In a development that marks the end of an era, Microsoft has declared that its Windows 11 update will no longer include WordPad. The company has not only decided to pull the plug on the word processing application but has also blocked any possibilities of its reinstallation.
What Happened: As revealed in a post on the Windows Insider Blog, Microsoft Corp MSFT has made it clear that starting with the Insider build 26020, WordPad will cease to be a part of Windows 11.
WordPad will be completely removed and users will not have the option to reinstall it. This decision officially marks the end of this word-processing software that was first launched 28 years ago, in 1995.
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The news about WordPad’s discontinuation was included in the patch notes for the latest Windows 11 Insider build. The update brings some new features like enhanced voice access tools and natural text-to-speech voices, but the discontinuation of WordPad has emerged as a noteworthy alteration.
This build, which is currently in the Canary branch of the Windows 11 Insider program, signifies the initial testing phase for the operating system. The update needs to go through the Beta and Dev channels before it is released to the general public. This timeline gives WordPad enthusiasts some time before the application is entirely phased out.
WordPad users might find a third-party word processor like Notepad++ a good option – it is completely free and open source as well.
Why It Matters: Microsoft released the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26020 to the Canary Channel with limited documentation.
As part of this update, the company is extending language support for its voice access tool, while phasing out features like WordPad.
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