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Which Microsoft Windows version would you consider "the worst"?
OK, we all have our pet-peeves when using our Microsoft OS, but if you have used more then one Windows version, would you consider any of them for the title "worst OS"?
Personally, in the line from Windows 3.0 > Windows XP I'd nominate Windows Me without second thought.
"Me" is without a doubt the biggest kludge under the sun!
With some additional memory, some of those computers that came with it can at least be upgraded to XP Pro so they actually work!
I suppose it depends on your point of view. If you’re only concerned with the OS maintaining itself and not breaking down, then you are going to vote for ME as being the least capable of this. If you’re more interested in being in control of your OS and you dislike the bloat and security holes and in particular a lack of privacy, then XP is the candidate, and so definitely my vote as the worst Microsoft OS so far.
Of course you can’t equate past and present OSes in terms of current software and hardware specs. Win98 will obviously struggle with present technology, so you have to view them of their time.
The main cause of problems in ME was the system restore function. If this is turned off then ME is just as stable as any other Windows OS.
A few years ago we bought a new Laptop for work and it came with ME...man we had nothing but problems with it. Did the format thing and installed Win98se...much better... LOLOLOL
I never had problems with ME on my old Gateway. It usually runs fine on a PC that it came installed on. I do prefer my 98SE setup better. I find XP to be a PITA and more problemic than the others on the list. I think XP Home was a waste.
by Whiskeyman
It usually runs fine on a PC that it came installed on
And verified by Steve R Jones
I used ME that came preinstalled for a year and like it better than 98se
That says a lot. A Friend of mine bought a PC with ME already installed. He had very few problems. He then tired to install ME to an exisitng machine and had nothing but problems.
I have used versions of Windows ( excluding ME ) from 3.1 on up to and including XP Pro. I have had a few problems along the way. But I have yet to see one that I could really blame on the OS itself.
Most of them that I have had were more due to incompatable software and/or hardware. The biggest problems ( all versions including XP Pro ) seemed to be drivers.
OR. One of the biggest problems was the operator. Every version seemed to require a bit different way of doing things.
On one upgrade I had problems with a piece of Software. But once I got it upgraded to a newer version it was fine.
On one machine when going from 95 to 98 I had to upgrade the physical Video card before things went right. That machine now has been upgraded to98SE and is doing just fine. My Wife loves beating me at Cribbage or other card cames via the LAN.
BillyBob
PS.
Another problem I have run into. And that is UPGRADING drivers just because the Vender said I needed to.
We had Win 98SE on the system we just replaced and it never ran worth a darn! Blue screens and shut down problems from the get-go. So when Win ME came out we upgraded and loved the results. Note that I turned of the restore program right away and loaded GoBack instead. We ran Win ME until about 2 months ago when we finally bought a new system. I resisted doing so because I don't like Win XP and couldn't get a new system with Win ME. My b-i-l had more blue screens in the first week he owned his Win XP system than we had in the whole time we ran Win ME. But to be honest I did tell him not to buy an XP system with only 256 mb of ram and I think that is a big part of his problem. That and the fact that he loaded it down with Office 97 and other very old software. I've been pleased with Win XP which is, for me, admitting a lot. I had to change it to classic view so my DH can find his games though!
When I bought my BOAC (Box Of Assembled Components), the shop built it and installed Windows ME (on their recommendation, the alternative was Windows 98SE).
After six months, I found out that the shop didn't do a good job installing the operating system. I found out by reinstalling and it worked much better afterwards. I did some tweaking according to "the general consensus" on the web and learned a lot in the process but Windows ME was still somewhat unstable and often BSOD'ed on shut down. I started using Norton Ghost for backing up the system and when System Restore had failed twice and Ghost had bailed me out on both occasions ...... ...... I put SR into retirement and it will never be used on any of my computers. I am however not sure that SR contributed to the instability ...... ...... SR just didn't do what I expected it to do ...... ...... which was to restore the system.
Another twelve to eighteen months later, I migrated to Windows XP pro and have never regretted it for a second. The system needed another stick of 256 MB RAM but after that, no problems (until recently but I'm not sure if it is software or hardware related).
Anyway, I have not yet voted but how could I vote for Windows ME ...... ...... when I learnt sooo much from it?
I found out that the shop didn't do a good job installing the operating system.
Just about every problem that I have had related somehow right back to the original install.
The WORST problems I had were when I mistakingly booted from the HD to do an upgrade. ( 95 to 98SE ) I redid the install after booting from the Floppy and that HD ( or rather a copy of it ) is the one I am writing this note from with XP Pro.
I am just about finished with a fresh custom install of Win98SE that I haved thoroughly tweaked. It has taken me about 20 hours to get it close to where I want it. The last couple of fresh installs I didn't mess with it. Those times it would BSOD occasionally (about twice a month). This time I upgraded to the newer Via 4 in 1 drivers for my mobo and downloaded the Via USB patch. I also updated the Realtek sound drivers but used the MSI nVidia drivers from the original CD.
What a difference by not installing many of the extra Windows options. This is the most stable and smoothest running install I have done. I usually do a fresh install every year when I update my anti-virus program. Now that MS is no longer going to support Win98 updates after June 30th. I have done a custon install on three other hard drives with all of the updates, but with no manufacturer's drivers. Hopefully this will last me until I make a decision about installing WinXp Pro with SP3 or Vista.
Think I had it installed less than a week.
...... I put SR into retirement and it will never be used on any of my computers. I am however not sure that SR contributed to the instability ...... 
...... SR just didn't do what I expected it to do ...... 
...... which was to restore the system.
