1. A complete operating system rather than a graphical user interface running on top of MS-DOS.
After boot up, the system completely run without MS-DOS environment.
2. Improved windows control and appearance of windows
Windows 95 has a new system control that located on the upper left corner of each window as an icon. In the upper right of each window, it has a new designed system box. Usually, it displays "Minimize", "Maximize/Restore" and new added "Close" buttons.
3. New introduced Desktop
Not only to store minimized icons, Windows desktop in Windows 95 can store files, shortcuts and system icons such as "My Computer" and "Recycle Bin".
4. Right button menu
Right click an object in system usually can bring a pop-up menu with some items like "edit", "copy", "paste", "properties" and "help".
5. New help system
The help window can resize and jump to anywhere in the screen. It splits to two areas in which left side is the index or keyword window and the right side is the content window.
6. Task bar and start menu
Similar to the concept of reserved area in Windows 1.x, Windows 95 began to have a task bar to store the links that can active or inactive an running program and display some system information in the tray area. A start menu was include in the task bar can let user access the shortcuts to all programs in a tree structure menu system.
7. Build-in network support with dial-up for different protocols
The build-in dial-up with support of TCP/IP protocol made user easier to access Internet. In OSR2 version of Windows 95, Microsoft began to integrate Microsoft Internet Explorer in Windows 95.
8. Folder view of all kinds of files and resources
In Windows 95, files, drives, shortcuts and network resources can all be displayed in a folder view in the new Windows Explorer which replaced Program Manager in pervious version of Windows.
9. Support of 32 bit application, pre-emptive multitasking and thread
These functions made Windows 95 to have the ability to run more complex tasks and programs.