Microsoft Officially Announced the Decision to REMOVE Windows 11 from 2024

Microsoft confirms that the major update to Windows 11, codenamed 24H2, scheduled for later this year, will exclude WordPad, the venerable text editing tool. The announcement doesn’t come as a complete surprise; rumors about this change have been circulating for a few months already, but now we have an official confirmation.

Windows 11 will be without WordPad, the operating system’s default text editing application for years, as it was declared “deprecated” in September 2023, and will disappear from preview versions in January 2024. This move clearly signals Microsoft’s intention to close the WordPad chapter in future versions of Windows 11, including the upcoming 24H2 and Windows Server 2025.

Microsoft has decided that in the latest preview versions of Windows 11 24H2, it will not include WordPad either in the Start menu or in the system files, thus confirming its removal. This decision ends the ability to reinstall the app in new installations of Windows 11, prompting users to part ways with WordPad for good with the release of the 24H2 update, which is expected to be available around September 2024.

Microsoft Officially Announced the Decision to REMOVE Windows 11 from 2024

For those attached to WordPad, a temporary solution would be to hold off on upgrading to the 24H2 version of Windows 11, staying on the 23H2 version until it is no longer supported, which is until November 2025. After that date, Microsoft will begin forcing updates systems to a newer version in the absence of support and security updates, leaving users vulnerable to security risks.

Windows 11, despite removing WordPad, continues to offer Notepad as an alternative for text editing. Microsoft is actively investing in the development of Notepad, adding modern features such as spell check and autocorrect, with prospects of even integrating artificial intelligence-based functionality, turning it into a mini-Word variant for operating system users.

Windows 11 24H2 is not just an overhaul of the set of pre-installed apps; it promises to bring substantial changes to the operating system, introducing the Germanium platform, which will improve performance and security. With these changes, Microsoft reiterates its commitment to provide users with a Windows 11 operating system that is faster, more secure and more adapted to today’s needs.

As we get closer to the release of the 24H2 update, it’s clear that Windows 11 is gearing up for a major transformation, promising an improved user experience. Goodbye WordPad; welcome to the new era of text editing in Windows 11.