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The focus of Windows NT is networking, security, and stability. As a result, it is primarily employed in business environments and not by home users. There are two parts, or editions, to each version: Windows NT Workstation, intended for use on individual desktop PCs (workstations); and Windows NT Server, which primarily controls network logons and security. Except for additional network management features in Windows NT Server, they are both identical. Windows NT is a 32-bit operating system, meaning it can easily access 32-bit memory addresses, which translates to a maximum of 4 GB of memory. Previous versions of Windows were 16-bit, translating to 64 KB of memory that can be accessed at one time. 16-bit versions of Windows must switch between the 64 KB memory segments to access more memory, which requires extra processor power, thereby causing programs to run slower. Windows NT also supports preemptive multitasking, meaning that multiple programs can operate simultaneously. In earlier versions of Windows, more than one program can be open at one time, but only one of them can be using the CPU at any time. Another feature of Windows NT is user accounts. Every user has an account with a username and password, which simplifies security and allows for multiple users on the same computer.

Introduced in 1993, Windows NT 3.1 is the first version of Windows NT and the first version of Windows that is a true operating system, not just a shell enhancement.³⁰  This means that it does not require a separate version of MS-DOS to be running before Windows can be loaded - Windows NT handles all communication between the user and the hardware. Although Windows NT 3.1 is a completely different program than previous versions of Windows and includes the features indicated previously, the user interface is essentially the same as Windows 3.1. Some of the few differences include the concept of common and personal Program Manager groups, new Control Panel icons (called applets), the Administrative Tools program group, and the ability to use long filenames (longer than the previous limit of 11 total characters). Common program groups are created for programs that are installed by an administrator, and every user on the system can see and access them; personal program groups are created for software installed by a regular user, and only that user can see and access them. The new control panel applets are Cursors, which enables animated cursors; Ports, which permits access to serial port settings; Devices, which allows device driver management; Server, which provides access to some server management features; Services, with which the user can configure the programs that are constantly running in the background; and UPS, which allows the user to manage integration with uninterruptible power supplies (battery backup units). The new Administrative Tools program group contains programs for managing the network.²³

Windows NT 3.5 was released in 1994.³⁰  It contains, among other things, a number of new and updated networking components, an account lockout feature that prevents anyone from logging in with an account after a specified number of unsuccessful login attempts, tools to allow network administration from a Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups system, the ability to boot a computer remotely, OLE support, and OpenGL support (a standard for three-dimensional graphics) (Microsoft, Installation Guide xiv-xvi). In 1995, Windows NT 3.51 added support for upcoming Windows 95 programs along with a few minor additional features.^{20, 30}

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