Windows 9x

Windows 9x is a family of Microsoft personal-computer operating systems, including Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me. Its DOS-based architecture combined 16-bit and 32-bit code while presenting a graphical desktop.

MS-DOS: MS-DOS is a command-line operating system for x86 personal computers, originally developed by Microsoft. Windows 9x used DOS components for startup and compatibility with DOS software.
Windows 3.1: Windows 3.1 is a 1992 graphical operating environment that ran on top of MS-DOS. It established the consumer Windows lineage and compatibility base that Windows 9x extended.
Windows NT: Windows NT is Microsoft's operating-system family built around a protected, portable kernel rather than MS-DOS. Its architecture contrasted with Windows 9x and became the basis of later mainstream Windows.
Start menu: The Start menu is a Windows interface element that provides access to programs, settings, and system functions. Windows 95 introduced it as a central way to launch software and manage the desktop.
Virtual 8086 mode: Virtual 8086 mode lets an x86 processor run real-mode programs inside a protected-mode operating system. Windows 9x used it to run DOS programs alongside its 32-bit environment.
Chicago (operating system): Chicago was the development codename for the operating system released as Windows 95. Its development turned Microsoft's planned 32-bit consumer Windows into the first Windows 9x release.
Windows 2000: Windows 2000 is a Microsoft operating system in the Windows NT line, released for business and professional use. It was the contemporary NT-based alternative to Windows Me.
Taskbar: The taskbar is a desktop interface element that displays open applications and provides shortcuts to system features. Windows 95 paired it with the Start menu, shaping the familiar Windows desktop.
Windows Driver Model: The Windows Driver Model is a driver architecture shared by Windows 98 and Windows 2000. Windows 98 adopted it to improve driver compatibility across Microsoft operating systems.
Windows 95: Windows 95 is Microsoft's 1995 operating system that introduced the Start menu and taskbar to mainstream Windows. It launched the family and established its recognizable desktop interface.

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