Windows 2.0

Windows 2.0 is a 16-bit operating environment from Microsoft released on December 9, 1987. Windows 2.0, 2.01, and 2.03 are shells for the MS-DOS system, providing a graphical user interface for improved interaction over the command-line interface of DOS.

Windows 2.0 was officially released on December 9, 1987, superseding Windows 1.0. It was succeeded by Windows 2.1 in 1988, then Windows 3.0 in 1990. Windows 2.0 was officially supported by Microsoft until December 31, 2001.

Release history

 * Windows 2.01: September 7, 1987
 * Windows 2.03: November 16, 1987


 * Succeeded by Windows 2.1 on May 27, 1988.

New features

 * Overlapping windows (Windows 1.x could only tile windows)
 * Minimization and maximization of windows.
 * Better keyboard shortcuts
 * Improved shell design
 * VGA graphics support
 * EMS memory support

Application support
The first Windows versions of Microsoft Word and Excel ran on Windows 2.0.

Applications that shipped with Windows 2.0:


 * CALC.EXE
 * CALENDAR.EXE
 * CARDFILE.EXE
 * CLIPBRD.EXE
 * CLOCK.EXE
 * CONTROL.EXE
 * CVTPAINT.EXE
 * MSDOS.EXE
 * NOTEPAD.EXE
 * PAINT.EXE
 * PIFEDIT.EXE
 * REVERSI.EXE
 * SPOOLER.EXE
 * TERMINAL.EXE
 * WRITE.EXE