Microsoft explains why Windows 11 still uses MS-DOS file names, and why it can’t change them
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Windows 11 contains system files such as kernel32.dll and ntoskrnl.exe, whose names fit into the old DOS scheme. Microsoft retains the names for compatibility reasons: Many programs load the libraries under their fixed name.
The MS-DOS Ghost Inside Windows 11: Why Microsoft Can’t Kill Legacy File Names
The MS-DOS Ghost Inside Windows 11: Why Microsoft Can’t Delete the Past If you poke around under the hood of a modern, high-powered Windows 11 machine running on state-of-the-art silicon, you will stumble upon a digital relic from a bygone era: the 8.3 file naming convention. Yes, the classic MS-DOS standard—which restricts file names to […]
Microsoft explains why Windows 11 still uses MS-DOS file names, and why it can’t change them
The 8.3 rule dates back to CP/M, a 1974 operating system MS-DOS tried hard to stay compatible with. On Windows 11 26H2, Program Files still answers to PROGRA~1, and Chen warns that one DLL loaded under two names can end up as two separate copies in memory, which is why Microsoft keeps the old names.
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