FYT: Video evidence of a Windows 3.1 Launch Party from October 1992. The VHS was excavated from a time capsule 17 years after its creation, and released on the official launch date for Windows 7 -- 10.22.2009. As the tape confirm, celebrating the release of a new Windows operating system with a "launch party" is a time-honored tradition. Although it's an old idea, the Windows party is as lively as ever.