Windows Shell

E37366
command environment graphical user interface operating system shell

Windows Shell is the graphical user interface and command environment of the Microsoft Windows operating system, providing the desktop, taskbar, file explorer, and related user interaction features.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (7)

Surface form Occurrences
Windows shell 5
Windows desktop 2
Windows 98-style shell 1

Statements (53)

Predicate Object
instanceOf command environment ⓘ
graphical user interface ⓘ
operating system shell ⓘ
configurableVia Group Policy ⓘ
Registry settings ⓘ
defaultShellFor Windows 10 ⓘ
Windows 11 ⓘ
Windows 2000 ⓘ
Windows 7 ⓘ
Windows 8 ⓘ
Windows 8.1 ⓘ
Windows 95 ⓘ
Windows 98 ⓘ
Windows ME ⓘ
Windows Vista ⓘ
Windows XP ⓘ
developer Microsoft ⓘ
includesProgram explorer.exe ⓘ
introducedFeature Start menu ⓘ
taskbar ⓘ
introducedInVersion Windows 95 ⓘ
operatingSystem Windows ⓘ
surface form: Microsoft Windows
primaryPurpose application launching ⓘ
file management ⓘ
user interaction with the Windows operating system ⓘ
window management ⓘ
providesComponent File Explorer ⓘ
Start menu ⓘ
Windows Shell self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Windows desktop

context menus ⓘ
desktop icons ⓘ
notification area ⓘ
taskbar ⓘ
relatedSoftware PowerShell ⓘ
Windows Command Prompt ⓘ
replacedComponentOf Program Manager ⓘ
supportsCustomization taskbar settings ⓘ
themes ⓘ
wallpapers ⓘ
supportsFeature Aero Peek ⓘ
Aero Shake ⓘ
Aero Snap ⓘ
desktop composition ⓘ
drag and drop ⓘ
file type associations ⓘ
jump lists ⓘ
live taskbar thumbnails ⓘ
shell extensions ⓘ
shell namespace ⓘ
taskbar pinning ⓘ
virtual folders ⓘ
supportsInterface command-line interface ⓘ
graphical user interface ⓘ

Referenced by (15)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Windows (via browser) → accesses → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows desktop environment
Desktop Window Manager → componentOf → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows graphics subsystem
Windows 10 → defaultUserInterface → Windows Shell ⓘ
Windows 2000 → gui → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows shell
Windows → hasShell → Windows Shell ⓘ
File Explorer → integratedWith → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows shell
Windows 95 → introducedFeature → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows Explorer shell
Windows Shell → providesComponent → Windows Shell self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows desktop
Desktop Window Manager → relatedTo → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows shell
Task Manager → replaced → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows Task List from Windows 9x series
Win32 API → targetPlatform → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows desktop
Windows 7 → userInterface → Windows Shell ⓘ
Windows 98 → userInterface → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows shell
Windows ME → userInterface → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows 98-style shell
Windows XP → userInterface → Windows Shell ⓘ
this entity surface form: Windows shell