Editing Microsoft Windows

[[File:Microsoft windows logo.png|right|frameless]]
'''Microsoft Windows''' (often informally known as '''Windows''' or '''Win'''), is a line of graphical [[proprietary]], closed-source operating systems developed by the [[Microsoft Corporation]]. Existing since 1985, Microsoft Windows, in its various editions, has grown to become one of the most popular computer operating systems globally, holding about seventy-five percent of the market share as of 2022.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Tech 21 Century|title=Most Popular Operating Systems (OS) for Computers, Smartphones, Tablets etc|url=https://www.tech21century.com/most-popular-operating-systems/|retrieved=2022-8-6}}</ref> 

== History ==

Prior to the development of Windows 2000, Microsoft used MS-DOS as the kernel in Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, and Windows ME.

Microsoft Windows NT replaced the MS/DOS kernel in Windows 2000 and newer operating systems.

===Source Code Leak===

The source code of MS-DOS 3.3, MS-DOS 6, Windows NT 3.5 & 5, Windows CE 6 & 7, Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003<ref name=":windows_xp_leak_confirmed">{{News citation|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-xp-leak-confirmed-after-user-compiles-the-leaked-code-into-a-working-os/|title=Windows XP leak confirmed after user compiles the leaked code into a working OS|author=Catalin Cimpanu|newspaper=ZDNet|date=2020-09-30}}</ref>, and Windows XP<ref name=":windows_xp_leak_confirmed"/>; were leaked on September 26, 2020. 

==Controversies==

===Forced automatic updates===

Microsoft implemented automatic updates that cannot be disabled in Windows 10.

===Backdoors and surveillance===

<code>_NSAKEY</code> is a variable that stores a PGP signature used for encryption in [[Windows NT]]. There is eponymous suspicious that Windows NT has a backdoor usable by the [[National Security Agency]].

In 2017, [[WikiLeaks]] revealed that the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] can hack into Windows PCs and listen to people through them.<ref>{{Web citation|author=ZeroHedge.com|newspaper=[[MintPress News]]|title=Wikileaks Releases ‘Vault 7’ – The Largest Leak Of Confidential CIA Documents To Date|date=2017-03-07|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/wikileaks-releases-vault-7-largest-leak-confidential-cia-documents-date/225613/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215075858/https://www.mintpressnews.com/wikileaks-releases-vault-7-largest-leak-confidential-cia-documents-date/225613/|archive-date=2021-02-15|retrieved=2022-09-04}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Computing]]
[[Category:Computer operating systems]]