Overview

• In 1994, Microsoft developer Dave Plummer created a 'temporary' disk formatting UI for Windows NT, which remains in use in Windows 11 today.
• The UI was designed hastily as a stopgap until a more elegant solution could be implemented, which never happened.
• Plummer's design choices, including a 32GB limit for FAT volumes, have persisted through multiple Windows versions.
• The enduring presence of this UI highlights the challenges of updating deeply integrated software components.
• Despite significant UI overhauls, some parts of Windows' interface, like the Format dialog box, have remained unchanged for decades.