Sorry for that non programming joke...just get carried away with the joke
A programmer is walking along a beach and finds a lamp. He rubs the lamp, and a genie appears. 'I am the most powerful genie in the world. I can grant you any wish, but only one wish.' The programmer pulls out a map, points to it and says, 'I'd want peace in the Middle East.' The genie responds, 'Gee, I don't know. Those people have been fighting for millenia. I can do just about anything, but this is likely beyond my limits.'
The programmer then says, 'Well, I am a programmer, and my programs have lots of users. Please make all my users satisfied with my software and let them ask for sensible changes.' At which point the genie responds, 'Um, let me see that map again.'
No, Windows is not a virus. Here's what viruses do:
1. They replicate quickly. ... Okay, Windows does that.
2. Viruses use up valuable system resources, slowing down the system as they do so. ... Okay, Windows does that.
3. Viruses will, from time to time, trash your hard disk. ... Okay, Windows does that too.
4. Viruses are usually carried, unknown to the user, along with valuable programs and systems. ... Sigh.. Windows does that, too.
5. Viruses will occasionally make the user suspect their system is too slow (see 2) and the user will buy new hardware. ... Yup, Windows does that, too.
Until now it seems Windows is a virus but there are fundamental differences: Viruses are well supported by their authors, are running on most systems, their program code is fast, compact and efficient and they tend to become more sophisticated as they mature.