Windows NT 3.1

1993 · Windows

Released on 27 July 1993 after five years of work: a 32-bit Windows built from scratch, with the look of Windows 3.1.^{1, 2, 3}

Bring your own copy Sources See every Windows version →

Released: 27 July 1993^{1, 2}
Led by: Dave Cutler, who joined Microsoft in 1988²
Team: About 20 engineers at first, about 150 by release²
Type: 32-bit, unlike Windows 3.1¹

A new Windows from scratch

In the late 1980s, Microsoft started a project to build an advanced new operating system from scratch.¹ Dave Cutler, who had led the work on the VMS system at Digital Equipment Corporation, joined Microsoft on 31 October 1988 to build it. The team wanted a system that could run on chips other than Intel's, and use the larger memory of new 32-bit processors. At first it was meant to run OS/2 programs, but the team switched to Windows when Windows proved so popular.²

A Windows NT 3.1 screen on a teal desktop. Performance Monitor shows a chart with a red and a green line. Event Viewer lists the System Log on \\MUSEUM with dates, times and sources. Disk Administrator, the active window with a dark blue title bar, shows Disk 0 with one 2047 MB FAT partition, C:. At the bottom left are the icons for User Manager and Program Manager, labeled 'Program Manager - MUSEUM\Administrator'. — Illustration · not a screenshot Our drawing of Windows NT 3.1 with Performance Monitor, Event Viewer and Disk Administrator. It looked and felt much like Windows 3.1.³ See the real screen

Same look, new inside

Most of the programs in Windows NT came from their Windows 3.1 versions, changed only where NT could do more. Program Manager now showed the name of the person who had logged on.³ Underneath, unlike Windows 3.1, it was a 32-bit system, made for demanding business, engineering and science programs.¹ The team began writing the code in April 1989 and grew from about 20 engineers to about 150 by the time it shipped.²

Close-up of the bottom left of the Windows NT 3.1 screen: the icons for User Manager and Program Manager on the teal desktop. Program Manager's label reads 'Program Manager - MUSEUM\Administrator'. — Illustration · not a screenshot Close-up of our drawing of Windows NT 3.1: Program Manager, shrunk to an icon, shows the name of the person who has logged on.³ See the real screen

Key moments

1988 Dave Cutler starts at Microsoft on 31 October.²
1989 In April, the team starts writing the code.²
1993 Windows NT 3.1 ships on 27 July.^{1, 2}
1996 Windows NT 4.0 brings the look of Windows 95, with the Start button and taskbar, to Windows NT.⁴
2001 Windows XP comes out on 25 October. Windows XP Professional brings the foundation of Windows 2000, built on Windows NT, to the PC desktop.¹