Windows 2.0

Windows 2.0 is a 16-bit operating environment from Microsoft released in 1987-1988, Windows 2.00, Windows 2.01 and Windows 2.03 were shells for the DOS system, providing a graphical user interface for improved interaction than the command-line interface of DOS.

Windows 2.0 was officially released on 9 December 1987, and superceded Windows 1.0. It was succeeded by Windows 2.1x in 1988, Windows 2.11 in 1989 then Windows 3.0 in 1990. Windows 2.0 was officially supported by Microsoft until December 31, 2001. It was the first Windows to have minimization and maximization.

Windows 2.0 was officially released on 9 December 1987, and superceded Windows 1.0. It was succeeded by Windows 2.1x in 1988, Windows 2.11 in 1989 then Windows 3.0 in 1990. Windows 2.0 was officially supported by Microsoft until December 31, 2001. It was the first Windows to have minimization and maximization.

New Features

• Overlapping windows (Windows 1.x could only tile windows)
• Better keyboard shortcuts
• Improved shell design
• VGA graphic support
• EMS memory support

Application support

The first Windows versions of Microsoft Word and Microsoft 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

WRITE.EXE

Screenshots of Windows 2.x

External links

• Windows Version History (1.x-3.11) at Microsoft (archived 2005-05-25)
  • A history of Windows (1975-2015) (archived 2016-06-18)
  • Microsoft History: 1987 at Microsoft Library (archived 1996-10-17)
• Windows 2.0 at GUIdebook
• Microsoft Windows history at Computer Hope
• Microsoft Windows/386 2.01 at PCjs Machines