Windows Never Released

Windows Never Released (abbreviated to WNR) is a cult started by jhj22 in 2008. It is where people make fictional Windows bootscreens and sometimes desktops using programs such as Photoshop or Paint.NET. They are often compiled into videos.

Windows Mockups (WM) is essentially the same as WNR, and was popular in 2017. Twiglets1888 started the Windows Mockups cult due to WNR being considered "cringy". Each idea would usually have accompanying desktops, logon screens or programs too. This would give people a deeper understanding of how the idea may have looked and worked. The same year, Luigi2012SM64 established Never Released Operating Systems, which is similar to WNR but with non-Windows versions instead. Not long after OS Mockups was also established, which incorporates both WNR/WM and NROS.

Prior to WNR, there were several Flash parodies of Windows versions. During the late 2000's BetaArchive hosted fake screenshot contests.

Reception
While the cult is little known, it has gained some infamy outside of the community for the low quality and unrealisticness of many of the bootscreens, as the cult is mostly associated with works by Minderia and his followers. The term "Windows Never Released" has also been criticised for being broken English, along with it being misleading. People who are unaware of what WNR is think that it means "unreleased Windows versions" and may start accusing the creator of that video of lying.

The community also has a bad reputation for its toxicity and immaturity. Since 2017, the community has split into two sides - "Minderians" and "non-Minderians". This resulted from many people using assets created by Minderia, which is frowned upon by the older part of the community for being lazy and low effort. The splitting has gotten even worse, with some people being referred to as terms such as "Arsenians", "Cheat Manians", "Tartarians" and "Fitians". The community overall has been labelled by some as a "kindergarten", especially from people who are unaware of the more mature part of the community.