Program Manager
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Windows 3.0 workspace.png
Program Manager was the shell of Windows 3.x and Windows NT 3.x operating systems. This shell exposed a task-oriented graphical user interface (GUI), consisting of icons (shortcuts for programs) arranged into program groups. The user-friendly interface replaced the file-oriented shells of previous Microsoft operating systems, and enabled non-technical users to run their computers without seeking technical assistance.
In later versions of Microsoft Windows, starting with Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, Program Manager was replaced by Windows Explorer as the shell. For backwards compatibility, Program Manager was still included in later versions of Windows; it can be accessed by executing C:\WINDOWS\PROGMAN.EXE in Windows 9x, or C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\PROGMAN.EXE in Windows NT. Since Windows XP Service pack 2, PROGMAN.EXE has been replaced by a dummy (icon library) that does nothing.
Trivia
- the .GRP file extention has also been used for games on the Build engine, including Duke Nukem 3D and its derivatives.