Editing Windows 95 (section)

==Release and promotion==
Sales were projected as high as $720 million on release day. The marketing campaign for Windows 95 was estimated at $1 billion and spanned the entire industry.<ref name="merid">{{cite news |title=Windows '95 sales at $720m |work=Meriden Record-Journal |agency=Bloomberg Business News |date=1995-08-26|page=25}}</ref> The Windows 95 release included a commercial featuring [[The Rolling Stones]]' 1981 single "[[Start Me Up]]" (a reference to the Start button).<ref>Microsoft detractors were quick to point out that the second verse of "Start Me Up" begins "you make a grown man cry" (a line which is repeated throughout). The phrase subsequently featured as a humorous reference in many critical expositions of Windows 95.</ref> It was widely reported that [[Microsoft]] paid the Rolling Stones between US$8 and US$14 million for the use of the song in the Windows 95 advertising campaign. However, Microsoft said that this was just a rumour spread by the band to increase their market value, and the company paid US$3 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/analysts/gartenberg/archives/016913.html |title=The Story behind "Start Me Up" and Windows 95 |author=Michael Gartenberg |date=August 22, 2006 |publisher=JupiterResearch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214054208/http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/analysts/gartenberg/archives/016913.html |archive-date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=September 9, 2009}} Internet Archive</ref> A 30-minute promotional video, labeled a "cyber sitcom," featuring [[Jennifer Aniston]] and [[Matthew Perry]], was also released to showcase the features of Windows 95.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DqJwmzG6Fk| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/5DqJwmzG6Fk| archive-date=2021-11-02 | url-status=live|title=Windows 95 Video Guide (Full Show)|date=October 5, 2011|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Microsoft's US$200 million advertising campaign featured stories of people waiting in line outside stores to get a copy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How Bill Gates and Mick Jagger struck deal on Windows 95 launch|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2011/06/bill-gates-mick-jagger-deal.html|access-date=2021-03-26|website=www.bizjournals.com|archive-date=September 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904070919/https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2011/06/bill-gates-mick-jagger-deal.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the UK, the largest computer chain, [[PC World (retailer)|PC World]], received a large quantity of point-of-sale material; many branches opened at midnight to sell the first copies of the product. Copies of ''[[The Times]]'' were available for free, and Microsoft paid for 1.5 million issues (twice the daily circulation at the time).<ref name="FriedCNET">{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/08/25/cnet.microsoft.windows/index.html|title=Windows 95 turns 15: Has Microsoft's OS peaked?|last=Fried|first=Ina|date=August 25, 2010|work=[[CNN]]|publisher=[[CNN|Cable News Network]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428112833/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/08/25/cnet.microsoft.windows/index.html|archive-date=April 28, 2019|url-status=live|access-date=April 28, 2019|agency=[[CNET]]}}</ref>

In the United States, the [[Empire State Building]] in [[New York City]] was lit to match the colors of the Windows logo.<ref name=WashPost1995/> In Canada, a {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}} banner was hung down the side of the [[CN Tower]] in [[Toronto]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=This Guy Rappelled Down the CN Tower For the Launch of Windows 95|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-guy-rappelled-down-the-cn-tower-for-the-launch-of-windows-95/|access-date=August 21, 2020|website=Vice.com|date=August 25, 2015|language=en|archive-date=July 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704050141/https://www.vice.com/en/article/ezvew7/this-guy-rappelled-down-the-cn-tower-for-the-launch-of-windows-95|url-status=live}}</ref>

The release included a number of "Fun Stuff" items on the CD, including music videos of [[Edie Brickell]]'s "Good Times"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqL1BLzn3qc| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/iqL1BLzn3qc| archive-date=2021-11-02 | url-status=live|title=Edie Brickell - Good Times |work=YouTube| date=November 20, 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and [[Weezer]]'s "[[Buddy Holly (song)|Buddy Holly]]," a trailer for the 1995 film ''[[Rob Roy (1995 film)|Rob Roy]]'' and the computer game ''[[Hover!]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/?p=32853|title=Why did the Windows 95 CD have extra fun stuff?|last=Chen|first=Raymond|author-link=Raymond Chen (Microsoft)|date=December 26, 2005|work=[[Microsoft Developer Network]]|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|access-date=June 6, 2019|archive-date=November 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130211803/https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/?p=32853|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sales were strong, with one million copies shipped worldwide in just four days.<ref>{{cite journal|title=1995: The Calm Before the Storm?|journal=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=13 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=January 1996|page=53}}</ref> According to [[International Data Corporation]], by the end of 1998, Windows 95 was the most used desktop OS with 57.4% of the marketshare, with its successor [[Windows 98]] coming in second at 17.2%. Windows 95 also still sold more non-[[OEM]] copies to large customers in the month of May 1999, which analysts attributed to large companies opting to wait for the release of [[Windows 2000]].<ref name="W95-v-98">{{cite news |date=July 20, 1999 |title=Windows 95 remains most popular operating system |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/windows-95-remains-most-popular-operating-system/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721024703/https://www.cnet.com/news/windows-95-remains-most-popular-operating-system/ |archive-date=July 21, 2015 |access-date=August 23, 2019 |work=CNET}}</ref>

===Editions===
{{redirect|OSR2|the gene|OSR2 (gene)}}

Several Windows 95 editions have been released. Only the original release was sold as a shrink-wrapped product; later editions were provided only to computer [[OEM]]s for installation on new PCs. For this reason, these editions are known as '''OEM Service Releases''' ('''OSR''').

Together with the introduction of Windows 95, Microsoft released the ''[[Microsoft Plus!]] for Windows 95'' pack, which contained several optional components for high-end multimedia PCs, including Internet Explorer, DriveSpace and additional themes.

The first service pack was made available half a year after the original release and fixed several small bugs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q143/0/03.ASP|title=Q143003 - Description of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Updates|publisher=Microsoft|date=December 14, 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010105085400/http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q143/0/03.ASP|archive-date=January 5, 2001}}</ref>

The second service pack mainly introduced support for new hardware, most notably support for hard drives larger than 2 GB in the form of the [[FAT32]] file system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q155/0/03.ASP|title=Q155003 - Description of Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2|publisher=Microsoft|date=December 15, 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010207044251/http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q155/0/03.ASP|archive-date=February 7, 2001}}</ref> This release was never made available to end-users directly and was only sold through OEMs (OSR2) with the purchase of a new PC. <!-- possibly hard drive -->

A full third service pack was never released, but two smaller revisions to the second were released in the form of a USB Supplement (OSR2.1) and the [[Windows Desktop Update]] (OSR2.5).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q178/9/72.ASP|title=Q178972 - Description of Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.5|publisher=Microsoft|date=December 15, 2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010210011401/http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q178/9/72.ASP|archive-date=February 10, 2001}}</ref><!-- citation needed: vaguely remember this being done under pressure from OEMs/Gateway which needed USB support more quickly, 4.03 version number certainly suggests this was originally planned as SP3. --> Both were made available as updated disc images shipped by OEMs, and the Windows Desktop Update was also released with the standalone Internet Explorer 4.0 release. OSR2.5 was notable for featuring several changes to the Windows Explorer, integrating it with Internet Explorer 4.0—this version of Internet Explorer looks very similar to the one featured in Windows 98.

{| class=wikitable style="font-size: 80%; text-align: center; width: 100%"
|-
!scope="col" rowspan=2| Release
!scope="col" rowspan=2| Code name
!scope="col" rowspan=2| Release date
!scope="col" rowspan=2| CD-Code<ref>{{cite web|title=Version from CD?|url=https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/version-from-cd.1143477/#post-8457858|publisher=Tom's Hardware|date=September 3, 2005|access-date=November 23, 2023|archive-date=November 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123224339/https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/version-from-cd.1143477/#post-8457858|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Identifikation der Betriebssysteme|url=http://www.win-dos.com/verident.shtml |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830194925/http://www.win-dos.com/verident.shtml|archivedate=August 30, 2017|publisher=www.win-dos.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Windows 95/98/ME Versions Features|url=http://www.emsps.com/oldtools/mswin95v.htm|publisher=EMS|access-date=November 23, 2023|archive-date=May 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506071811/http://www.emsps.com/oldtools/mswin95v.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
!scope="col" colspan=3| Version <!-- first column: version as reported in the My Computer property sheet; second column: version as reported by the updated system files and microsoft knowledge base -->
!scope="col" colspan=5| Software components
!scope="col" colspan=9| Hardware support
|-
!scope="col" | System properties{{efn|The version string displayed in the "System properties" tab. Right-click on "My Computer" and choose "Properties".}}
!scope="col" | System files{{efn|The version of updated system files. Note that most system files which have not been updated often retain their old version number. Version numbers are not consistently used: some system files may have older or newer build numbers or use a version numbering scheme separate from regular system files.}}
!scope="col" | Timestamp
!scope="col" | [[MS-DOS]]
!scope="col" | [[Internet Explorer]]{{efn|Upgradable to 5.5}}
!scope="col" | [[DriveSpace]]
!scope="col" | [[OpenGL]]
!scope="col" | [[DirectX]]{{efn|Upgradable to 8.0a}}
!scope="col" | [[FAT32]]
!scope="col" | [[Infrared Data Association|Infrared]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/139445|title=Windows 95 Support for Infrared Data Association Connectivity|date=November 15, 2006|publisher=Microsoft|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070305002902/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/139445|archive-date=March 5, 2007|access-date=September 9, 2009}}</ref>
!scope="col" | [[UDMA]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/258757|title=How to Enable Direct Memory Access (DMA)|date=January 27, 2007|publisher=Microsoft|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060627023357/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/258757/|archive-date=June 27, 2006|access-date=September 9, 2009}}</ref>
!scope="col" | [[Interrupt request (PC architecture)|IRQ]] steering<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/182604|title=Description of PCI Bus IRQ Steering|date=January 22, 2007|publisher=Microsoft|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205082434/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/182604|archive-date=February 5, 2007|access-date=September 9, 2009}}</ref>
!scope="col" | [[USB]]
!scope="col" | [[IEEE 1394]]
!scope="col" | [[Accelerated Graphics Port|AGP]]
!scope="col" | [[MMX (instruction set)|MMX]]<ref>{{cite web |title=GP Fault or Fatal Exception Error on Intel MMX CPU |url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156492 |access-date=June 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904184422/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156492 |archive-date=September 4, 2014}} [https://jeffpar.github.io/kbarchive/kb/156/Q156492/ Alt URL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141815/https://jeffpar.github.io/kbarchive/kb/156/Q156492/ |date=June 12, 2018 }}</ref>
!scope="col" | [[P6 (microarchitecture)|P6]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Microsoft KB Archive/178972 |url=https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/178972 |access-date=27 July 2024 |archive-date=August 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805022854/https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/178972 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Microsoft KB Archive/179897 |url=https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/179897 |access-date=27 July 2024 |archive-date=August 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805022904/https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/179897 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Memory Management Problems on Computers with Pentium Processors |url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/179897 |website=KnowledgeBase Archive |access-date=June 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904184423/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/179897 |archive-date=September 4, 2014}} [https://jeffpar.github.io/kbarchive/kb/179/Q179897/ Alt URL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142733/https://jeffpar.github.io/kbarchive/kb/179/Q179897/ |date=June 12, 2018 }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" | Windows 95 (retail and OEM)
| Chicago
|rowspan=2| August 24, 1995
| 0795
| 4.00.950
| 4.00.950<!-- Unverified:<ref group="note">This version of Windows 95 is sometimes called "950r6" because there were five prior release candidates of build 950. Release candidate 6 was the build that shipped in retail boxes.</ref> -->
| 1995-07-11 09:50:00
|rowspan="4"| 7.0
| 1.0 OEM only
| 2
|rowspan="4" {{n/a}}
|rowspan="4" {{n/a}}
|rowspan="4" {{no}}
|rowspan="2" {{no}}
|rowspan="4" {{no}}
|rowspan="4" {{no}}
|rowspan="5" {{no}}
|rowspan="4" {{no}}
|rowspan="5" {{no}}
|rowspan="4" {{partial|Bugs}}
|rowspan="4" {{partial|Bugs}}
|-
!scope="row" | Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95
| Frosting
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}||4.40.310||1995-07-14 04:40:00
| 1.0
| 3
|-
!scope="row" | Service Pack 1
|rowspan=3 {{n/a}}
|rowspan=2| February 14, 1996<ref>{{cite web|title=Microsoft Releases Windows 95 Service Pack|url=http://news.microsoft.com/1996/02/14/microsoft-releases-windows-95-service-pack/|publisher=Microsoft|date=February 14, 1996|access-date=November 10, 2016|archive-date=November 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112022713/http://news.microsoft.com/1996/02/14/microsoft-releases-windows-95-service-pack/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{n/a}}
|rowspan="2"| 4.00.950a <!-- as displayed in the system properties tab: LOWER CASE "a", WITHOUT a space between the build number and the "a" --> ||rowspan="2"|4.00.951{{efn|Some components have higher build numbers up to 955.}}
|1995-12-31 09:50:00
|rowspan="2"| [[Internet Explorer 2|2.0]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/146449|title=Description of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Components|date=November 16, 2006|publisher=Microsoft|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041112224307/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/146449|archive-date=November 12, 2004|access-date=July 16, 2010}}</ref>
|rowspan="2"| 2
|rowspan="6" {{yes}}
|-
!scope="row" | OEM Service Release 1
| 0196
| 1995-12-29 09:51:00
|-
!scope="row" | OEM Service Release 2
| August 30, 1996
| 0796
|rowspan="2"| 4.00.950 B <!-- as displayed in the system properties tab: capital B, with a space between the build number and B -->
| 4.00.1111
| 1996-08-24 11:11:11
|rowspan="3"| 7.1
|rowspan="2"| [[Internet Explorer 3|3.0]]
|rowspan="3"| 3
|rowspan="3"| 1.1
|rowspan="2"| 2.0a
|rowspan="3" {{yes}}
|rowspan="3" {{yes}}
|rowspan="3" {{yes}}
|rowspan="3" {{yes}}
|rowspan="3" {{yes}}
|rowspan="2" {{yes}}*{{efn|With the Memory Management fix (VMM2XUPD.EXE) applied (official),<ref>{{cite web |title=Memory Management Problems on Computers with Pentium Processors |url=http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q179/8/97.asp |access-date=29 July 2024 |archive-date=October 7, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011007022425/http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q179/8/97.ASP |url-status=live }}</ref> or with the updated USB supplement (4.03.1216) (unofficial for OSR2/2.1).<ref>{{cite web |title=Availability of Universal Serial Bus Support in Windows 95 |url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253756/EN-US/ |access-date=29 July 2024 |archive-date=May 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508025511/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253756/EN-US |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
|-
!scope="row" | OEM Service Release 2.1
| Detroit
| August 27, 1997<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/158238|title=How to Determine the Version of Windows 95/98/Me in Use|date=May 12, 2007|publisher=Microsoft|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041026005132/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/158238|archive-date=October 26, 2004|access-date=September 9, 2009}}</ref>
| 0197 (US) / 0397
| 4.03.1212{{efn|Original release of the USB Supplement to OSR2.}}<br />4.03.1214{{efn|Updated version of the USB Supplement to OSR2.}}<br />
4.03.1216 (unofficial, with the updated USB supplement){{Efn|name=4.03.1214|The Microsoft Knowledge Base reports 4.03.1214. This USB Supplement to OSR2 (included with OSR2.5 only, named '''usbupd2.exe''') contains an updated VMM.VXD with support for the Pentium Pro and Pentium II. This file has version 4.03.1216 and has a timestamp of September 23, 1997 09:51:18.}}
| 1997-04-10 12:14:00
|rowspan="2" {{yes}}
|rowspan="2" {{yes}}
|-
!scope="row" | OEM Service Release 2.5
| {{n/a}}
| November 26, 1997
| 1297
| 4.00.950 C<!-- as displayed in the system properties tab: capital C, with a space between the build number and C --> ||4.03.1216{{efn|name=4.03.1214}}
| 1997-11-26 12:16:00
| [[Internet Explorer 4#Overview|4.00]]
| 5.0
| {{Yes}}
|}
{{Notelist|30em}}