-installed and could be used after a short configuration. ⁹⁾

Windows XP was not one of the most secure systems - especially in the beginning. In total, more than 70 security vulnerabilities were discovered in it, patched in subsequent updates. ¹⁰⁾

Windows XP ceased to be supported in 2014. ¹¹⁾

Halo 2 was released in 2004 on Xbox, three years before the release of Windows Vista. In 2007 it hit the PC but didn't run on XP - it required DirectX 10, absent for owners of that system. This was a very strange procedure, given that the conversion itself turned out to be quite average. ¹²⁾

The classic Minesweeper on Windows is still a big challenge today. You can, however, fool the system. All you have to do is type “xyzzy” and then use the combination of Shift+Enter and Enter. A white pixel will appear, which will glow if you hover your mouse over a hidden mine. ¹³⁾

Gamers are certainly familiar with the abbreviation “XP.” In Internet slang, it simply stands for “experience”. ¹⁴⁾

CON was one of the most important system files in Windows XP. In the interest of user security, Microsoft has prevented folders from being named this way. ¹⁵⁾

Before it was released to the wider public, Windows XP was tested in beta. It was called Whistler - after the place in Canada where Microsoft employees used to go skiing. ¹⁶⁾