Microsoft Windows 1.0 Source Code
Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 1 on 31 December 2021. We believe in the power of digital preservation to save our software heritage. So much of our digital heritage in the form of software, websites and personal data gets destroyed or washed away in the current Internet digital tsunami that it is easy to lose our heritage. Jason Scott gives a good interview with VICE on personal digital archiving.
It is our opinion that the Windows 1.0 source code is of cultural importance and the source code should be made public and possibly even released under an open source license. The good people at the Computer Heritage Museum have demonstrated the path-forward by organising the release of the Apple Lisa source code. We would like to see the Microsoft Windows 1.0 source code, all development files and records, software development kits, documentation and marketing material re-released in a heritage pack.
There is precedence for releasing the source code for Microsoft software. The Computer History Museum is our preferred source for many historical source code archives. It was the Computer History Museum that released the source code for MS-DOS v1.1 and V2.0. The link to the source code can be found in Computer History Museum announcement. Once these files were release, Microsoft made the MS-DOS source code and executable files available on GitHub. We can imagine that the purist wanting to build the code from the fully original source would start with a fresh compile of MS-DOS to run Windows 1.0 from.
If you are not in need of compiling the code direct from the source, then we think the best place to download the production version is from the WinWorld Windows 1.0 software collection.
Microsoft Windows 1.01 Disks
Microsoft Windows 1.01 was the first public release of MS-Windows. There is a stunning project where you can run Microsoft Windows 1.01 directly within your browser at PCjs Machines. The website contains the complete directory listings across the five distribution disks. These disks are listed below.
- Disk 1. Microsoft Windows - Setup
- Disk 2. GDI and WIN Build
- Disk 3. Printer drivers and Fonts
- Disk 4. Applications
- Disk 5. Microsoft Write
Microsoft Windows 1.0 Applications
As with every Windows distribution since 1985, Microsoft has distributed a standard set of applications. These applications promote the desktop concept and are orientated towards general computer productivity. The standard applications are listed below.
- calc.exe - Windows Calculator
- calendar.exe - Calnder program
- cardfile.exe - a simple card style database
- clipbrd.exe - simple text clipboard
- clock.exe - make your i286 an expensive desk ornament
- control.exe - MS-Windows control panel
- notepad.exe - text editor utility
- paint.exe - bitmap paint program
- reversi.exe - Reversi strategy board game
- terminal.exe - command line prompt
- write.exe - basic word processor
Microsoft Word v1.0
When Microsoft unveiled Windows 1.0 in 1985, it didn't just launch an operating system; it revolutionized the way we interact with computers, introducing a graphical interface that would become foundational to personal computing. Just a year before this pivotal release, another landmark product made its debut: Microsoft Word 1.1. As Windows 1.0 attempted to bring the desktop to life with its iconic tiled windows and mouse-driven navigation, Microsoft Word 1.1 was redefining the art of word processing. Together, these innovations marked the dawn of a new era in computing, setting the stage for Microsoft's dominance in both operating systems and office productivity software. This article delves into the rich history and profound impact of Microsoft Word 1.1, exploring how it complemented Windows 1.0 and helped shape the tools we use to create, share, and manage documents today.
Source Code to Windows 3.1 Kernel
A friend on Twitter guided me to this tantilizing post on BetaArchive boasting, "The source code to Windows 3.1 KERNEL has been sitting under our noses since 2004." This post is on the BetaArchive that holds the motto, Collect, Learn, Preserve!
