Microsoft has recently released a preliminary version of a substantial Windows 11 24H2 update. This update aims to enhance the performance and security of the operating system (OS), introducing new features, including those based on artificial intelligence. However, it also comes with the permanent elimination of several old features and applications that were previously part of the system, with Cortana, “Tips” and WordPad being the most notable.
An updated list of applications and features to be removed has been made available by Microsoft. While many of these are pertinent to Windows administrators or professional users, there are a few changes that average users will notice.
“Cortana in Windows as a standalone application is now obsolete,” states Microsoft. The removal only applies to the Cortana application in Windows, whereas Cortana assistant will remain available in Outlook Mobile, Teams Mobile, Microsoft Teams Display, and Microsoft Teams Rooms.
The “Tips” application is also considered outdated, and it will be removed in a future version of Windows. However, new information about the latest Windows features will continue to update within the application until it is fully removed.
The biggest application facing removal is the text editor, WordPad. Previously, the company had announced that the application would cease to receive updates and be fully removed in a future version of Windows. “We recommend using Microsoft Word for efficient .doc and .rtf file management and the basic “Notepad” editor for .txt files. WordPad will be removed from all Windows editions, starting with Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025 versions,” Microsoft commented.
The Action Recorder Tool is also flagged for removal. The tool, designed to aid in troubleshooting PC issues, records specific actions executed after a problem’s occurrence. It saves a ZIP archive containing a textual description of these actions and screenshots, enabling specialists to access it remotely. The scripting language, VBScript, applied in applications utilising Active Scripting technology, will likewise be phased out from Windows.
The full list of applications and features to be removed with the forthcoming update or thereafter is considerably extensive. To access it, visit this link.
According to Microsoft, the removal of old functions and features is part of a broader effort to introduce new, more user-friendly options within their OS.
