Mainstream support for the final standalone and suite release ended on October 9, 2012, and January 8, 2013, respectively.

[2] Microsoft Works originated as MouseWorks, an integrated spreadsheet, word processor, and database program, designed for the Macintosh by ex-Apple employee Don Williams and Rupert Lissner.

[3] Williams planned to emulate the success of AppleWorks, a similar product for Apple II computers.

Bill Gates and his Head of Acquisitions, Alan M. Boyd, convinced Williams in 1986[4] to license the product to Microsoft instead.

[7] Works 2000 (Version 5.0) switches to a modular architecture which opens each document as a separate instance and uses the print engine from Internet Explorer.

While its utility for larger organizations is limited by its use of incompatible proprietary native .WKS (spreadsheet), .WDB (database), and .WPS (word processor) file formats, the simplicity of integrating database/spreadsheet data into word processor documents (e.g., mail merge) allow it to remain an option for some small and home-based business owners.

[citation needed] The database management system, while a "flat file" (i.e., non-relational) allows the novice user to perform complex transformations through formulas (which use standard algebraic syntax and can be self-referential) and user-defined reports that can be copied as text to the clipboard.

Up to version 8, using the Works Task Launcher, the calendar and contacts from Windows Address Book could be synchronized with portable devices.

[14] There is an import filter for older Works 2.0 spreadsheet format (*.wks);[15] however it may be disabled in the registry by newer Microsoft Office Service packs.

One commercially available solution for converting to and from Microsoft Works files on the Macintosh platform in 2016 was the MacLinkPlus product from DataViz.

In addition to retail sales, Works Suite was included with the purchase of a new computer by companies such as Dell and Gateway.