Windows NT 3.1 was the first version of Windows NT. The version number 3.1 came about because the UI was a clone of Windows 3.1 and because it conveniently "one upped" IBM's OS/2 version 2.1 that was shipping at the time.

Unlike Windows 3.1, Windows NT 3.1 was a 32-bit operating system written from the ground up. Originally the core of Windows NT was to be a replacement core for OS/2 version 2, but IBM did their own re-write of OS/2 without Microsoft. Microsoft instead took what they had written and turned it in to a clone of their existing Windows product.

The NT 3.1 Program Manager. Aside from being user-aware it works like the Windows 3.1 program manger. The Program Manager window contains a number of program groups, each of which may contain a number of program items which, when double-clicked, will launch the application specified by the properties of the program item. Most of the accessories and applications are 32-bit ports of the Windows 3.1 versions, although some stayed 16-bit and run using the Windows 3.1 emulation subsystem.

The Windows NT Control Panel. Because Windows NT is an operating system and not a graphical shell like Windows 3.1, there are several additional control panel items to deal with services (the NT equivalent of TSRs) and device drivers.

The NT 3.1 File Manager. Again, this is similar to the Windows 3.1 file manager, but with a few NT specific features such as the "security" menu item to control file permissions.

Windows NT 3.1 also includes 32-bit versions of all of the multimedia components included with Windows 3.1.

Finally, shutting down Windows NT 3.1.