Editing Windows Me (section)

==Reception==
Windows Me initially received generally positive reviews, with reviewers citing the operating system's integrity protection (branded as "PC Health") and the new [[System Restore]] feature as steps forward for home users.<ref name="pcworldprerelrev">{{cite web|date=24 July 2000|title=Windows Millennium Edition: All About Me {{!}} PCWorld|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/17791/article.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012024717/https://www.pcworld.com/article/17791/article.html|archive-date=12 October 2012|access-date=16 February 2021|publisher=PCWorld}}</ref><ref name="thurrottinitialrev">{{cite web|last1=Thurrott|first1=Paul|date=15 September 2000|title=Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) Review|url=https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-server/windows-millennium-edition-windows-me-review|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613165845/http://www.itprotoday.com/windows-server/windows-millennium-edition-windows-me-review|archive-date=June 13, 2018|access-date=16 February 2021|website=IT Pro|language=en}}</ref> Despite this, however, users' real-world experience did not bear this out, with industry publications receiving myriad reports of problems with the "PC Health" systems, PCs refusing to shut down cleanly, and general stability problems.<ref name="pcworldmebugs">{{cite web|last1=Johnston|first1=Stuart|date=16 March 2000|title=Bugs and Fixes: Windows Me: Problems for You? {{!}} PCWorld|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/44150/article.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018003008/https://www.pcworld.com/article/44150/article.html|archive-date=18 October 2012|access-date=16 February 2021|website=PCWorld|publisher=IDG}}</ref><ref name="forbesworstwindows" />

As time went on, reception of Windows Me became more negative, to the point where it was heavily panned by users, mainly due to stability issues. Retrospectively, Windows Me is viewed as one of the worst operating systems of all time, being unfavorably compared to its immediate predecessor and successor.<ref name="cwworstwindows">{{cite web|last1=Gralla|first1=Preston|date=18 September 2020|title=The worst version of Windows ever released|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/3575332/the-worst-version-of-windows-ever-released.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117172513/https://www.computerworld.com/article/3575332/the-worst-version-of-windows-ever-released.html|archive-date=January 17, 2021|access-date=16 February 2021|website=Computerworld|language=en}}</ref><ref name="pcworldworsttech"></ref><ref name="forbesworstwindows"></ref> A ''PC World'' article dubbed Windows Me the "Mistake Edition" and placed it 4th in their "Worst Tech Products of All Time" feature in 2006. The article states: "Shortly after Me appeared in late 2000, users reported problems installing it, getting it to run, getting it to work with other hardware or software, and getting it to stop running."<ref name="pcworldworsttech" /> Consequently, most home users remained with [[Windows 98]], while some moved to [[Windows 2000]] despite the latter being enterprise-oriented. In the [[Netherlands]], Windows Me was infamously known as "Windows Meer Ellende" ([[Dutch language|Dutch]] for "more misery").<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.computable.nl/2001/01/02/microsoft-in-2001-herstel-of-meer-ellende/ | title=Microsoft in 2001: Herstel of meer ellende? - Computable.nl | date=January 2, 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nationaalcomputerforum.nl/threads/computer-reset-steeds.4238/#post-35562 | title=Computer Reset Steeds | date=January 2005 }}</ref>

System Restore suffered from a bug in the date-stamping functionality that could cause System Restore to incorrectly date-stamp snapshots that were taken after September 8, 2001. This could prevent System Restore from locating these snapshots and cause the system restore process to fail. Microsoft released an update to fix this problem.<ref name="Support.microsoft.com">{{cite web|url=http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=290700|title=Checkpoints that you create after 8 September 2001 do not restore your computer|date=2007-10-26|website=Microsoft Support|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227181112/http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=290700|archive-date=2013-02-27|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-04-05}}</ref> 

Byron Hinson and Julien Jay, writing for ActiveWin, took an appreciative look on the operating system. On the removal of [[#Real mode DOS|real mode DOS]] support, they had noted "The removal of DOS has clearly made a difference in Windows Me in terms of stability (far less [[Blue screen of death|Blue Screens of Death]] are seen now) and booting speed has greatly increased."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/operating-sys/winme/3.shtml|title=Windows Millennium Edition – Review: Goodbye Dos?|last1=Hinson|first1=Byron|last2=Jay|first2=Julien|website=ActiveWin|publisher=Active Network, Inc|access-date=2019-04-05|archive-date=November 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129040232/http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/operating-sys/winme/3.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> In a recommendation of the operating system upgrade for users of Windows 95 and 98, they had stated "If Windows Me isn't a revolutionary OS it's clear that Microsoft has focused its efforts to make it more user-friendly, stable and packed full of multimedia options. The result is great and the enhancements added are really worth the wait."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/operating-sys/winme/conclusion.shtml|title=Windows Millennium Edition – Review: Conclusion|last1=Hinson|first1=Byron|last2=Jay|first2=Julien|website=ActiveWin|publisher=Active Network, Inc.|access-date=2019-04-05|archive-date=November 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129040326/http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/operating-sys/winme/conclusion.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> The new features that Windows Me introduced were also praised and have since remained part of subsequent Windows versions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thurrott.com/windows/90610/throwback-thursday-windows-millennium-edition|title=Throwback Thursday: Windows Millennium Edition|last=Thurrott|first=Paul|date=2017-02-16|website=Thurrott.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-01|archive-date=September 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903002204/https://www.thurrott.com/windows/90610/throwback-thursday-windows-millennium-edition|url-status=live}}</ref>

Along with Windows 2000 from the [[Windows NT]] family, Windows Me was the last version of Windows that lacked [[Microsoft Product Activation|product activation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.techopedia.com/definition/10220/windows-me|title=What is Windows ME? - Definition from Techopedia|website=Techopedia.com|date=March 9, 2015 |access-date=July 4, 2019|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704151509/https://www.techopedia.com/definition/10220/windows-me|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="xpact01">{{cite web |author1=Paul Thurrott |title=A Closer Look at Windows XP Product Activation |url=https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-78/closer-look-windows-xp-product-activation |website=ITProToday |access-date=October 8, 2019 |date=April 9, 2001 |archive-date=October 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008092030/https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-78/closer-look-windows-xp-product-activation |url-status=live }}</ref>