Editorial Review
With the cutely named Windows Me (for Millennium Edition), Microsoft raises the bar a bit with a new operating system that you'll certainly want to consider for your next new PC. While this version will probably not be a compelling upgrade for most Windows 95/98 users, the newest member of the Windows operating-system family bundles a number of minor improvements aimed at making computing life easier for home users. This upgrade version of Windows Me is available for licensed users of Microsoft Windows 95, 98, or 98 Second Edition only.
There are several noteworthy features in Windows Me, even if no one feature really stands out. First, we liked that Windows Me boots noticeably faster. The reason is that the underpinnings of DOS have been removed from this new release. One result of this absence is that you can no longer boot to a command window as in Windows 95/98 without special diskettes. (Also, don't expect Windows Me to support older hardware that uses virtual device drivers written in the days of yore.) Of course, you can still run DOS command sessions within Windows Me.
Besides removing legacy support for DOS, Windows Me adds several other improvements to reliability. The most important is that every 10 hours or so, the operating system automatically backs up its system files (just like Windows 2000), thus reducing the chance of your system being corrupted. Windows Me also borrows the TCP/IP stack (the low-level code that connects to the Internet) from Windows 2000, meaning you should have slightly more reliable networking connections. For laptop users, you can also hibernate a session and restore it quickly, another feature borrowed from Windows 2000.
The personality of Windows Me also changed a bit for the better. Principally, you can take advantage of personalized menus, which show the most frequently accessed menu choices on the Start bar and hide the others. (This feature is also based on Windows 2000, but don't worry, you can turn it off.) Internet Explorer 5.5 is bundled here; so is support for working with compressed Zip files, which no longer require an add-on.
Microsoft has been touting the multimedia capabilities of the new Windows Me. There's a built-in video editor for video files, and the operating system makes it easy to connect to today's video cameras, scanners, and digital cameras. But without built-in support for Real Media files, these features probably won't please everybody.
So what's the verdict on Windows Me? Provided you have recent hardware, there are some good reasons to upgrade, but most users will want to stick with their current OS. If you are buying a new system, by all means choose Windows Me instead of Windows 98. Even though it isn't a major release for most users, Windows Me shows that Microsoft has done its homework when it comes to improving the computing experience for consumers. --Rich Dragan
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Customer Reviews
Yuk 
2003-12-30
All I can say is, the computer I had with Windows 95 on it is still running strong at my parents house, whilst this one I bought new with Windows ME on it constantly hangs up and crashes.
Thank goodness all the new computers have XP on them now. I can't wait to get one.
Waste of money and computer resources 
2003-12-16
Windows ME is a 'fluffy' version of Windows 98, only it features a massive memory leak - meaning you NEED one of those RAM Boosting programs (aka memory managers) just to keep more then 2 applications going at a time.
I ran Windows ME for about 3 months before becoming completely frustrated with it and moved to Windows 2000 Professional.
This product appears to have been an attempt to create what Windows XP is today, only it failed misserably. This is NOT the operating system for power users or professionals, not that I would recomend it to anyone to begin with.
If your looking for a 'fluffy' upgrade, skip this and go right to Windows XP Home Edition. If your a serious power user, then either go with Windows XP Pro, or just wait until "Longhorn" is released.
Great product 
2003-11-29
This product is a good one. I bought it in order to keep up with the usb technology and it has worked great. It is almost the same as windows 98, but it supports this new usb technology. Mine has never frozen or had any of the problems everyone else is having. I think it is great, but i'm sure everyone else is not lying. It worked for me though and it might work for you.
Yes, it does freeze 2003-10-15
It freezes if you actually make your computer work. If you don't ever try to multitask it won't freeze. Duh. Hey, if you only bought that $1000 dollar computer to play Minesweeper and check out spam ads for septic-tank cleaners and Viagra, feel free to use Windows ME. If you actually want to play real video games, play media files, surf the net, and chat (all at the same time), get Windows XP. ME stands for Many Errors--be warned!
It is sooooooo perfect 2003-08-17
You probably all think "oh boy, Windows ME stinks to living death" well guess what... YOU'RE WRONG! There are bad rumors saying it always freezes and crashes, which is not true. The best thing to do is press crtl+alt+delete right when the desktop comes and end everything except for explorer, which is your desktop. Also keep it healthy by doing disk cleanup and defragmenter 1nce a week. I really like my Windows ME. At first it was confusing, but get used to it and you will understand. Also.. i was going to get XP edition then i found out about the virus. The virus does not target ME because of very bad rumors. Now for my words of wisdom. "Get ME and keep ME".
Great price for a clean installation for my laptop!!! 2007-07-23
I heard horror stories that this OS freezes but I perused some of the reviews..and I got a reponse from a reviewer about it freezes only if you have not partitioned and formatted the existing OS before the installation..In my case I deleted a file or several files on my Win98SE and was prompted by the laptop to reinstall Windows and with a second opinion that in my case I should have no problems..Just in case like the other reviewers mentioned that if it freezes-press on the keyboard "Ctrl+Alt+Del" and that will unfreeze the computer..
The Worst O/S EVER written 2005-06-11
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You gotta be a complete and total MORON to buy or want this O/S. It is a DISASTER! Crashes regularly and randomly. It is actually a step DOWN from Windows 98. Back in 1999, Microsoft's investers got a little worried that XP was taking too long, so Microsoft rushed out this piece of garbage to placate them and show that they were still in business. The result was a haphazard mishmash of their corporate and home o/s's that melded the worst of both. Why there wasn't a class action suit against Microsoft for foisting this junk on them I'll never know. One thing though, it DID give a lot of work to computer service techs. AVOID!
Windows 98 with a few more bugs 2005-02-18
Windows ME is not capable of ever being compared to Windows 2000, not even Windows 98. It is a good upgrade for those of you running Windows 3.0, but if you have Windows for Workgroups v3.11 or above, with the exception of 98 second edition - stick with it... ME is 98 with some bugs taken out, more added into it.
Most software does not work with it, if you have an older computer, get NT or 2k, or switch to Linux, you will save yourself a ton of hassle... or just upgrade your PC and use XP.
A Total Disaster!!!!!!!!!!! 2004-12-16
Ok so in November of 2000 I got my first computer not knowing anything much about computers back then I got a Gateway 900mhz with an Amd Atholon processer and guess what it came with Windows Me. The sales person was boasting all of this bull**** about how much better it was than windows 98 and yes I bought his bull**** story and got the computer for 1200 bucks. Ever since then I have always had probelms with it it would freeze up a lot and I would always have to use the control alt delete feature to get it working again and sometimes I would have to shut down the computer manually to get it to work right. One day my printer stopped working and I was on the phone for like an hour with the tech support and couldn't get it to work. Since then I haven't had a printer. And then about a couple of weeks ago I bought an HP psc 2355 printer and it printed and it copied but I couldn't get it to scan!!!!!! And I couldn't get any of the printing software to work!!!!!!!!!!!. I was so frustrated because when I called hp and talked to their tech support I was on the phone for f***ing two hours and still couldn't get it to work even the guy from hp said the operating system sucks. So then I took it back to Wal-mart where I bought it from and got my money back. And then I went to best buy and got me an epson 4600 all in one and the sales guy from epson told me that it would work with my system and the sales guy from best buy told me it would work. And when I got home and tried the printer it would copy but it wouldn't print or scan and if I turned my computer on with my printer on it wouldn't boot up to the desktop I kept getting all of these error messages. I couldn't call tech support because it wasn't toll free so I tried reinstalling the stystem and reinstalling the software but it was doing the same thing and even worse to where the computer wouldn't boot up at all the computer wouldn't shut down at all with out turning off the surge protecter so as frustrated as I was I went back down to best buy and got a refund for my printer and talked to somebody from the geek squad and they asked them to diagnose my system for probelems. The guy said well....it would cost sixty bucks but he said honestly it would be a waste of time he told me that I should put that sixty bucks toward an upgrade to windows xp so I took his advice and I did, but I had to pay one hundred bucks for the software and sixty for the installation but it was worth it my computer is running better than ever before, even though I haven't bought another printer yet, the tech guy said it would work for sure. So in conclusion if you don't want to go through what I went through don't get windows me get XP. Me is fore more errors.
WINDOWS Me Upgrade - Install Clean... 2004-01-25
WINDOWS Me operates great, even on 200MHz systems. But, You're going to have problems if you install it as an upgrade on top of your existing Microsoft operating system. I build/repair/upgrade computers as a hobby. My household also has 3 computers using "Me" & there are no problems...EVER.
The TRICK is...(1)Backup your existing personal stuff & wipe clean your hard drive, make sure you have other driver/program disks, you can get updated drivers on their respective websites.
(2)Format & Partiton your hard drive. (3)Run WINDOWS Me SETUP, it will ask you for another version to continue - Put it in CD-Rom, it is only going to read it to verify you have a licensed copy. (4)When prompted, put "Me" disk back in & continue with setup. It will even install some audio & video drivers for you.
You now have installed a clean boot WINDOWS Me operating system & should have no "Lockup" problems. If "Me" is installed as an upgrade on top of your existing Microsoft operating system...YES, you're going to have problems as listed in previous reviews. By the way, my company has WINDOWS XP & I hate it!
