Must Read: Mint 15: Today's best Linux desktop (Review)

Topic: Operating Systems

Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

Summary: Check out the splash screens that have graced various Windows operating systems!

Greg Shultz

By Greg Shultz |

 |  Image 1 of 28

Ever since the dawn of the Windows operating system, Microsoft has used Splash Screens as a means of distracting us while the operating system is loading. In addition to their entertainment value, the Windows splash screens typically provide us with some sort of feedback on the progress of the sometimes lengthy startup process.

In this gallery, you’ll be able to browse through all the splash screens from Windows 1.01 to Windows 7.
  • Thumbnail 1
  • Thumbnail 2
  • Thumbnail 3
  • Thumbnail 4
  • Thumbnail 5
  • Thumbnail 6
  • Thumbnail 7
  • Thumbnail 8
  • Thumbnail 9
  • Thumbnail 10
  • Thumbnail 11
  • Thumbnail 12
  • Thumbnail 13
  • Thumbnail 14
  • Thumbnail 15
  • Thumbnail 16
  • Thumbnail 17
  • Thumbnail 18
  • Thumbnail 19
  • Thumbnail 20
  • Thumbnail 21
  • Thumbnail 22
  • Thumbnail 23
  • Thumbnail 24
  • Thumbnail 25
  • Thumbnail 26
  • Thumbnail 27
  • Thumbnail 28

Topics: Operating Systems, Microsoft, Software, Windows

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

21 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • Windows XP Media Center is missing from this list (NT)

    NT
    mtifo@...
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

    Thanks for the walk down memory land, it's amazing how many I recogized. Oh, home server is also missing
    eabyrd
    Reply Vote

  • You just have to laugh at...

    ...Windows Me.
    Hatestone Johnson
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

      @Hatestone Johnson

      Windows ME; Windows 98, deliberately broken so that everyone would welcome Windows XP with open arms.

      (Also, a deliberate, and underhanded ploy to suck more money out of people's pockets.)
      killingthemonkey
      Reply Vote

      • What a load of BS, and your logic is wrong

        since Windows 2000 came next, not XP.

        Now, enough of the conspirecy theories. Shouldn't you be off investigating aircraft "contrails"...
        John Zern
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

    What about bob?
    mhpembe
    Reply Vote

  • Um, where the heck is Windows Server 2008??

    Bob was just a shell -- doesn't really fit in as a version of Windows -- but it's possible it could have tweaked the splash screen bitmaps, because there used to be a way to do that (I think you had to save the bitmap as an RLE file and then rename to a DLL or something).
    jagreene59
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

    nice work zdnet good job all zdnet workers keep the good work
    abeditani
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

    I thought there was a Windows 286, too.
    ysted
    Reply Vote

  • Windows 95 splash screen

    The shown screen for Windows 95 belongs to the "95b" version which had IE 3.0 included, the "a" version didn't came with the "Microsoft Internet Explorer" banner cause it came with iexplorer 2.0
    loquique
    Reply Vote

    • Wasn't there a Windows98SE ?

      Second edition?
      John Zern
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

    I think i'm the only person that used Windows M E and LIKED it lol didn't have any problems with it
    1711rob
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

      @1711rob<br><br>Only real problem I had with ME was that if you tried to push it to its limits right when you're still loading your desktop, it was very likely to crash your system. Well, at least for me.<br><br>Other than that, it ran my 9x programs quite well.<br><br>The lack of Windows Server 2008 / 2008 R2 make this list seem rather incomplete.
      Royal_Knight
      Reply Vote

  • Win Me

    I thought I was the only person in the world who did not have Win Me problems. I loved it, It was the only version of Win that when you said 'shut down' it did! and that right quick.
    ccutright
    Reply Vote

    • Was Win ME a real OS?

      @ccutright <br><br>I played with ME for a few months when I bought a new notebook with that (alleged) OS included. Right out of the box, it was horribly unstable. Considering that I generally only use the notebook for email and an MS Works database, I don't think I was pushing it at all. But it would crash AT LEAST once per day! In comparison, my first notebook ran Windows 3.1 / DOS 6.2, and it could run 24/7 for weeks at a time without crashing, while doing the same work.
      Old Greg
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

    Many thanks for an interesting way of bringing by memories (fond and otherwise) of how far we all have come in so (relatively) short a time span!
    kerawling
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

    While doing the garage sale thing still see Windows 3.1 system and disk.
    Scatcatpdx
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

    I remember setting up a Windows 3.11 for Workgroups network as the very first network that I ever got paid for commercially. Incidentally that was the very first time I'd setup a Windows network. Prior to that it was only Novell Netware for DOS so we could play video games and share files at home.
    darylsonnier
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Dinosaur Sightings: Windows splash screens from 1.01 to 7

    All of the Windows NT 3.x screens look more like shots of the boxes, not the start-up screen. I don't remember the boot screens looking like that.
    markcramer@...
    Reply Vote

  • WinServer 2008 / R2 missing

    Server 2008 and R2 are missing.
    Daniel Breslauer
    Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close