Microsoft continues its gradual phase-out of various Windows features, a process that has seen the company retire several legacy functionalities that have long been part of the operating system’s landscape. Recently, the tech giant announced the discontinuation of Legacy DRM (Digital Rights Management) services across platforms such as Windows Media Player and Silverlight, particularly affecting older versions of the Windows operating system.
Upcoming Changes and Deprecations
While the fate of the widely used Windows Control Panel hangs in the balance, with speculation surrounding its eventual deprecation, Microsoft has yet to provide a definitive timeline for this transition. It is important to note that the term “deprecation” does not equate to immediate removal; rather, it signifies that a feature will no longer receive updates or support from Microsoft.
In a significant move, Microsoft has officially announced the removal of WordPad, a text editor that has garnered a loyal following over the years. This change will take effect with the release of Windows 11 version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025. The announcement coincided with the unveiling of the 2024 feature update, which introduced a variety of new functionalities.
WordPad has served as a reliable tool for many users, offering a straightforward solution for text editing and word processing. Its removal may come as a disappointment to those who have relied on its free services, leaving them to seek alternatives in a rapidly evolving software environment.
WordPad is removed from all editions of Windows starting in Windows 11, version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025. We recommend Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like .txt.
In addition to WordPad, Microsoft has also phased out AllJoyn, a feature that was deprecated last year. The company elaborated on this decision:
Microsoft’s implementation of AllJoyn, which included the Windows.Devices.AllJoyn API namespace, a Win32 API, a management configuration service provider (CSP), and an AllJoyn Router Service is retired. AllJoyn, sponsored by the AllSeen Alliance, was an open-source discovery and communication protocol for Internet of Things scenarios such as turning on/off lights or reading temperatures. The AllSeen Alliance promoted the AllJoyn project from 2013 until 2016 when it merged with the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF), the sponsors of Iotivity.org, another protocol for Internet of Things scenarios.
For those interested in a comprehensive overview of the features that have been removed, Microsoft has made this information available on its official website.
