Where did you take the photos of the wallpapers for Windows NT4.0, Millennium, and 2000?

As part of a series of publications in which I set out to describe all the standard wallpapers and sample images from Windows OS, I decided to start with the most “ancient” ones, which, however, were used by many of the older generation.

The first version of Microsoft Windows was released on November 20, 1985, as a graphical shell for MS-DOS. Since then, it has undergone active development. The concept of desktop wallpaper appeared in version 3.1, but it consisted of patterns and simple illustrations.

The latest version of Windows based on MS-DOS was released in mid-summer 2000. In addition to the wallpapers included earlier in Windows 2000, it contained several exclusive ones, including photographs.

Оглавлениение

Windows NT4.0

The standard build of this version, released in 1996, did not include photo wallpapers for the desktop, but they could be added by installing the official Resource Kit. This added two photo themes, one of which featured the water’s edge on a beach and the shadows of palm trees and a person on a deck chair. The second theme had a very recognizable landscape.

Ancient paths

It depicts Château de Chambord, whose construction began on September 6, 1519, and which was opened in 1574.

This photograph was taken in Saguaro National Park, Arizona, USA. It shows rocks with ancient petroglyphs against a backdrop of desert landscape with cacti and mountains. It became clear that this was the Signal Hill hiking trail.

Approximate shooting location — 32.29104050262316, -111.20851966192996. .

Windows 2000

Photos of real places first appeared in the standard build of Windows 2000, which was officially released on February 17, 2000.

Castle / Château

View of Chambord Castle from beneath the shade of green trees.

It depicts Château de Chambord, whose construction began on September 6, 1519, and which was opened in 1574.

This former royal palace is located in the French city of the same name.

Approximate shooting location — 47.61416347518264, 1.5187732240723886. Photo by Annie Griffiths Belt.

Paradise

Beautiful view of Boracay Island with azure waters, white sandy beaches, and green trees

The wallpaper titled Paradise in Windows 2000 was taken on the island of Boracay. This small island, with an area of just over 10 km², is a major tourist destination in the Philippines.

Approximate shooting location — Lambros Point overlooking Wite Beach Path at coordinates 11.974514568340473, 121.91273155234265. Photo by Ingo Ezerki.

Snow Trees

Snow-covered coniferous trees in the Austrian Alps.

Snow Trees is a very difficult landscape to identify due to the lack of objects that would allow it to be linked to a specific location. However, it is a very beautiful winter scene.

The author of the photograph is Hans Wiesenhofer. He lived and worked in Austria until his death, so it is assumed that this photograph was taken there.

Windows Me

Cliff in Clouds

A mysterious mountain cliff against the backdrop of a blue sky, shrouded in fog.

This photo of a mysterious mountain cliff was taken by Jay Torborg in 1999 in Yosemite National Park, California, USA.^[1].

Approximate shooting location — 47.61416347518264, 1.5187732240723886. Photo by Annie Griffiths Belt.

Smokey Light

The sun's rays break through the haze and the treetops on the lake shore.

Jay Torborg, it must be acknowledged, was the author of many of the photographs in this release from Microsoft.

He took this smoky light photo in 1997, in Yosemite National Park, California, USA.

Shed in Field

An abandoned barn in the wilderness, partially ruined and covered in moss.

An example of a photograph also taken by Jay Torborg. He took this photo of an abandoned barn during his cruise to Alaska in August 1999.^[2].

Iceberg

The photograph of the iceberg was taken by Matthew Felton in 1999 during an expedition to Greenland.^[3].

Diagonal Sand

A sand dune photographed in such a way that the frame is divided diagonally by smooth and uneven sand.

The second photograph is by Matthew Felton. It was taken in March 1999 in Death Valley National Park, California, USA. ^[4].

Yosemite

A black-and-white landscape with a river flowing under a stone bridge against a backdrop of sky, tall mountains, and trees.

Matthew Felton’s third work appeared in black and white, although it was originally shot in color. It shows a view of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, California, USA. ^[5].

In the foreground is Stoneman Bridge over the Merced River. Location: 37.74031340143578, -119.5746299432416.

TORBORG, Jay. Yosemite. Photography by Jay Torborg [онлайн]. [без даты] [дата обращения 24 января 2025]. Режим доступа: https://www.jaytorborg.com/yosemite.htm[↩]
TORBORG, Jay. Alaska. Photography by Jay Torborg [онлайн]. [без даты] [дата обращения 24
января 2025]. Режим доступа: https://www.jaytorborg.com/alaska.htm[↩]
FELTON, Matthew. Iceland. ButterflyProduction (Wayback Machine) [онлайн]. [без даты] [дата обращения 24 января 2025]. Режим доступа: https://web.archive.org/web/20050326061846/http://butterflyproduction.com:80/Photos/Iceland/iceland.htm[↩]
FELTON, Matthew. Death Valley. ButterflyProduction (Wayback Machine) [онлайн]. [без даты] [дата обращения 24
января 2025]. Режим доступа: https://web.archive.org/web/20050326061846/http://butterflyproduction.com:80/Photos/Iceland/iceland.htm[↩]
FELTON, Matthew. Yosemite. ButterflyProduction (Wayback Machine) [онлайн]. [без даты] [дата обращения 25
января 2025]. Режим доступа: https://web.archive.org/web/20050326010051/http://butterflyproduction.com/Photos/Yosemite/yosemite.htm[↩]

Where did you take the photos of the wallpapers for Windows NT4.0, Millennium, and 2000?