Microsoft is bidding farewell to WordPad, the basic word processing application that has been a part of Windows since Windows 95. The company has announced that WordPad will no longer receive updates and is slated for removal in a future release of Windows, likely to be Windows 12, expected in 2024.
This decision comes as Microsoft shifts its focus towards more feature-rich alternatives. In an official support note, Microsoft stated, “WordPad is no longer being updated, and we recommend Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf. For plain text documents like .txt, Windows Notepad is the suggested choice.”
Interestingly, this news coincides with Microsoft’s efforts to revamp Windows Notepad. The Notepad application is receiving enhancements such as autosave and automatic restoration of tabs, marking a significant update after years of relative stagnation.
While WordPad received a modest facelift with Windows 7’s Ribbon UI, it has not seen substantial improvements since. This move aligns with Microsoft’s strategy to streamline its software offerings and promote more advanced tools like Microsoft Word.
As we anticipate the forthcoming Windows 12, Microsoft promises a slew of AI-powered features, hinting at a dynamic future for the operating system. However, WordPad, a longtime companion for Windows users, will soon become a relic of the past.
