what programming language is the microsoft windows operating system programmed in?

Question

I want to know the answer to this question in regards to
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Windows 2003 Server
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 Server

Answer 1

There are many, many pieces of an operating system. The core kernel of Vista, which is based on Dave Cutler's old Windows NT, is written in C. When you upgrade a system as complex as an operating system, you will keep the files in the same programming language. So the Windows NT kernel, which was in C, has stayed in C all the way through Vista.

Some pieces of Windows - some of the APIs and accessories - are written in C++. The WordPad accessory, for instance, is written in C++, using the Microsoft Foundation Classes API.

In Windows Vista, I think some small parts of the Microsoft. NET subsystem may be written in C#, but I don't believe this is very extensive.

Answer 2

All modern day operating systems (Windows, Linux, OSX) are written primarily in a language called "C".