This story is based on the Windows 10 November 2021 Update (version 21H2), so the features described here and the screenshots you see may differ from what you see if you have an older version of Windows 10.

The company has honed those features, added new ones, and scrapped some that didn’t work out as it rolled out 11 major updates to Windows 10 since its initial release. That’s not to say that Microsoft got everything right out of the gate. Windows 10 introduced many other key features as well, including the Edge browser, the Cortana digital assistant, links to Microsoft’s cloud-based OneDrive cloud storage service, and plenty more.

A shape-shifter that changed its interface depending upon whether you were using a traditional computer or a touch-based one, it undid the damage wrought by Windows 8, including eliminating the awkward Charms bar and bringing back the long-mourned Start menu. When it was first released in July 2015, Windows 10 was the best operating system to come along from Microsoft in a long time.