Which Microsoft operating system first introduced the Start button?

Windows 95 was the first Microsoft operating system to introduce the Start button. Released in 1995, it paired the button with the taskbar and a redesigned desktop, creating the basic navigation pattern that defined Windows for decades.

The Start button opened the Start menu, which gave users a central place to launch programs, open documents, search for files, access settings, and shut down the computer. This was a major change from Windows 3.1, where users commonly launched applications through Program Manager and navigated groups of icons.

Windows 95 was designed to make personal computers easier to use as they became mainstream. Its Start button and taskbar were later adopted by Windows NT 4.0, which brought the Windows 95-style interface to Microsoft’s professional and server-oriented NT line. Windows 98 refined the design, but did not introduce it.