Microsoft Word Archives

Winsage

June 5, 2025

Microsoft is adding a simpler text editor than Notepad to Windows 11 soon

Microsoft is enhancing Notepad following the discontinuation of WordPad and is introducing a new text editor called Edit for Windows 11, which operates within the Command Prompt. Edit is a compact tool that resembles the classic MS-DOS Editor and has a contemporary interface similar to Visual Studio Code, occupying 230KB of disk space. Users can launch Edit by typing "edit" in the Command Prompt, allowing basic text file editing without advanced features like text formatting or AI summaries. Currently, files cannot be saved directly in Edit; users must copy text to other applications for finalization. Edit is in development and can only be accessed through manual installation from GitHub, with plans to make it the default text editor for command line use in the future.

Winsage

May 30, 2025

Microsoft releases a bold new update for Notepad

Microsoft is updating its Windows Notepad app with new text formatting options, including bold and italic styling, hyperlinks, lists, and Markdown support. This update is currently available to testers in the Canary and Dev Channels on Windows 11. A new formatting toolbar has been added at the top of the application, allowing easy access to these features. Users can toggle between formatted Markdown and Markdown syntax views. Notepad retains its plain text functionality, and users can clear formatting or disable the new features in the app settings. This update follows the introduction of an AI-powered Write function, enhancing Notepad's capabilities.

Winsage

May 30, 2025

WordPad is dead in Windows 11, but Notepad is absorbing its skills

Microsoft has announced updates to Notepad, integrating "lightweight formatting" capabilities that include support for markdown input and file formats, bold and italic fonts, and hyperlinks, accessible via a new toolbar. These features are not in testing and will be available on Windows PCs soon. This shift follows the retirement of WordPad in late 2023, leaving a gap for basic text editing. The enhancements position Notepad as a viable replacement for WordPad. Additionally, Microsoft is introducing the Edit app, an open-source command-line interface, to complement Notepad's new features and improve user experience.

Winsage

March 28, 2025

Office is too slow, so Microsoft is making it load at Windows startup

Microsoft is introducing a feature called "Startup Boost" for its Office suite, allowing applications like Word and Excel to launch automatically upon booting Windows. This feature will only be enabled on devices with a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 5GB of available disk space. The rollout will begin in mid-May, starting with Microsoft Word, and users can disable the feature in Word’s settings or through the Task Scheduler.

Winsage

March 16, 2025

7 forgotten Windows apps that somehow still exist

WinAmp, foobar2000, and RealPlayer were once essential media players but have seen a decline in popularity due to improvements in Windows Media Player and the rise of streaming services. Foobar2000 and RealPlayer still appeal to a niche audience. Napster, originally a peer-to-peer file sharing service, has transformed into a legitimate music streaming service after facing legal challenges. TeamSpeak, once favored in the gaming community for voice chat, has been overshadowed by Discord but remains operational with ongoing updates. Netscape Navigator was a leading web browser that declined with the rise of Internet Explorer and was discontinued in 2008, but has been reintroduced as a Chromium-based browser by AOL. WordPerfect was a dominant word processing software in the late 80s and early 90s but lost market share to Microsoft Word; it continues to exist as an office suite. WinZip, once the preferred file compression tool, has seen its relevance decline due to native ZIP support in Windows and free alternatives like 7-Zip; it is now owned by Corel. WindowBlinds, a customization tool for Windows, has been updated for Windows 11 but lacks the popularity it once had, reflecting a trend towards less customizable operating systems.

Winsage

March 11, 2025

Microsoft March 2025 Patch Tuesday fixes 7 zero-days, 57 flaws

Microsoft released security updates on March 2025 Patch Tuesday, addressing 57 vulnerabilities, including six classified as critical related to remote code execution. The vulnerabilities are categorized as follows: 23 Elevation of Privilege, 3 Security Feature Bypass, 23 Remote Code Execution, 4 Information Disclosure, 1 Denial of Service, and 3 Spoofing. The updates specifically address six actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities and one publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerability. The zero-day vulnerabilities include: 1. CVE-2025-24983 - Elevation of Privilege in Windows Win32 Kernel Subsystem. 2. CVE-2025-24984 - Information Disclosure in Windows NTFS. 3. CVE-2025-24985 - Remote Code Execution in Windows Fast FAT File System Driver. 4. CVE-2025-24991 - Information Disclosure in Windows NTFS. 5. CVE-2025-24993 - Remote Code Execution in Windows NTFS. 6. CVE-2025-26633 - Security Feature Bypass in Microsoft Management Console. The publicly disclosed zero-day is: - CVE-2025-26630 - Remote Code Execution in Microsoft Access. A comprehensive list of resolved vulnerabilities includes various CVE IDs and their respective titles and severities, with several vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft Office products, Windows components, and Azure services.

Winsage

March 6, 2025

This is how you get Excel, Word and more for less than $7 each

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is available for a lifetime license at a price of .97, which is a 75 percent discount until March 30. The suite includes eight applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. The license is designed for one Windows PC and offers instant delivery and download. The user interface has been redesigned for improved focus and efficiency. Prices are subject to change.

Winsage

March 4, 2025

I told Windows Notepad’s new AI to turn Nvidia’s fail into poetry

Microsoft has introduced AI-powered rewrite capabilities in Notepad, now available to all users after testing. This feature, accessible via a "magic pen" icon for Microsoft 365 subscribers, allows users to refine and transform existing text rather than generate new content. Users can copy and paste text into Notepad, highlight it, and request rewrites in various styles, including simplification, length alteration, and tone changes. The feature also offers formatting options such as lists, business memos, academic pieces, marketing content, or poems. A settings menu allows users to disable the Rewrite function, and using it consumes AI credits from Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Performance may vary, with some builds providing only cosmetic edits, while stable versions have received positive feedback for effectively simplifying complex articles.

Winsage

February 27, 2025

Windows 10 Mobile’s App Store officially dies—for real this time

Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 Mobile five years ago. The Microsoft Store on Windows 10 Mobile has now shut down, with users reporting gray screens or error messages when attempting to access it. Applications like Microsoft Word, Excel, OneNote, and PowerPoint received updates until 2021, but most essential applications became incompatible with Windows 10 Mobile by the time Windows 11 was released. Developers largely abandoned the platform, leaving users with limited options for new apps, which can now only be installed through sideloading.

Winsage

February 27, 2025

Windows 10 Mobile’s App Store officially dies—for real this time

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 Mobile five years ago. The Microsoft Store on Windows 10 Mobile has shut down, with users reporting a gray screen or error messages when attempting to access it. Office applications received updates until 2021, but the store's closure marks a significant decline for the platform. Some users can still see the Home page of the store but face limitations, such as being unable to install apps or access the Purchased section. Most essential applications became incompatible with Windows 10 Mobile by the time Windows 11 was released, leading to a lack of available apps. Users now resort to sideloading for installing new apps.