Microsoft slips 'Windows TH' name onto new technical preview site

Microsoft's next version of Windows, known alternatively as Windows 9 and by the code name "Threshold" is set for unveiling on September 30th but it seems Microsoft has let a little bit more info slip out ahead of schedule. Appearing on Microsoft's Tech Net site{.nofollow}, the 'Windows TH' name has been dropped along with some details about a 'Windows Technical Preview for Enterprise'.

The next version of the Windows client operating system will enable IT professionals to provide users with a familiar experience across multiple devices while enhancing security and manageability. It will also offer new and improved features that enable businesses to:

  • Defend against modern security threats
  • Elevate employee productivity
  • Embrace the mobile and cloud era
  • Enable upgrade without upheaval

The details aren't exactly huge but it shows things are well underway for the next version of Windows and that a technical preview for those who want to be first in line to give it a go, could be right around the corner. Plus, shortening Threshold to TH kind of makes sense when you look at it from this angle.

Via: NeoWin

Chris Parsons
216 Comments
  • Th is threshold
  • I think it means too hot...
  • Maybe TH = Too Horrible (to be the real name)
  • I think TH stands for "Fuck You".
  • WOW... Most intelligent thing I've heard.
  • You should read more. ;)
  • Rude...
  • Sensitive
  • Not really. You took it too far and was unnecessary, especially with that language directed towards him/her.
  • Haha. Made me laugh at least
  • infosage owned, m8
  • Windows TH sounds like Windows XP hehe maybe there trying to persuade thoes users to switch LOL Posted via Windows Phone Central App
  • I like that!
  • Top Hat ... So TH is Windows 9 or just another big fix update for 8.1?
  • TecHnical=TH
  • What's new in windows 9
  • No way
  • "TH" will not be catchy enough in non-English speaking countries... "XP", "ME" were kinda OK, but "TH" sounds like some kind of a desease... "We've checked you sir and we're sorry to inform you that you're TH positive..." :) I suggest that MS would call it "Windows OK", that'd have a more positive connotation :D
  • Or Windows One , after all the One Windows idea. Windows OK sounds like Ok, Google. Yeah, TH sounds like a disease
  • Windows One fits in with Xbox One, OneDrive, OneNote etc. But, When it becomes Windows Two then its out of sync unless you change to Xbox Two, TwoDrive, TwoNote etc... Windows One will never be the name!
  • Windows One would be cool if they change to Windows Store updates, like OS X. Windows One 1.0, 2.0 etc.
  • Kind of agree with you. In my language (pt) doesn't sound bad, but it's not nice either.
  • Maybe this is the name, then
    Edit: I mean, TH stands for Threshold
  • WTH what the hell!?
  • ME, XP, RT, TH
  • This!
  • Millennium Edition, XP?, RT?, Threshold (TeeHee Nigahiga :DDD)   any ideas what those 2 could be? eXPerience? :D
  • Experience and Runtime i think is the official solution :D
  • XP is believed to stand for 'experience', and Windows RT likely has its name from the new WinRT(runtime) introduced in Windows 8.
  • I remember receiving a trial disc of office xp the that hinted the same thing
  • If I recall correctly, officially RT didn't mean anything, but people tended to link it to WinRT (runtime). Personally, I always looked at it as Reduced Technology, meaning the edition that all of desktop mode would eventually be ripped out of. I really hope the next version is *not* called TH. If it is all of Microsoft marketing needs to be fired along with the thousands being laid off. People are looking forward to what Windows 9 will bring, not Windows anything with letters or multiple digits.
  • While Microsoft has not made it explicit that the “RT” in Windows RT refers to the Windows Runtime/WinRT framework, it’s pretty obvious that is where the name comes from.
    As a short aside, this isn’t the first ambiguous acronym in a Windows release. The greatest hits:
    - Windows NT: folks thought it stood for “network”. Well, it stood for “New Technology”
    - Windows CE: Consumer Edition? Compact Edition? Well, according to Microsoft, “the letters “CE” are not an abbreviation for anything, but rather they imply a number of the precepts around which Windows CE is designed, including “Compact,” Connectable,” Compatible,” “Companion,” and “Efficient.”
    - Windows XP; Yes, it really does mean “experience”.
  • ReTreat
  • RT stands for Road/Track ... Powered by Magnum or Hemi ;)
  • Lol
  • TeeHee ;) :D
  • @glassadam Put that way, actually makes a lot of sense.
  • Yeah but it doesn't roll off the tongue as easy so I'm doubtful!
  • WTH
  • Hahaha WTH
  • Thank you. Everyone needs to be bugging the MS staff to make sure this is changed. After the childish XBone crap, I don't think Microsoft needs to walk into an obvious source of mockery.
  • Exactly what I was thinking! It could be what we think when new things are found.
  • Lol
  • That is too funny
  • "WTH is available for download" lol.
  • Too funny!
  • I can rock with this :-), #DWL
  • WTH --> What The Hell #lol
  • Wow man, you're so clever. Did you figure it out on your own?
  • I know your feel, haha
  • While I find it funny as hell. This will spread like wildfire amongst the MS trolls on social media, and could cause people to hold back on upgrading again.
  • Beings back memories of Windows CE, aka, WinCE. I'll be wincing again if Win9 is WTH.
  • Bahahahahahahahaha
  • Hehe Posted via Windows Phone Central App
  • Uhh, can we download it???
  • Read the article my friend. Sent from somewhere. Don't worry I ain't illegal.
  • It's not mentioned, maybe you should read it
  • ".. Is set for unveiling on September 30th" Can't download if it hasn't been unveiled yet.
  • XP was the Experience, Th is the Threshold.
  • I thought XP was eXperimental Project.
  • Nope, Experience. Like The Experience, not you need experience.
  • Threshold of what is what I wanna know.
  • Threshold is more Halo stuff.
  • Could mean the threshold of the crapper, it's own doom, new golden age, Microsoft becoming a blip on the internet archive just like Netscape or the BBS
  • Ah yes, more of the same. This "Microsoft is dead" mantra has been in the internet for 10 years, and yet Microsoft is making more and more money every year. After 10 years, can't you come up with something more original than that?!!
  • And they are all probably using some form of MS technology everyday!
  • Then you wakeup from your Apple dreams
  • Apple dreams LOL I still got a iPhone 3GS but I gave it to my wife as a toy. It won't work on T-Mobile cause its carrier locked and even if it did it'd be stuck on the 2g. My daily driver is my Lumia, and my PC laptop
  • Microsoft cant die. Even Apple factories are using XP to make iPhone. WTH!
  • Yeah it was
  • Hum... I think that the name really don't matter...
  • Names always matter in business; marketing and user based feedback. In the end, no one week ever forget "Vista", in the end Windows 7 was what Vista should have been but people were looking for the beautiful "Longhorn" that we were ask pining for... In the end, just like how there are famous people known only by their names, so are software, companies, devices/hardware etc.
  • Except that the example you reference gained infamy after launch. The name Vista could have been extremely popular if the system it referenced went down well. As well as a new name is A) not terrible, and B) doesn't have connotations to something historically terrible (which is the only remaining issue with Internet Explorer) then the name is not terribly important and its legacy will be created by the product it represents.
  • Well, TH does have bad connotations since Windows TH can be shortened to WTH lol. But it will most likely be Windows 9 since that name won't bother anyone.
  • Sure, and I doubt the system will be called TH because its hard to pronounce and they may as well just use the word Threshold. However the WTH joke would never affect sales. Remember that the majority of consumer sales are from computers bundled with the OS (especially with rumours of Threshold being a free upgrade for W7 and W8). The enterprise sales wouldn't be affected because decisions in that market are made intelligently and are not affected by transient Internet humour.
  • That's why pin the image he's blocking out the 9...... Just letting everyone know that the name windows isn't going anywhere
  • Vista is terrible because the system is horrible, not the name. The Windows 7 and XP are the most famous not because the name, but the system. So, don't matter the name they choose if the system is good enough.
  • Well said!
  • Vista was fine once to changed some of the enhanced security features that got in the way
  • I see what you did there @rockstarzz lmao
  • ;)
  • Just the brand windows would be just fine
  • "Windows TH" is one expansion away from "Windows - The Hell?"
  • Windows- the ninth hell?
  • It is just the name for the Beta/Technical preview. My guess for the final one is:
    Windows Next
  • All they need is appil to sue
  • Hahaha @FarStrider2001
  • Yeah, TH is probably just threshold. Otherwise it would be in contend for the worst branding Microsoft had thought of.
  • Exactly. worst branding ever (comic guy Simpsons tone)
  • Windows Thick. Ya... I got it
  • What???
  • Haus
  • XP means eXPerience and RT for Real Time as far as I know.
  • Run Time*
  • What? Of all names they have chosen TH!
    I think this is a bad choice
  • Threshold
  • Ps.. Read the article
  • Super slow news day I see
  • Also referenced as "weekend" from time to time :)
  • Please, no, let this not be the real name.  It's horrible!
  • of course it's not....... this is just a clickbait article and nothing else.
  • Im sure this is just their way to get stuff up without giving away the name yet.
  • Lol. Sucks.
  • i got it... next version of win dows will be called "windows" only yeah iam sure.. as there are rumour that on windows phone the "phone" will be removed and windows phone and windows desktop will be unified,so both suggests that "Windows" will be the name of microsoft next windows...i know its not too good,its just an ordinary name  :( .
  • Technical Havoc
    Or Technically Hysterical
  • Epic! xD
  • WTH actually fits for an enterprise subscription edition that updates frequently (like Office 365) - IT team just about has everything working right and then all the systems update themselves and they're like "WTH"
  • IT teams need to adapt to rapidly changing software. Nothing stays the same for years any more and IT teams* hold back productivity by trying to hold onto the past like that. * IT Teams in general, I'm sure there are exceptions.
  • I think TH is a placeholder for 365 or something similar. We're moving to a subscription model everywhere. There will be no more of this hanging on to old versions of OSs for decades.
  • I'm still sticking with Windows One. Fits all their current theme, also if they're going for one OS across all platforms... Could also be the last release version of Windows as they move over to the whole Azure thing.
  • I agree with you big time.
  • Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows One. No.
  • But Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One.
  • I knew someone would say that, lol. It's still stupid naming...
  • So the next Windows is will be Windows Two? Then they need to update Xbox One to Xbox Two, OneDrive to TwoDrive, OneNote to TwoNote etc.... Does not compute.
  • No, because probably they will update all their products without changing their names. So if they add a new fuction to OneDrive, it will always be OneDrive.
  • Trustworthy honesty(to tiein with their now defunct security division)
  • It was known to be Threshold for a long time. :D
  • To The Threshold - Hatebreed.
    ( awesome song )
  • Excellent that things are on track, really looking forward to getting the preview, although I hope they don't mess 8.1 behaviors too much, or if they do, at least make options. Life has been bliss without a start menu.
  • Agreed :)
  • Thank you for being someone who doesn't run from new technology with complaints. People who didn't want to move from 95 to 98, 2000 to XP, XP to mellinium, millennium to vista,etc didn't, what's with all of the cry babies here? If youth don't want to move from 7 to 8, don't. It's simple
  • Lol
  • Will it release in october?
  • No, just no.
  • I want to vm it...
  • Trying Hard :P
  • Too Hard
  • They need to just release "Windows" and then offer updates through the store similar to 8.1. Offer windows as a single solution with ongoing upgrades. One good way to keep enterprise up to date with the latest version of windows
  • Yes!
  • No, just no to OS updates via the Store. That update completely sucked and was anything but smooth for half the Win 8.x computers in our house. We have one that I never could get to update.
  • That's what they're doing..... they already said that. WIndows on all your devices... but they still need version names, and that's what Windows 9 is for. 
  • WTH sounds good. Like WHAT THE HELL.
  • Widowed Phone 9 out next month LOL
  • LOL
  • Wasn't the fiasco and confusion that killed Windows RT as a name be a guidance that Windows TH might be another meaningless and confusing start for Windows 9?
  • Windows Thorium! A mighty name indeed. ;)
  • Windows Thor
  • Dear. God. No.
  • Someone is going be fired... Most Web development companies have live test links of their sites.
    In this case, that's a website out in the open covered by NDA.
    Even the UAT gives it up... :-/
  • It's windows. If you look at the pic close enough you can see that there is nothing behind him as the would be the same size of the other letters and visable.
  • Bit the centering is a bit to the left.
  • This is a crap name. So is the 'one' branding. I don't understand why they just can't call it "to the soul". What a pane!
  • Window pane.....I can feel your pain.
  • I think they need to drop the word "Windows" altogether & create a new name-brand that explains the entire os in one short, cool, decisive, multi-generational, multi-cultural, future proof word. Please stop with all these dumb ass letters after windows. just really really consider a real name. put it to a vote, spend some money on it. and whatever you do, make it work flawlessly. iPhone, android, blackberry, ????????.
    when windows first came on the scene it was revolutionary, it had multiple windows so, they called it windows. Now everybody got windows, and as revolutionary as windows has become, it still pushing windows as if that's what it is. But its more than that now so MS has no choice, in my opinion, but to change it o's name altogether, to something brand new. consider iPhone. The name is synonymous with the internet. And when you think Internet, you think of endless possibilities. So you could call the iPhone the Endless possibilities phone. That's how people think.
    Microsoft on the other hand has a fantastic product now, and has a unbelievable opportunity here & now with this new somewhat future proof OS, They just need a name. Something like Evolution OS, Revolution OS, or Citizen OS, Fresh OS, Device OS, Cloud OS,. Whatever OS its called, it needs to connect with all the people everywhere, at every age, at every stage in their lives.
  • What are you talking about?  Windows perfectly describes what the product is.  The desktop uses what?  WINDOWS.  The tiles look like what?  A WINDOW.    Windows is too big and strong of a brand to just change.  They will lose a lot of customers who trust the Windows brand if they were to rename it. And "TH" is obviously just an internal code name until they release the official thing. 
  • Well, new rumour, iPhone name is changing brand name to iBend.
  • I agree. I think what MS should have done is rebrand windows into "Surface OS" and given the surface line of tablets a different name, like "Microsoft Morph" mobile devices. Or, give the next version of windows a name like "Windows Open".
  • Yeah, a tennis championship.... Windows Open...
  • How about DESQview, TopView or OS/2?
  • Using your logic, Apple should therefore change the iPhone name. It is used more as a media device and is more than a simple phone. Yeah, that would work for Apple and Microsoft for sure.
  • Agreed. They should really drop Microsoft, but failing that renaming Windows would be a way to drop years of bad baggage. And yes, it is so 90s. The concept of a window and a GUI back then was a game changer. Now, most people don't remember want came before that. Today, of course, it is just a brand, but long in the tooth and doing more harm than good.
  • Should have been Windows One. Would make sense with the objective threshold is trying to achieve.
  • What ever name they choose, it should not be numeral, which people and corporations will fixate on.
    People talk about OSX and upgrade with every cycle because they make every "major release" seem trivial - like, here are more features for your OSX.
    Google is now doing something similar by keeping their Android OS code mane the same for a few releases but changes the .0X. This way they can say that 80% of all Android phones are running, "Jelly Bean" even though Jelly Bean spans versions 4.1.0– 4.3.1. Or Kitkat which spans versions 4.4.0 – 4.4.4 -- only a small fraction of those are the latest version.
    Microsoft needs to not only come out with great products and software and cloud services -- THEY NEED TO PLAY THE GAME too.
  • Android fragmentation not required.
  • WTH is as good an acronym as any - it's easily remembered because we associate those letters with "what the heck/hell" and is in constant usage in blogs, comments, tweets. postings etc.
  • WTH! I hope Microsoft trolling us. Windows TH doesn't sound cool and it feels like two random consonant letters combined for the sake of something. They rather call it Windows 9, Windows One, Windows X or something else sounds cool and that sticks to our head.
    I feel like this name will be temporary.
  • TH name,is the biggest pile of poop ....it should be called Longhorn
  • Or maybe Windows ZQ
  • Why is this seriously an article?  It's obviously just an internal code for Threshold until they announce the official name (which will most likely be Windows 9).  Gosh, I hate when blogs over-react to every little thing.  There's more important things to write about.
  • Well said. Then blogs wonder why there's backlash against the names MSFT choose, usually cos the blogs whipped up a frenzy.
  • you are asking too much for a saturday night, as you can see weekends rarely have news, and this is why. but still they need some clickbait stuff to write ;). we know it will be "windows" "windows one" based on onedrive and xbox one or "windows 9", maybe there are other names, numbers or whatever but TH won't be one. I would even believe they can call it Windows Cortana or Halo or Master Chief.. but TH no.
  • PLEASE have a version with Windows Media Center still active!!!
    Half of my friends now use WMC as their primary/only household DVR and most of my family has too. Simple, fast, shared content around the home, shared program guide as well as recordings and beat of all, 2 Cablecard rentals takes care of 12 simultaneous HD video streams.
    Haha, funny thing is, as my friends switched to Mac, I turned their old computers into hitech dvrs.
  • are they going toannounce rt and  wp togethér?
  • Better call it Windows OS : Windows One Solution.
  • I like that.
  • Clever name! XD
  • T.H. ...the hellll??!! MS is the absolute worst.
  • do you understand what a "place holder" is?.... it's just the test of the site, it's not like they will put the real name, in a test site. but they still need to have the site ready for tuesday or when Preview is available. This is nothing official, and we don't even know when they will announce the name. and it's probably windows 9, which would not be a surprise at all.
  • I think I like TH though, sounds pretty neat!
  • Well for us it means something awkward....
  • Eww. Hopefully that's not the name. I can't imagine it is. But, if they try it, we'll pull a user voice cortana on them, only in this case force them to change the name rather than keep it :)
  • Microsoft wants Next windows, as success as Win XP. But i think... As Microsoft goes back to MSN, they move all of their naming system back to past. MSN, Windows Alphabet (CE, NT, XP, and now TH), start screen, aanndd... More. WTH!!!
  • How about just calling it Windows...... Why does it need a name or number
  • Won't happen. It will create so much unnecessary confusion whenever people need to communicate their Windows version.
  • Windows 2014.......Office 2013....etc
  • Another surprise I expected, gone...
  • Clearly means "Threshold"
  • Maybe its Windows MSN since they're changing everything to MSN lol
  • "if it compiles-ship it" 2015 edition
  • Lol
  • good site
  • i think in the end it will be Win 9 look crapple ios7 now ios8, then comes ios9 , 10 ect you get it. I think MSFT will follow suit it will be Win 9. If i'm wrong i'll give everyone a new win ThOr what ever they call it. LOL
  • I don't think I like thith new Windowth naming thcheme.
  • They forgot the "C". After all it is from Washington state.
  • Can we download?
  • I got a leak that windows 9 could be named Windows R
  • Yeah I told so.....its THRESHOLD......
  • I'm so hoping that is not the name. Doesn't have any kind ring or flair to it.
  • I have no problem if the keep the name 'TH' in next version of windows, we already had NT, CE, XP so there shouldn't be any problem with TH too.
    And personally I don't care what name it carries, what really matters is what it can do :)
  • I agree. You hit the nail on the head we shouldn't be too fussed about the name of the new OS will be!
  • What I want to know is will I be able to upgrade from this to the full version without losing anything this time. Windows phone developer preview can.
  • Best install on a separate partition or virtual machine.
  • Does we will get it for free
  • G
  • I wondered when we would get a version officially endorsed by Tom Hanks
  • LOL
  • Is it just me , or the preview website is not opening for you guys also?
  • Just you :D
  • Not just him... here too. But, damn, I expect that in 3-4 days to put my hands on that, my devices are ready *MEANingfull*
  • Sassy , Aren't ya ? :P
  • Humorous more so....
  • I still believe Windows 9 & Windows One are better names than WTH. 
  • WTH......WTF!
  • +822
     
  • I really wonder what that "evaluate employee productivity" really means? A new kind of surveillance system of how much you use your mouse and keyboard, or how many words you type per minute? Sounds suspicious to me.
  • That capability has been around for sometime already. Nothing new.
  • How about call it Microsoft OS X?
  • Windowsth, sounds like a speech impediment O_o
  • Call new windows, windows u for unification or unique, but I like windows 9 as we all here already is windows 9. Just stay with this easy number.
  • I'm just waiting to see it, whatever they call it the apple journalist's will hate it and try to ridicule the return of the start menu and the Linux guys will think it should be called bacon.butty or hobbit.hat or some other nonsense name.
    I just want another innovative release like 8 or 8.1 a good marketable name will help but tbh not essential.
  • Although we have to wait until next week to know the next generation of Windows and its flagshipproduct named Microsoft's own hand, but it seems a little lost patience. Some foreign media at the official website of Microsoft Windows Technical Preview page to see the name of the next generation of Windows systems - Windows TH. In addition, the page also offers this system introduces the download button and related information link. Of course, these links now no unusable.
    'Windows TH' name accidentally revealed on Microsoft's preview site.  http://www.4g-bd.com/2014/09/windows-th-official-name-of-new-version.html  
  • Hobbit.hat! You should get a prize for that cleverness. Years ago I was using Linux mint without the GUI and my brother said "why are you using that Klingon shit?! WTH (what the hell) is wrong with you, just use Windows"
    So he should get royalties.
    Microsoft is trolling yall HARD if you believe the name will be WTH.
  • Preview name only, subject to change I am sure... Not crazy about it but, what do I know ?
  • And what's wrong with Windws 9?
     
  • good news