Windows 1.0 Developer Release #5 is the 5th development release of Windows 1.0. It is the earliest build of Windows available, and is the only available build compiled in 1984 as of April 2025. It was compiled on 31 October 1984.
The build was uploaded to BetaArchive on 19 September 2008.
Installation Process[]
Installing is recommended using an emulator such as PCem or 86Box, however it can be installed using VMware with some patches.
According to INSTALL.BAT, these are the system requirments
The following equipment is required:
* IBM XT or AT
* 512 K memory.
* Floppy disk configured as DRIVE A:.
* Hard disk configured as DRIVE C:.
* Color graphics card.
* External console connected to COM1: ( debugging ).
* Microsoft mouse ( bus or serial ).
* Timer.
The following software is required:
* 2.x or 3.0 MS-DOS
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to install this build.
- Boot into the build with a MS-DOS, or PC-DOS boot disk (Version 2.x or 3)
- Partition the drive using the FDISK command
- Reboot the machine
- Copy INSTALL.BAT from the floppy disk to C:
- run C:\INSTALL.BAT
- Follow the on-screen selection
To start the build you have to do the following.
path C:\WINDOWS\BIN
cd C:\WINDOWS\TEST
mswin
You can add this to an AUTOEXEC.BAT file to run the commands automatically.
Easter Eggs[]
This build does have some easter eggs in MENUID.C
/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Some people, they like to go our dancing, and other people
[like main], they do all the work . . ."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our mad chicken-with-it's-head-cut-off error abort routine.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
Icons[]
This was the first build of Windows to include the .CUR and .ICO file formats, however these file formats we're changed drastically in Windows 3.0.
Here are a list of all the icons included (images will be added soon)
SAMPLE.EXE's icon is a superman logo.
In WINDOWS.RES there is an unused icon called TRASH, this could mean that there was a trash (similar to Recycle Bin today) in the earlier development releases.
Significance of this build[]
This build was developed let developers program and design applications for Windows.