MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System), from its inception in 1981 to its integration into Windows 95.
MS-DOS Timeline in Table View
Table of Contents
| Year | MS-DOS Version | Key Features & Milestones |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | MS-DOS 1.0 | The first version of MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System), developed by Microsoft for IBM PCs. Simple file management system with no subdirectories. |
| 1982 | MS-DOS 1.1 | Added support for floppy disk drives and basic file management features. |
| 1983 | MS-DOS 2.0 | Introduced subdirectories, improved file management, and hard drive support. It was a significant upgrade over 1.0. |
| 1984 | MS-DOS 3.0 | Enhanced support for hard disks and introduced the High Memory Area (HMA). |
| 1986 | MS-DOS 3.2 | Introduced support for floppy disk drives with higher capacity (720 KB) and the IBM PS/2 computers. |
| 1987 | MS-DOS 3.3 | Added support for 1.44 MB floppy disks and improved file allocation on larger disks. |
| 1988 | MS-DOS 4.0 | Introduced multi-tasking capabilities, with Task Swapper to switch between running applications. |
| 1990 | MS-DOS 5.0 | Introduced DOS Shell, memory management improvements, support for larger hard drives, and full-screen editors. |
| 1993 | MS-DOS 6.0 | Includes double-space disk compression, backup utilities, and performance improvements. |
| 1994 | MS-DOS 6.22 | Final version of MS-DOS, with Disk Compression utilities and improved memory management. |
| 1995 | MS-DOS 7.0 | Integrated into Windows 95, MS-DOS became a core component of Windows but is no longer released as a standalone OS. |