Which Windows version first featured the Start button?

Windows 95 was the first Windows version to feature the Start button.

Released to retail on August 24, 1995, Windows 95 introduced a redesigned desktop shell built around the taskbar, desktop shortcuts, Windows Explorer, and the Start menu. The Start button gave users a single, persistent place to launch programs, open documents, find settings, and reach system commands. It replaced the less flexible Program Manager interface used by Windows 3.x.

The button’s name also became part of Microsoft’s launch campaign: the company licensed the Rolling Stones song “Start Me Up” for Windows 95 advertising. Windows 95’s Start menu was not the same as later versions’ menus, but its basic role remained remarkably durable. Windows NT 4.0 adopted the same shell design, and later releases refined it with features such as pinned applications, search, and live tiles.

A common mix-up is Windows XP, which introduced a major visual overhaul rather than the original Start button. Windows 98 retained and refined the Windows 95 interface, while Windows 2000 used a similar Start-based shell for the NT line. Even Windows 8’s controversial Start screen was a descendant of the same launching concept.