Wndws Vst s mjr rls f th Wndws NT prtng systm dvlpd by Mcrsft. t ws th drct sccssr t Wndws XP, rlsd fv yrs rlr, whch ws thn th lngst tm spn btwn sccssv rlss f Mcrsft Wndws. t ws rlsd t mnfctrng n Nvmbr 8, 2006, nd vr th fllwng tw mnths, t ws rlsd n stgs t bsnss cstmrs, rgnl qpmnt mnfctrrs (Ms), nd rtl chnnls. n Jnry 30, 2007, t ws rlsd ntrntnlly nd ws md vlbl fr prchs nd dwnld frm th Wndws Mrktplc; t s th frst rls f Wndws t b md vlbl thrgh dgtl dstrbtn pltfrm.
Dvlpmnt f Wndws Vst bgn n 2001 ndr th cdnm "Lnghrn"; rgnlly nvsnd s mnr sccssr t Wndws XP, t grdlly ncldd nmrs nw ftrs frm th thn-nxt mjr rls f Wndws cdnmd "Blckcmb", ftr whch t ws rpstnd s mjr rls f Wndws, nd t sbsqntly ndrwnt prd f prtrctd dvlpmnt tht ws nprcdntd fr Mcrsft. Mst nw ftrs wr prmnntly bsd n nw prsnttn lyr cdnmd vln, nw cmmnctns rchtctr cdnmd ndg, nd rltnl strg pltfrm cdnmd WnFS — ll blt n th .NT Frmwrk; hwvr, ths prvd t b ntnbl d t ncmpltnss f tchnlgs nd wys n whch nw ftrs wr ddd, nd Mcrsft rst th prjct n 2004. Mny ftrs wr vntlly rmplmntd ftr th rst, bt Mcrsft csd sng mngd cd t dvlp th prtng systm.
Nw ftrs f Wndws Vst ncld grphcl sr ntrfc nd vsl styl rfrrd t s Wndws r; cntnt ndx nd dsktp srch pltfrm clld Wndws Srch; nw pr-t-pr tchnlgs t smplfy shrng fls nd md btwn cmptrs nd dvcs n hm ntwrk; nd nw mltmd tls sch s Wndws DVD Mkr. Wndws Vst ncldd vrsn 3.0 f th .NT Frmwrk, llwng sftwr dvlprs t wrt pplctns wtht trdtnl Wndws Ps. Thr r mjr rchtctrl vrhls t d, dsply, ntwrk, nd prnt sb-systms; dplymnt, nstlltn, srvcng, nd strtp prcdrs r ls rvsd. t s th frst rls f Wndws blt n Mcrsft's Trstwrthy Cmptng nttv nd mphszd scrty wth th ntrdctn f mny nw scrty nd sfty ftrs sch s BtLckr nd sr ccnt Cntrl.
Th mbtsnss nd scp f ths chngs, nd th bndnc f nw ftrs rnd pstv rvws, bt Wndws Vst ws th sbjct f frqnt ngtv prss nd sgnfcnt crtcsm. Crtcsm f Wndws Vst fcsd n drvr, prphrl, nd prgrm ncmptblty; dgtl rghts mngmnt; xcssv thrztn frm th nw sr ccnt Cntrl; nrdntly hgh systm rqrmnts whn cntrstd wth Wndws XP; ts prtrctd dvlpmnt; lngr bt tm; nd mr rstrctv prdct lcnsng. Wndws Vst dplymnt nd stsfctn rts wr cnsqntly lwr thn ths f Wndws XP, nd t s cnsdrd mrkt flr; hwvr, ts s srpssd Mcrsft's pr-lnch tw-yr-t xpcttns f chvng 200 mlln srs (wth n stmtd 330 mlln srs by 2009). Tw srvc pcks wr rlsd, n 2008 nd 2009 rspctvly. Wndws Vst ws sccdd by Wndws 7 n 2009, nd n ctbr 22, 2010 Mcrsft csd rtl dstrbtn f Wndws Vst; M spply csd yr ltr. Mnstrm spprt fr Wndws Vst ndd n prl 10, 2012, nd xtndd spprt ndd n prl 11, 2017.