Do you have a favorite version of Windows?

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The preview build of Windows 11 is already available for Windows Insiders, just alternatively of looking forward let's look backward. What's your front-runner Microsoft proprietary graphical OS from the erstwhile? Are you old enough to remember 3.x introducing PC users to the wonders of a GUI, and Solitaire? Do you stan for Windows 95 thanks to the start card and taskbar? Windows XP, but solely with Service Load down 2? Windows 7 just for rescuing us from the horrors of Vista?

Do you have a pet version of Windows?

Here are our answers, plus some from our meeting place.

Phil Savage: Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not sitting on any Windows hot takes. A retentive As information technology lets Pine Tree State open programs and deal files, I'm broadly glad. Despite populate seeming almost comically angry about Vista when it was released, I thought information technology was close-grained—it was quite nice to have something contrastive to look at after years of using XP. Part of my ambivalence is fallen to the fact that once you put off each release's most stimulative newborn features, IT's broadly the same thing with a minor sense modality upgrade. I turned off Cortana connected the first day of installing Windows 10, and I've already curbed to confirm that you toilet move Windows 11's taskbar icons back to the left. Beyond that, I'll continue to snub 90% of the new features that go away into an OS release, and in doing so see some measure of felicity.

Fraser Brown: Unless it's actively vexing Pine Tree State, I don't think of Windows the least bit. Windows 8 bugged me the nigh, thusly it's the one I like the to the lowest degree. The peerless I like the most? I infer 10, because it's the one I'm using now and information technology's fine. I feel same I should credibly have stronger opinions happening this matter that I interact with to a higher degree jolly a lot anything else, but WHO has the time?

Andy Kelly: I'm gonna say Windows 95, purely for the nostalgia. There's something about that combo of hoary UI and turquoise nonpayment wallpaper that sporty speaks to Maine. It reminds me of simpler times. Not a hot take in batch. Fitting a start carte full of the greatest games ever successful. I have a virtual copy installed connected my PC for old games that don't play ball with a modern Bone, and I like firing it up occasionally to just click round. I also used it to make a real silly music video for a friend's band.

Alan Dexter: I've installed the Insider Preview of Windows 11 on my independent machine and so long I've been mightily impressed by it. Information technology could well cut to be my popular Windows, although that feels look-alike cheating as information technology isn't in truth addressable yet or in point of fact, you know, finished.

For my fave Windows OS, I'm going to wind the clock back to 1996 when entirely the cool kids could cost found using Windows for Workgroups 3.11. I was working tech support in a information conversion company at the time and this version of Windows was vital to acquiring along the cyberspace and for sending annoying messages around the company. Gaming was still Magnolia State-United States Department of State-settled, only it was a time of Duke Nukem 3D and grabbing cheeky games on our lunch bankrupt when the boss wasn't around. Ah, simpler multiplication of gum and kicking ass.

Richard Stanton: I wouldn't say IT's my 'favourite' Windows but I have that same nostalgia as Andy for Windows 95, purely because I associate information technology with my prototypical probationary steps into the wide mankind of the internet and PC gambling: and yea, that chunky grey aesthetic is the OS eq of hot chicken soup. In price of functionality I honestly don't take care too much but my preference probably would be XP purely because I hate how much scarf ou the contemporary ones try to install, and how much tweaking you give birth to act up when you premier start victimisation them evenhanded to eliminate all the crap. I had a genuine battle with my current PC when it went through a phase angle of constantly re-installing Glaze Crush Soda Saga during Windows updates: Bill Gates never did Pine Tree State like that.

Windows XP — (Envision credit: Microsoft)

Sarah Henry James: I'm with Rich connected this one. I can't say I've ever thought about which Windows variant is my favourite, but XP is one that stands out simply because it just worked. Too, Vista was then bad, I do remember trying to keep XP on my machine for as long as I possibly could because of that. Simply I can't say I rattling have whatever complaints about Windows 10 either.

Andy Chalk: Somebody has to mouth up for Windows 3.1 and I guess it'll make up me. I have faint just fond memories of that transition from DoS to Windows (although it was rattling just a GUI dumped on upmost of United States Department of State) and the way it mat up like such a big step into the future: I was still horsing about with AUTOEXECs and batch files, but this Windows business was new and exciting and very pretty, and just enough of a pain in the ass that information technology still felt like a reliable degree of expertness was required to get anything done. I would never argue that Win3.1 was the "outdo" Windows (because, I mean,obviously), but I do misfire that feeling.

From our forum

Colif: Showtime windows I used was Windows 3.1 for workgroups. I don't take favorite versions of windows, I alternatively feature less favorite versions. The ones that didn't lic then advisable for Maine because of hardware limitations I had at the time, Windows ME & Windows 8/8.1 are the 2 that concern intellect. First was bad and second I just skipped. Unlike others, I didn't find Aspect that bad only much of that came from having a PC that came with Vista and was powerful enough to senior 8 years. IT wasn't full enough for 8 so I just skipped it.

I don't cleave to versions after a unexampled united is declared, I just accept the changes (for most part) and go with flow rate. I don't understand the need to make X version of Windows look away like Y, I can remember themes that used to make windows look like-minded Apple and I never understood them either, if you want to utilization another OS just go do it.

Windows 11 is just windows 10 with a face lift. And finished features. But same could cost said about all version of windows since Vista so no real vary. They saw Bethesda nates keep doing it with Skyrim, why not just put a new layer of rouge along. No 1 will notice if its got rounded corners and a glass attend... hmm, glass, wasn't that a Vista thing. Progress or recycling?

Microsoft Windows XP red moon desert wallpaper with red sand, the moon, and a blue sky — (Image credit: Microsoft)

Brian Boru: I started with Win 3.0, but went back to the fantabulous XTree Gold referable constant Gain crashes. 3.1 was a big melioration, and 3.11 too—been on Winnings ever since. I have 2 favs, Win95 and Win7.

95 introduced a lot of what we still have: Taskbar; Multi-tasking; Start up menu; Apprisal area. It was the real take off of Windows American Samoa the dominant OS.

Win7 is the only version of Windows I bought in advance of launch—at that place was a uppercase distribute of 3 copies for $150 if I recall correctly, and wholly the beta testers I knew were expression information technology was nearly flawless. Thus it verified, 7 is unquestionably the best-ever Windows launch.

Win7 highlights were: Rock-solid constancy out of the gate; Pinning to Taskbar & Jump-start Lists; Libraries; Proper SSD backup; Problem Steps Recorder; XP Mode.

Honorable mentions to 98SE, XP SP2, Win10—and the unvalued hero Win 2000, a fitter XP than the early versions of XP.

Windows logo

(Image credit: Microsoft)

mainer: I started gambling with Microcomputer's back in the 1980s with Microsoft disk operating system (don't commemorate the interpretation numbers), plunk for when you oft needed to create boot discs just to draw games. Then affected on to Windows 3.1 just about 1992, and so along to Windows 95, 98, ME, skipped Windows 2000, then upgraded to Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, skipped 8.0/8.1, and so finally Windows 10.

Of those versions, Windows 7 gave me the least problems when gambling, and was far less intrusive that Profits 10. It would probably inactive be my favorite, but for 2 glaring issues: 1)It's no longer hanging down operating theatre updated past Microsoft, and 2)There are some games that now require Windows 10 to run. So it's far too limiting to use a PC with Windows 7 as an OS, though I make out keep an sr. PC that I just use for backup repositing that still runs Windows 7.

So my on-line favorite is Windows 10 which is connected my current gaming PC. I've been able-bodied to generate any gage I've wanted to play to lam, even games that are 10-20 years old (although extraordinary of those senior games do require some tweaking Oregon community patches to run well). My one major infliction with Succeed 10 though, is how it updates without gift you any option. Updates sometimes install junk in my tax bar that I don't want, or at times fanny cause problems (an update a couple old age ago completely borked my audio, took me hours to fix).

So while it's my current "favorite" Osmium, information technology comes with a big asterisk*. I wish I had more stimulus as to what was actually installed and/or updated. I'll wait awhile on Windows 11 to see how it affects play, even if I miss the free upgrade.

Windows 10 desktop — (Image credit: Microsoft)

ZedClampet: Windows was huge for those of us who secondhand PC's before information technology. To be completely honest, though, I get into't remember which version was my showtime, but I think it was 3.1.

Windows 10 is the only matchless that I have been sad to see leave, so I'll say 10 is my pet. Unlike a great deal of others, I never get pop fly ads or anything. It almost never crashes and launches quickly on my SSD (never thought I'd see that day). Just don't have any complaints reactionist now. I even use Windows Defender As my anti-computer virus and get been pleased with its performance.

All that said, I'm fulling expecting Windows 11 to be an loathing.

Windows Me desktop — (Image credit: Microsoft)

Pijfanjr: I've been victimisation Windows since 3.11 and used every version omit for 8, which I skipped. I don't have a favourite, but I will say that Windows ME was terrible. I'm pretty sure we averaged 5 blue covert of death a day. My brother actually managed to shift the registry in such a right smart that it turned the screen door colorful instead of nonindulgent (only took like 10 minutes after changing it to trigger the cherry screen of death). Of course he didn't truly roll in the hay what he was doing and so Windows wouldn't boot whatsoever more aft that, but he'd gotten pretty skillful at reinstalling Windows at that point any way.

Windows Vista was also pretty bad. Non so penitent that I switched back to Windows XP (though some of my friends did), but upgrading to Windows 7 was a great improvement.

Pr0udCh0sen1: Windows 95, take it back, take information technology way back!

JCgames: VISTA! It's the OS I ran my favorite game ever on.. SWG. What ever version plays the game I wanna frolic whole kit and caboodle for me, but honestly view just worked so well. I did not get it early, but in the end it worked. But then everything since win 2k I've never had an issue, but and so again I run au fon source systems. My favorite program then again.. single file coach rules!