🖥️ Retro Web OS

A Nostalgic Journey Back to Windows XP

A complete web-based operating system inspired by Windows XP, built with pure vanilla JavaScript. No frameworks, no dependencies—just pure nostalgia.

🚀 Launch Demo • 📖 Documentation • 🎯 Roadmap • 🐛 Report Bug

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📸 Preview

Experience the authentic Windows XP interface in your browser

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✨ Features

🎉 Phase 1: Foundation ✅ COMPLETE

Boot System ✅ 7-stage boot sequence ✅ BIOS-style splash screen ✅ System diagnostics ✅ Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) ✅ Crash logging & recovery

Core Kernel ✅ Process management ✅ Event-driven architecture ✅ Process scheduler ✅ Permission engine ✅ Global error handling

🎨 Phase 2: Desktop Environment ✅ COMPLETE

Taskbar & Start Menu ✅ Authentic XP-style green Start button ✅ Quick Launch area ✅ Dynamic window buttons ✅ System tray with icons ✅ Live clock (updates every second) ✅ Two-column Start Menu layout ✅ Power options (Shutdown, Log Off)

Desktop & Windows ✅ Icon grid system ✅ My Computer, Documents, Recycle Bin ✅ Single-click selection ✅ Double-click to open ✅ Draggable windows ✅ Minimize, Maximize, Close ✅ Window focus management

💾 Phase 3: Virtual Filesystem ✅ COMPLETE

• ✅ IndexedDB storage backend
• ✅ File operations (create, read, write, delete, copy, move)
• ✅ Directory operations (create, list, delete)
• ✅ Windows-style path resolution
• ✅ MIME type detection
• ✅ Default Windows XP folder structure
• ✅ Persistent storage across page reloads
• ✅ Event-driven file system operations

🖥️ Phase 4: Built-in Applications ✅ COMPLETE

• ✅ File Explorer - Navigate folders with back/forward/up buttons & address bar
• ✅ Notepad - Full text editor with File/Edit/Format menus & VFS integration
• ✅ Terminal - Command prompt with 15+ commands & VFS integration
• ✅ Paint - Full drawing application with tools and VFS support
• ✅ Control Panel - System settings, themes, and user configuration
• ✅ Calculator - Basic arithmetic and memory functions
• ✅ Minesweeper - Classic Windows puzzle game with difficulty levels
• ✅ Solitaire - Klondike Solitaire card game with drag-and-drop
• ✅ Registry Editor - Manage file associations and system settings (Internal Service)

🚀 Phase 5: Advanced Features ✅ COMPLETE

• ✅ Task Manager - Windows XP-style process monitor with CPU/Memory charts, process control, and system performance
• ✅ Clipboard System - Copy/Paste support for text and files, including cross-app integration
• ✅ Drag & Drop - Drag files to/from Desktop and Explorer, specific drop zones, and icon rearrangement
• ✅ Notification Center - Toast notifications, alerts, and action queues
• ✅ Desktop Advanced - Drag to rearrange icons, "Open With" context menus, and shortcut creation

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📂 Project Structure

RetroWeb/
├── 🚀 boot/           # Boot sequence and BSOD
├── 🧠 kernel/         # Core OS kernel
├── 🖼️  system/         # Window manager and desktop services
├── 💾 filesystem/     # Virtual filesystem
├── ⚙️  services/       # System services
├── 🎨 ui/             # Themes and styling
├── 📱 apps/           # Built-in applications
├── 🧪 test/           # Test files and documentation
├── 📄 index.html      # Main entry point
└── ⚙️  os.config.json  # System configuration

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🚀 Getting Started

Quick Start

Simply open index.html in a modern web browser to boot the system:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/nohanbaloch/retro-web.git

# Navigate to the project
cd retro-web

# Open in browser
start index.html  # Windows
open index.html   # macOS
xdg-open index.html  # Linux

Using Local Server (Recommended)

For the best experience, use the included PowerShell server:

.\start-server.ps1

Then navigate to http://localhost:8080 in your browser.

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🎮 Interactive Demo

Try It Out

1. Click the Start button → Start menu slides in
2. Double-click "My Computer" → Opens system window
3. Launch applications → From Start Menu or Desktop
4. Drag windows → Move them around
5. Minimize/Maximize → Full window management
6. Watch the clock → Live updates every second!

📖 View Full Testing Guide

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🎯 Roadmap

Status	Phase	Description	State
✅	Phase 1	Foundation & Boot System	Complete
✅	Phase 2	Desktop Environment	Complete
✅	Phase 3	Virtual Filesystem	Complete
✅	Phase 4	Built-in Applications	Complete
✅	Phase 5	Advanced Features	Complete
✅	Phase 6	Security & Sandboxing	Complete
🚧	Phase 7	Plugin System	In Progress

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💻 Development

Tech Stack

• Language: Pure Vanilla JavaScript (ES6+)
• Modules: ES6 Modules
• Architecture: Event-driven
• Styling: Custom CSS (Windows XP theme)
• Storage: IndexedDB (planned)

Design Philosophy

• ✨ No frameworks - Pure vanilla JavaScript
• 🎨 100% XP authentic - Pixel-perfect Windows XP recreation
• 🏗️ Modular architecture - Clean, maintainable code
• 🔒 Sandboxed apps - Secure process isolation
• 📦 No build tools - Works directly in browser

Code Statistics

• Total Files: 36+ core files
• Lines of Code: ~6,000+
• Components: 16+ major systems
• Visual Fidelity: 100% Windows XP authentic

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🧪 Testing

Test Documentation

• Phase 2 Showcase - Feature showcase and interactive testing
• General Testing - Complete testing instructions
• Test Folder - All test files and documentation

Browser Compatibility

Browser	Status
Chrome/Edge	✅ Fully Supported
Firefox	✅ Fully Supported
Safari	⚠️ Mostly Supported
Opera	✅ Fully Supported

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📚 Documentation

• � Architecture Guide
• � Boot & BSOD Specification
• � Implementation Summary
• 🎯 Phase 2 Summary
• �️ Development Roadmap

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

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📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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👨‍💻 Designed & Developed by

Nohan Baloch

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🏢 Organization

Nohan Baloch

© 2026 Nohan Baloch. All rights reserved.

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⭐ Show Your Support

If you like this project, please consider giving it a ⭐ on GitHub!

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Built with ❤️ and nostalgia for Windows XP