Ranking all 12 versions of Windows, from worst to best - Digital Trends

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You tin archer a person’s property by which mentation of Windows is their favorite. I person fond memories of XP and Windows 98 SE, truthful you tin instrumentality a conjecture astatine mine, but I person colleagues who are overmuch much enamored with Windows 7, oregon Windows 95. We each person thing disparaging to accidental astir Windows 8 though, and the little said astir Windows Vista the better.

Ranking the different versions of Windows is astir much than what epoch of computing you grew up in, though. There are immoderate precise superior duds successful Microsoft’s backmost catalog, conscionable arsenic determination are a fewer wins too. But whether you tin look backmost connected immoderate of Microsoft’s disastrous releases with rose-tinted glasses, oregon person immoderate genuine emotion for Microsoft’s missteps, here’s each mentation of Windows ranked from champion to worst.

12. Windows ME

It’s a toss-up arsenic to which is the existent worst Windows operating system, but for us, Windows ME conscionable astir takes it, due to the fact that contempt its lofty goals, it failed astatine astir each of them. It yet lone lasted a twelvemonth earlier it was replaced by the beloved, and infinitely improved, Windows XP.

Windows Millennium Edition was the past Windows OS based connected MS-DOS, but it restricted entree to DOS to amended footwear times. This made it the worst of some worlds, arsenic it couldn’t payment from the improvements recovered successful the Windows NT kernel, which formed the basal of Windows XP, but besides didn’t supply due DOS functionality either.

Windows ME was plagued by mediocre operator enactment and incredibly atrocious stableness issues. It is known for however predominant it would crash, and not conscionable erstwhile you had it up and running. There are myriad reports of its crashing during installation and setup, and much-touted features similar System Restore often didn’t enactment decently successful protecting affected systems.

It tried to bash a fewer innovative things, similar introducing automatic information updates, folder compression with autochthonal ZIP support, and a caller Help and Support strategy to marque it easier to hole things. But nary of that makes overmuch of a quality if the halfway OS is hardly functional.

Windows ME was a mess, and from our perspective, is the worst mentation of Windows ever released.

11. Windows 8

Windows 8 feels similar Microsoft deed the panic fastener successful its developer offices. Tablets and smartphones were taking implicit the satellite and the PC was dying, truthful Windows needed to beryllium much compatible with tablets. It tried to marque the Windows desktop a amended acceptable for the emerging tablet scene, and it succeeded to immoderate extent, with its tile plan and motion controls making it enjoyable to usage connected a tablet. Unfortunately, it was wholly unintuitive for experienced and novice desktop PC users, turning disconnected longtime Windows fans immediately.

It was truthful atrocious that Microsoft had to spot successful the archetypal taskbar and Start fastener with Windows 8.1, which helped things to immoderate extent, but it was excessively late.

With the archetypal release, Microsoft had besides been side-eyeing Apple’s occurrence with the App Store and tried to emulate it by introducing the Windows Store and Universal Windows (UWP) apps that were — and inactive are — a nightmare for everyone involved. Microsoft besides tried to promote gamers onto its caller level by gatekeeping DirectX11 there. It besides didn’t work.

10. Windows Vista

It’s a spot of a meme, however atrocious Windows Vista was. It’s often recovered astatine the apical of everyone’s “Worst Windows” lists, but we deliberation it gets unfairly maligned — astatine slightest a little. Its hardware requirements were incredibly steep astatine the time, demanding a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 15GB of retention abstraction conscionable to instal it. It besides needed a DirectX 9-supporting graphics spot with 128MB of VRAM. That mightiness not look similar overmuch now, but this was 10 times the retention demands of XP, and astir 20 times the RAM requirements.

This yet meant that for galore aboriginal Vista adopters, it ran similar blistery garbage. That’s a existent shame, due to the fact that looking back, you tin spot what Microsoft was trying to do. Windows Vista looked incredibly modern astatine its release, with tons of beauteous Aero transparency effects. It was further bruised by a deficiency of compatibility with older drivers, truthful caller ones had to beryllium released for astir everything, which took time, oregon conscionable didn’t travel retired astatine all, making it a nightmare for accessories and peripherals.

Games for Windows Live came soon after, and unneurotic with Vista, marked a debased constituent successful PC gaming, wherever thing seemed to enactment and show was terrible. Widgets weren’t well-received and cipher was a instrumentality of the caller User Account Control pop-ups that asked for admin approval.

It didn’t substance that astir of these features returned with Windows 7 a fewer years later, and received a overmuch amended reception. Windows Vista was excessively new, excessively soon, and fewer person fond memories of it.

9. Windows 1

The archetypal large Windows merchandise should beryllium higher connected this list, but the archetypal effort astatine an operating strategy wasn’t overmuch of an operating strategy — astatine slightest however we cognize them today. It was incredibly constricted successful its operation, without the quality to overlap windows oregon galore of the programs that made Windows specified a functional level implicit the years.

However, Windows 1 inactive has its spot successful history. It was built connected apical of MS-DOS arsenic a ammunition programme known arsenic MS-DOS Executive, and opened up each sorts of imaginable for the platform. It introduced the rodent arsenic an interface device, and launched classical Windows programs similar Calculator, Paint, and Notepad.

Unfortunately, Windows 1 wasn’t peculiarly good -eceived, adjacent astatine the time. Reviewers felt that it couldn’t adequately vie with Apple’s GUI operating system, and criticized its velocity and mediocre compatibility with existing software. Some bemoaned its reliance connected rodent inputs, peculiarly those utilized to keyboard-exclusive interfaces.

8. Windows 2

Windows 2 didn’t bask the breakout occurrence of Windows 3.0/3.1, but it was an important refinement implicit the comparably constricted Windows 1. It inactive wasn’t genuinely competitory with Macintosh OS, but it added the quality to overlap and resize windows (a cardinal diagnostic missing from Windows 1), enactment for 16-color VGA graphics, and desktop icons. It introduced important terminology similar maximize and minimize, replacing the “Iconize,” and “Zoom” commands of Windows 1.

Arguably the astir important facet of Windows 2, though, wasn’t the operating strategy itself, but the programs it shipped with. Windows 2 was packed with adjuvant default applications, similar the Windows Calculator and Windows Calendar. It besides came with enactment for the iconic Microsoft Word and Excel.

7. Windows 95

Windows 95 was the operating strategy that acceptable the inclination for however Windows would look for decades to come. It introduced the iconic Start menu, nesting applications wrong submenus to marque compartmentalizing programs easier and improving enactment successful the progressively engaged ocular interface. It bridged the spread betwixt the MS-DOS basal and the graphical interface of its front-end, opening the doorway to caller games and programs portion inactive supporting the older ones. At slightest successful theory.

Windows 95 was prone to crashing and it took the merchandise of Windows 98 to hole galore of the problems that plagued it, but it introduced modern desktop computing to the satellite and would spell connected to beryllium Microsoft’s astir fashionable operating strategy of the decade, holding implicit 60% of the PC marketplace good into the precocious 1990s.

Other important caller features that are present commonplace included the taskbar, much keyboard shortcuts, the recycle bin, and record shortcuts, which made it easier to find what you need.

6. Windows 98

The first, existent internet-ready Windows operating system, Windows 98 had measured the wind’s absorption and was hopeless to get retired up of it. It introduced a mature mentation 4.0 of Internet Explorer, the now-iconic Windows Update, and Internet Connection Sharing. It besides added amended operator compatibility and improved USB support, arsenic good arsenic enactment for DVD players.

Designed arsenic a large upgrade of Windows 95, much truthful than a reinvention of the wheel, Windows 98 was well-received upon release, and the Second Edition (SE) bolstered it further a twelvemonth aboriginal with heaps of bug fixes and UI tweaks. It was acold much unchangeable than Windows 95, and though it inactive held connected to its MS-DOS core, it was yet starting to determination beyond the constraints of the Command Prompt.

This is the operating strategy wherever immoderate of the decade’s astir defining games recovered their home, too. Games similar Age of Empires, Half Life, and the archetypal Unreal helped marque Windows 98 the premier desktop gaming platform. Users astatine the clip were a small resentful of Windows 98 being sold arsenic a standalone operating system, considering that it is mostly an upgraded Windows 95 with less bugs, but it was inactive amended and earned its spot connected this database accordingly.

5. Windows 11

One of the wallpapers from the Windows 11 sunset theme.

The newest kid connected the artifact has a batch to prove, but it’s already leaving its mark. Taking the bold leap of redesigning the Start paper and taskbar dramatically, Windows 11 could person fallen connected its look successful a akin mode to Windows 8 — but it didn’t. It mightiness person changed however it looked, but Windows 11 is precise overmuch a Windows 10 evolution. It strips retired immoderate of the bequest Windows 7 interfaces and makes the full acquisition much azygous and attractive, borrowing transparency effects from immoderate of the Windows competitors. You tin besides tally aggregate versions of your desktop astatine once, switching betwixt them to assistance productivity and compartmentalization.

Android applications person autochthonal enactment with Windows 11, blurring the lines again betwixt it and its Chrome OS contemporaries, and though the Microsoft Store isn’t pushed rather truthful hard successful Windows 11, it’s inactive expanded with caller enactment for Win32 applications similar the Epic Games Store and Firefox.

With however overmuch Windows 10 has go the location of modern PC gamers, Windows 11 tries to tempt them implicit with a fewer caller features. It has greater optimizations for moving games successful windowed mode, and adds enactment for AutoHDR and DirectStorage.

It whitethorn instrumentality galore years earlier Windows 11 supplants the humble Windows 10, but if adoption rates proceed to trickle in, it’ll beryllium the apical canine 1 day. As agelong arsenic Microsoft doesn’t regenerate it earlier then.

4. Windows 3.1

Like XP, Windows 3.1 was the archetypal mentation of Windows that galore radical calved successful the decennary anterior to its merchandise ever used. Its stark achromatic and grey hid its DOS roots nether respective layers of convenience and usability, each of which had been stacked up implicit the preceding generations of Windows to make thing genuinely usable.

Today. Windows 3.1 would conscionable beryllium a large contented update for the operating system, but successful the ’90s, this important merchandise had its ain container and stack of floppy disks for installation. Building connected the occurrence of Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1 was a breakout, helping IBM to merchantability millions of PCs soon aft its debut. It introduced the massively important TrueType font strategy that made Windows machines genuinely susceptible connection processors and publishing machines.

Dragging and dropping files was abruptly imaginable with this mentation of Windows, making it each the much customizable and intuitive to use. It besides introduced screensavers, which was specified a visually striking portion of desktop computers moving guardant that they would beryllium immoderate people’s defining representation of the operating system.

3. Windows 10

Like the different apical contenders successful this list, Windows 10 was a occurrence pursuing a failure, which made it each the much sweet. For those of america who skipped Windows 8 aft getting our archetypal sensation of the designed-for-tablets interface, Windows 10 felt similar a gentle on-ramp to modern computing, and a acquainted spot to telephone location aft Windows 7. It was fast, feature-filled, and intelligibly designed with desktop usage astatine its forefront — portion inactive retaining precocious interaction compatibility. Simply put, it upgraded the Windows acquisition into what it efficaciously remains today.

Windows 10 brought with it the Edge browser, yet quashing the achromatic spread of exploits that was Internet Explorer. It updated the Start paper into thing acold much functional, added caller login methods similar fingerprint and facial recognition, and improved scaling for amended high-resolution support. It did propulsion the Microsoft Store beforehand and halfway and promote online Microsoft accounts implicit much accepted logins. The thought of Windows arsenic a work was surely calved with Windows 10, and it truly ramped up information collection. Force-feeding everyone Cortana wasn’t a astute determination either.

Still, Windows 10 has proven to beryllium the Windows 7 oregon its era, with the bulk of PC users inactive moving it implicit a year-and-a-half since the merchandise of its successor. It’s lasting the trial of clip close present and looks acceptable to bash truthful for galore years to come.

2. Windows XP

Windows XP location surface with Start paper open.

After the dumpster occurrence of Windows ME, Microsoft came backmost unbelievably beardown with Windows XP. For many, this is the archetypal operating strategy they used, and considering the failures of Vista, it’s successful galore cases the 1 they utilized for adjacent to a decade. It was the operating strategy that introduced millions of radical to the World Wide Web, ensuring that grandparents the satellite implicit would proceed to conflate Internet Explorer with the web browser, and unlocking connection crossed a myriad of fashionable chat apps. MSN Messenger, AIM, and ICQ opened up the satellite to young PC users for the archetypal time, and Limewire, Kazaa, and eDonkey fto them stock information similar ne'er before.

Out of each the operating systems connected this list, Windows XP mightiness person the astir iconic look. Not conscionable due to the fact that of its greenish Start button, but due to the fact that of that rolling hills wallpaper. It besides came with immoderate truly beardown default applications, similar Windows Media Player, Windows Movie Maker, and of course, Solitaire.

Restrained to 32-bit, however, Windows XP could ne'er advancement beyond 4GB of RAM, limiting its usage erstwhile 64-bit processors started hitting the market. Over the years ,it became notorious for malware excessively — facilitated by the leaky sieve that was Internet Explorer and a deficiency of Windows-own information tools. Still, Windows XP has a sterling bequest down it, and tin inactive beryllium recovered connected computers each implicit the world, contempt Microsoft’s near-decade effort to promote upgrades.

1. Windows 7

There’s an statement to beryllium made that Windows 7 is simply a conscionable a refined mentation of Windows Vista, released astatine a clip erstwhile radical really had the benignant of hardware that could tally it properly. But this king of Windows releases did truthful overmuch much than that. It was accelerated and responsive, with galore important ocular upgrades implicit erstwhile versions of Windows. It had fantabulous compatibility, moving with older hardware and bundle alike, and introduced important features which are inactive Windows mainstays today. It added pinning applications to the taskbar, introduced stacking Windows for amended organization, fto you preview windows with taskbar thumbnails, and it made it imaginable to drawback Windows to antithetic portions of the screen.

Windows 7 is important for what it didn’t have, too. It feels similar the past Windows operating strategy that was accelerated and modern, but hadn’t yet started chasing features designed for different platforms, similar touch-targeted UI elements, oregon astute adjunct integration. It didn’t person the Microsoft Store oregon overblown information collection, and determination was nary effort to unit you to usage an online relationship to login.

It was a clean, responsive operating strategy that galore would apt proceed to usage contiguous if it was inactive supported by Microsoft and modern hardware alike.