Balance work and family

See how multitasking parents use Windows 10 to get it all done.

Stay connected

See how professionals work effectively in a remote world.

Create. Teach. Learn.

See how you can share your craft in a remote world.

Home & family resources

Discover free Microsoft tools, tips, and resources that can help you connect, work, learn, and play at home.

You can count on Windows 10

People all over the world depend on Windows 10 for many different reasons. Here are a handful of things we’re proud to keep on delivering.

Get things done

Windows 10 has innovations from touch screen 2 support to features that help you focus and create.

All-encompassing security included

Windows 10 comes with a comprehensive suite of antivirus, firewall, ransomware protection, and Internet features, built-in with no extra cost to you. 1

New games for family night

There’s a wide variety of games available on Windows 10—the most popular PC gaming platform on the planet. 3

Windows 10 for each of us

Whether you have a disability, a personal preference, or a unique work style, Windows 10 adapts to you.

Need a larger screen? A brighter screen? A narrator to read text? Find out about accessibility tools and features for people who are blind, color blind, or have low vision.

For those who are hard of hearing, have hearing loss, or have deafness, our specialized features can provide solutions including closed captioning, mono sound, and live call transcription.

Innovative tools such as dictation and Windows Hello sign-in can make the digital world more accessible for those who live with dyslexia, seizures, autism, or other cognitive differences.

Our applications for people living with learning disabilities can help increase focus, concentration, and understanding—and include tools to improve reading and writing skills.

Our suite of products helps people living with arthritis, quadriplegia, spinal cord injuries, and other mobility issues to navigate the digital world in non-traditional ways.

Unlock the best Microsoft 365 has to offer! Now with added benefits from Microsoft partners.

As a benefit of your subscription, access over $500 in unique offers available from our partners.

Bring your ideas to life

Choose from thousands of curated stock images, icons, and fonts to add your own flair quickly and beautifully.

Organize your time

Manage multiple calendars in one view, sort through emails quickly with Focused Inbox, and use Suggested Replies to instantly hit send and move on.

Sharing made simple

Share OneDrive documents from your PC or mobile device and let friends, classmates, or family view, make suggestions, edit, or collaborate in real time.

Protect what’s important

Get 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage. That’s 300,000 photos, plus all your documents, 4 that you can access, edit, and share across all your devices—all while knowing your files are backed up and protected.

Thousands of apps

Work, play, create, stream, meet, share, and more with thousands of trusted apps from the Microsoft Store. All of them have been scanned for malware, so you can download anything worry-free. 5

Compare Windows 10 Home vs. Pro

Find the right fit for your needs. Whether it’s Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro, see which version is better for you.

The best Windows ever keeps getting better

Windows 10 is fundamentally fast and familiar, safe and secure, and has features that allow you to be more creative and productive.

Windows 10 Pro works for you

If you run a small business and want enhanced functionality, Windows 10 Pro is designed for how you work.

Make the switch to a Windows 10 PC

Powerful productivity. Great battery life. Long lasting. And a beautiful touch screen to boot. 2

Find the computer that’s best for you

Now more than ever PCs are more powerful and innovative—just like Windows 10. And no matter your budget or need, there are plenty to choose from.

Need help choosing a computer?

We’re here to help! Answer a few questions and find the right Windows 10 computers for you.

Windows

Windows may refer to any of the following:

1. Microsoft Windows (also referred to as Windows or Win) is a graphical operating system developed and published by Microsoft. It provides a way to store files, run software, play games, watch videos, and connect to the Internet.

Microsoft Windows was first introduced with version 1.0 on November 10, 1983. Over a dozen versions of Windows were released after that, including the current version, Windows 10.

Editions of Windows

Starting with Windows XP, Microsoft has published various editions of Windows. Each of these Windows editions has the same core operating system, but some editions have additional features, at an additional cost.

The two most common editions of Windows for home computers are Windows Home and Windows Professional.

Windows Home

Windows Home (also called Win Home) is the basic edition of Windows. It provides all the fundamental functions of Windows, such as connecting to the Internet, browsing the web, watching videos, using office software, and playing video games. It is the least expensive edition of Windows, and it comes preinstalled on many new computers.

Windows Pro

Windows Professional (also called Windows Pro, or Win Pro) is an enhanced Windows edition, for power users, and small to medium sized businesses. It includes all the features of Windows Home, plus the following:

• Remote Desktop — allows you to remotely control another Windows computer connected to the Internet.
• Bitlocker — Microsoft’s integrated file encryption.
• Trusted Boot — provides encryption of the boot loader, protecting the computer against rootkits.
• Hyper-V — a Windows hypervisor for running virtual machines, equivalent to third-party software, such as VirtualBox.
• Windows Sandbox — provides a lightweight, sandboxed Windows 10 instance. You can use this isolated «Windows within Windows» environment to safely run suspicious or untrusted software. Windows Sandbox requires a Windows Insider build of Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise.
• Group policy management — Administrators can define group policies, for managing multiple Windows users in a business or organization.
• Support for more than 128 GB of RAM.
• Greater Windows Update installation options, including more flexible scheduling and postponement for up to 35 days.

Business editions

Windows Professional for Workstations and Windows Enterprise provide advanced features for professional studios and large businesses. For more information, refer to the side-by-side comparison in the official Microsoft Windows business edition comparison chart.

Why is Microsoft Windows called Windows?

Before the release of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft users were used to the single task command line operating system MS-DOS. Because Microsoft names most of its products with one word, it needed a word that best described its new GUI operating system. Microsoft chose «Windows» because of the multiple windows that allow different tasks and programs to run at the same time. Because you cannot trademark a common name like «Windows,» it’s officially known as «Microsoft Windows». The first version of Microsoft Windows was version 1.0, released in 1985.

Microsoft Windows help pages

Related pages

2. In general, a window is a fundamental part of a computer GUI (graphical user interface). A window is an area of the display containing a single running application. The window can be moved, resized, hidden, or maximized as desired by the user. The Microsoft Windows operating system is named after this UI element.

3. Regarding Unix-like operating systems, such as Linux or BSD, Windows may refer to the X Window System.