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What Happened to Windows 9 and How to Find It in Windows 11

By Laura Tucker
Windows 9 Windows 11 Featured

Windows 11 was released to the public five months ago, and its arrival has increased curiosity on what happened to Windows 9. We went from Windows 7 to Windows 8, Windows 8.1, then shot up to Windows 10, and finally Windows 11. A Twitter user posted a tip that showed Windows 9 might not have been released, but it’s not forgotten. It actually shows up in Windows 11.

Also read: Beware of Fake Windows 11 Installer Loaded with Malware

Why Windows 9 Was Not Released

There was a Windows 9, but it didn’t publish, while Microsoft released Windows 10 instead. It was previously codenamed “Threshold.”

When Windows 10 was announced in September 2014, a journalist who often writes about Microsoft wrote that Windows 10 was released instead of 9 because Microsoft “wanted to signify that the coming Windows release would be the last ‘major’ Windows update. Going forward, Microsoft is planning to make regular, smaller updates to the Windows 10 codebase than pushing out new major updates.”

Windows 9 Windows 11 Installing

There were other possible explanations suggested, such as 9 was an unlucky number, that it doesn’t sound as good as 10, and that Windows 8.1 was intended to be called 9. But that early notion was confirmed to be true.

Interestingly, Microsoft isn’t the only one to skip a version 9. the iPhone when from iPhone 7 to iPhone 8, but the same day iPhone 8 was announced, iPhone X was released as well. This was not “ex” but “10” and was the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Apple simply wanted to celebrate the big occasion, so it skipped the iPhone 9.

Finding Windows 9 in Windows 11

A Twitter user revealed in a recent post that Windows 9 has not been forgotten. It was mentioned in code for Windows 11 and was even mentioned in Windows 10. The tweet shares, “A fun little reference to Windows 9 can be found from Win10 build 9860 all the way to the latest Windows Insider Dev Build (225670).

Windows 9 Windows 11 Tweet

Windows 9 isn’t the only Easter Egg that appears in the code. Also mentioned is Windows Blue. This was the code name for Windows 8.1.

Whether or not it was released, developers still worked on Windows 9 and put time and effort into creating it, so it’s nice to know Microsoft allows the developers to honor that and leave mention of it in recent software.,

If you’re still unsure you want to upgrade to Windows 11, read on to learn the reasons you should and learn how to find out if your machine is compatible. If you’re still using Windows 8 or 8.1, find out the feasibility of sticking with it.

Image Credit: Twitter

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Laura Tucker Avatar
Laura Tucker
Laura has spent more than 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with the majority of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past 35 years. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.

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