Microsoft not solely introduces new options or packages with Windows updates, it additionally removes out of date capabilities.

Many individuals don’t discover this till they want a selected characteristic or the outdated program. One instance is WordPad, which can quickly be faraway from Windows, or Windows-to-Go and the Homegroup.

If you employ WordPad, it’s best to search for a substitute in good time. In most circumstances, nonetheless, Microsoft doesn’t take away options instantly, however as an alternative marks them as “obsolete.”

This signifies that no extra enhancements are being developed for these options or instruments and that Microsoft will take away them from Windows in a future model. Here’s an inventory of the Windows options destined to get the axe quickly.

Further studying: How to fight the new Windows Outlook app and keep Mail…for now

WordPad will now not be a part of Windows

Microsoft has introduced that WordPad will probably be fully faraway from Windows. Although the restricted phrase processor continues to be included in Windows 11 23H2, this may occasionally change with the replace to Windows 11 24H2 later this 12 months. Microsoft is already now not updating this system.

Thomas Joos

Thomas Joos

Thomas Joos

Anyone who depends on WordPad ought to due to this fact search for a substitute. Microsoft recommends utilizing Word Online on the Internet at this level. Google Docs, OpenOffice, and LibreOffice are additionally helpful.

Cortana now not exists

The stand-alone Cortana utility in Windows can be outdated and is being changed by Microsoft’s new Copilot AI. If you employ Cortana for sure areas, it’s best to familiarize your self with the chances of Copilot.

VBScript is being faraway from Windows

Anyone who makes use of their very own scripts with VBScript may also must discover a substitute: Microsoft will fully take away VBScript within the subsequent Windows variations, presumably in Windows 11 24H2.

WebDAV will now not be a part of Windows

With the elimination of the WebClient, Microsoft is eradicating WebDAV from Windows. This signifies that the protocol can’t be used to attach community drives with WebDAV. Users usually use the protocol to combine cloud storage instantly as a drive in Windows, for instance.

This gained’t be really easy in future. Microsoft now not needs to begin the service at bootup, and one of many subsequent steps will in all probability be to take away it, even perhaps in Windows 11 24H2.

TLS certificates beneath 2,408 bits will probably be eliminated

Microsoft is eradicating assist for TLS certificates with an RSA key of lower than 2,048 bits from Windows 10 and Windows 11. If you might be due to this fact nonetheless utilizing older certificates for purposes, there’s a danger that these will now not work after an replace sooner or later.

You ought to due to this fact change them as quickly as doable for those who grow to be conscious of this. However, this largely impacts firms that function their very own net purposes.

Problem logging is coming to an finish – psr.exe

With downside recording, customers can create step-based screenshots to create documentation or recreate errors so {that a} assist worker will help.

Microsoft needs to take away the recording fully from Windows. Here too, it’s best to get hold of a substitute for those who use the issue recordings. Microsoft recommends utilizing the snipping software in Windows for this goal.

Windows Mail and Outlook Express will probably be eliminated and changed by Outlook

Microsoft is eradicating the Windows Mail app in Windows 10 and Windows 11 and changing it with the new, free Outlook app. This is at present being criticized not solely resulting from Outlook’s lackluster characteristic set in comparison with the unique Mail app, however as a result of it routes all emails through Microsoft servers. This additionally applies to mail accounts that aren’t hosted by Microsoft. Many customers are already swapping Windows Mail for Mozilla Thunderbird.

Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft

Wmic.exe to be discontinued: Use WMI queries in Windows

With “wmic.exe”, customers and directors can use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) for queries – for instance, for details about a pc’s {hardware}. Microsoft has marked “wmic.exe” as out of date and can completely take away this command line program from Windows 10 and Windows 11. However, there may be the choice of utilizing PowerShell and the Get-WmiObject cmdlet in future.

Windows-to-Go now not a part of Windows

With Windows-to-Go, it was beforehand doable to save lots of Windows on an exterior exhausting drive and begin it on completely different computer systems. This possibility will probably be faraway from Windows. Microsoft is already now not offering assist for this characteristic.

No extra HomeGroup in Windows

Microsoft has discontinued assist for HomeGroups/house community teams. If you’ve created shares based mostly on HomeGroups, these will probably be retained, however the HomeGroup view will probably be fully faraway from the working system. Resources can nonetheless be shared through workgroups and Active Directory domains.

This article was translated from German to English and initially appeared on pcwelt.de.