Which Microsoft operating system launched in 1995 with the Start menu?

Windows 95 launched with the Start menu.

Released by Microsoft on August 24, 1995, Windows 95 was a major consumer operating system that introduced the Start button, Start menu, and taskbar in a form that became familiar to computer users worldwide. It also supported long filenames and improved hardware detection compared with earlier Windows releases.

Bill Gates was Microsoft’s chairman and chief executive when Windows 95 launched. The release received an enormous marketing campaign, including the use of the Rolling Stones song “Start Me Up” in television advertising. Microsoft sold millions of copies during the product’s first year.

Windows 95 was not a completely new operating-system architecture: it retained important links to MS-DOS and earlier Windows software. Nevertheless, its interface and broader hardware support helped make personal computing more accessible to mainstream households.