Highlights
Microsoft has confirmed that it will no longer support WordPad, a text editing feature for Windows, as part of its deprecation process for Windows 11.
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WordPad, which was introduced in 1995, will not be included in future versions of Windows. It served as a basic yet efficient text editor, bridging the gap between Notepad and Microsoft Word.
For text editing needs, users have alternative software options such as Microsoft Word or Notepad. Microsoft Word is recommended for creating rich text documents, whereas Notepad is suitable for plain text documents.
Microsoft has confirmed that it will no longer provide support for the WordPad feature on the Windows client, after twenty-eight years of service. As part of the recent deprecations made by Microsoft for Windows 11, several features from previous versions of the client have been discontinued. Most notably, Cortana support was dropped in the latest Windows 11 update, removing the virtual assistant app that was introduced in 2014 to rival Apple's Siri. WordPad is another casualty of this trend, as it will not be supported in future versions of Windows.
Originally introduced in 1995 with the release of Windows 95, WordPad replaced the Windows Write software. Since then, it has been included in all versions of the Windows client. WordPad functions as a more advanced version of Notepad while still being simpler than Microsoft Word. It offers a simple yet effective text editor that allows writers to perform various tasks and save documents in rich text or plain text formats. However, this tool will no longer receive support as an official feature of Windows, effective immediately.
In an updated blog post published on Microsoft's website, a comprehensive list of deprecated features and functions in the latest Windows version was provided. The deprecation stage signifies the discontinuation of active development for certain aspects of Windows. Alongside the Snipping Tool and Cortana, the announcement also included WordPad as being in this state, and it is set to be removed in a forthcoming release.
WordPad, a text editing software, is set to be removed from Windows. Users are advised to turn to alternative software for their editing needs. For those working with rich text documents like doc or rtf files, Microsoft Word is recommended. On the other hand, for plain text documents like txt files, Notepad is a suitable choice. Both Notepad and Microsoft Word are long-standing features of Windows, with the former being part of its initial version. However, Microsoft Word requires either a standalone purchase or a subscription to Microsoft 365.
WordPad sits between Microsoft Word and Notepad in terms of functionality, lacking advanced features such as spellcheck and a thesaurus. The rise of Google Docs and other online writing tools from Google's services has likely diminished the usage of WordPad. While both WordPad and Google Docs are free, the latter has emerged as a popular option due to its ease of use and the convenience of saving documents on Google Drive. In addition, Google Docs offers many of the same features as Microsoft Word.
Source: Microsoft (via IGN)
