Windows NT facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Windows NT

Company / developer	Microsoft, with Dave Cutler as the lead architect
Programmed in	C, Assembly language (core) C++ (user mode applications, kernel graphical subsystem) C# (user mode applications)
Working state	Current
Source model	Closed-source Source-available (through Shared Source Initiative)
Initial release	July 27, 1993; 32 years ago (1993-07-27) (as Windows NT 3.1)
Update method	Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services
Supported platforms	IA-32, x86-64, ARM and ARM64 (and historically Intel i860, DEC Alpha, Itanium, MIPS, and PowerPC)
Kernel type	Hybrid
Influenced by	RSX-11, VAXELN, OpenVMS, MICA, Mach (kernel) MS-DOS, OS/2, Windows 3.1 (userland)
Default user interface	Graphical (Windows shell)
License	Depending on version, edition or customer choice: Trialware, commercial software, volume licensing, OEM-only, SaaS, S+S

Windows NT is a special type of operating system made by Microsoft. It's like the hidden engine that powers many versions of Windows you might know. The first version, Windows NT 3.1, came out on July 27, 1993.

Windows NT was first designed for powerful workstations and servers in offices. But over time, its technology became the base for Windows versions used by everyone, like Windows XP in 2001. Today, the newest Windows versions, including Windows Server 2025, still use the core ideas from Windows NT.

The "NT" in the name originally stood for "New Technology." It brought big improvements to Windows. For example, it fixed old limitations that stopped earlier Windows versions, like Windows 3.1, from using a lot of computer memory. Even though the "NT" name isn't used in most Windows names anymore (like Windows 10 or 11), the technology is still there.

Windows NT offers many advanced features. It can handle many tasks at once (multiprocessing) and allows multiple users on one system. It also uses a "pure" 32-bit or 64-bit system, which means it can use much more memory and power.

Understanding the Windows NT Family

Windows NT is like a family of operating systems. It's a special group within the larger Windows family.

The very first Windows NT version, Windows NT 3.1, was made for business computers. It worked alongside other Windows versions, like Windows 3.1x, which were for home users and based on MS-DOS. In 1996, Windows NT 4.0 was released. It looked more like Windows 95, which was popular with home users.

Eventually, Microsoft decided to use the strong Windows NT technology for all Windows computers. They stopped making the older Windows 9x family. Starting with Windows 2000, the "NT" part was removed from the product names. However, the core NT technology remained deep inside the system.

How Windows NT is Installed

Windows NT versions are installed using a program called Windows Setup. Since Windows Vista, this setup uses a small, simple version of Windows NT called the Windows Preinstallation Environment. This special environment helps get the main operating system ready to install.

The files needed to install Windows are stored in a special format called Windows Imaging Format. You can even install Windows using text commands if you know how, skipping the usual graphical installer.

The Story Behind the Name "NT"

There are a few ideas about where the name "NT" came from. Some people thought it was a secret code related to another operating system called VMS. Others believed it came from the name of an early computer chip, the Intel i860, which was code-named N10.

In 1991, Bill Gates said that "Windows NT stands for 'New Technology'." But years later, in 1998, he mentioned that the letters didn't have a specific meaning anymore. Even though the letters "NT" were dropped from names like Windows 2000, Microsoft still said those products were "Built on NT Technology."

Key Features of Windows NT

One of the main goals for Windows NT was to work on different computer hardware and with different software. Early versions of NT could run on various types of processors, like IA-32, MIPS, and DEC Alpha. Later versions added support for PowerPC, Itanium, x86-64, and ARM.

Windows NT also had strong security features. It used access control lists to control who could access files and other parts of the system. This made it very secure. It also supported TCP/IP networking, which is how computers talk to each other over the internet.

Windows NT 3.1 was the first Windows to use a 32-bit system for memory. This allowed it to use much more computer memory than older 16-bit Windows versions.

The core of Windows NT is called the kernel. It's like the brain of the operating system. It can stop tasks that are running to let other tasks work, which is called preemptive multitasking. This made Windows NT much smoother and more reliable than earlier Windows versions.

In Windows NT 4.0, the way the system looked was changed to match Windows 95. It moved from the old Program Manager to the Windows shell with its taskbar and Start menu.

NTFS is a special, secure file system that came with Windows NT. It helps keep your files safe and organized. Windows NT also introduced its own way for hardware to talk to the system, called the Windows NT driver model. This was later improved and became the Windows Driver Model used in many Windows versions.

How Windows NT Was Developed

Windows NT logo for version 4.0

Microsoft decided to create a new operating system in 1988. It needed to be able to run on different computers and support many tasks at once. This project was first called OS/2 3.0. To make sure it could work on different hardware, it was first developed on non-Intel chips.

Later, Microsoft's Windows 3.0 became very popular. So, they decided to change the new NT system to work better with Windows programs. This caused some disagreements with IBM, who was also working on OS/2. Eventually, Microsoft continued developing Windows NT on its own.

Microsoft hired a team of talented developers led by Dave Cutler. Many ideas in Windows NT came from Cutler's earlier work on other operating systems. This team helped build the strong foundation that Windows NT is known for.

Windows 2000 architecture

The way Windows NT handles memory and tasks is similar to some older systems. It has a "kernel" that handles basic computer functions and an "executive" that provides services. These parts work together to make the operating system run smoothly.

Windows NT was also one of the first operating systems to use UCS-2 and UTF-16 internally. These are ways to handle text and characters from many different languages around the world.

How Windows NT Works Inside

Windows NT has a layered design, like a cake with different layers. It has two main parts: user mode and kernel mode.

• User mode is where your everyday programs run. These programs have limited access to the computer's resources.
• Kernel mode is the core of the operating system. It has full access to all the computer's memory and hardware. The Windows NT kernel is a hybrid kernel, meaning it combines features from different kernel types.

When Windows NT starts up, a special program called the boot loader gets things going. It finds the necessary files, starts the kernel, and loads important device drivers. After that, the system launches programs that let you log in and then start the File Explorer, which shows you the Windows desktop.

Programming Languages Used

Windows NT is mostly written in C and C++. A very small part is written in assembly language. C is used for the core kernel, while C++ is used for many of the programs you see and use. Assembly language is avoided when possible because it makes the system harder to use on different types of computers.

Versions of Windows NT Over Time

Here are some of the main versions of Windows that are based on the Windows NT technology:

Early Windows NT versions (3.1 to 3.51) used the Program Manager and File Manager, similar to Windows 3.1. But from Windows NT 4.0 onwards, they switched to Windows Explorer, which included the familiar taskbar and Start menu from Windows 95.

The first version was numbered 3.1 to match the Windows version at the time. This also made it seem more reliable than a brand-new ".0" release.

The "NT" version number isn't used for marketing anymore. However, it's still used internally by Microsoft to show how much the core of the operating system has changed. For example, Windows 10 and 11 still have an internal NT version number.

Supported Computer Types

32-bit Computers

To make sure Windows NT could work on many different computers, it was first developed on non-Intel systems. This helped prevent it from being tied to just one type of computer chip.

Windows NT 3.1 was released for Intel x86 computers, as well as DEC Alpha and MIPS systems. Later, Windows NT 3.51 added support for the PowerPC processor.

Windows NT 4.0 was the last major release to support Alpha, MIPS, or PowerPC processors. However, Microsoft announced in 2011 that future Windows NT versions would support ARM chips. This led to Windows RT and the use of Windows NT in Windows Phone 8.

The original Xbox and Xbox 360 game consoles also run on a special version of Windows NT. The newer Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles use a simplified version of Windows.

Windows 11 is the first non-server version of Windows NT that no longer supports older 32-bit computers.

64-bit Computers

Microsoft also developed 64-bit versions of Windows NT. These were first planned for Itanium and DEC Alpha processors.

While Windows 2000 only supported 32-bit Intel chips, later versions like Windows XP and Server 2003 had special editions for Itanium. Microsoft then widely adopted the x64 architecture. Every version of Windows since Windows XP has included x64 editions.

The first version of Windows NT to support ARM64 devices was Windows 10, version 1709. This was a full version of Windows, not the simpler Windows RT.

Computer Requirements

The minimum computer requirements to run Windows NT have changed over time. They stayed fairly low until Windows Vista (version 6.0). Vista needed a lot more disk space and power than previous versions. Windows 11 (version 10.0) also has higher requirements, often needing newer computers made after 2018.

See also

In Spanish: Windows NT para niños

• Windows domain
• ReactOS (an open source project that aims to work like Windows NT)
• Windows Preinstallation Environment
• Microsoft Servers