Windows ME, short for “Millennium Edition,” dropped in September 2000 as Microsoft’s last consumer OS built on the Windows 9x line, following Windows 98 SE. It was designed to bridge the gap to Windows XP with features like System Restore, Windows Movie Maker, and better USB support, but it earned a rep for instability and random crashes that drove a lot of users nuts. ME skipped true DOS mode to speed up booting, which broke some old-school games and apps, and it only saw a handful of updates before Microsoft moved on. Looking back, it’s the awkward middle child—full of nostalgia if you were there, but mostly remembered as the OS everyone couldn’t wait to replace.