When we buy a new computer with Windows, we may be surprised to find many programs already installed, most of them from Microsoft or the manufacturer. Some of these applications are considered “bloatware” and useless, but many others are very useful for regular use of our computer. Unfortunately, Microsoft is killing classic Windows programs to make them lighter and better prepared for future changes, and now it’s someone else’s turn.
This was confirmed by Microsoft, which announced the end of WordPad, the word processor preinstalled since Windows 95, more than 28 years ago. It is an enterprise veteran and one of the most useful for the millions of users who could not purchase Microsoft Office. However, it is also true that in recent years it has gone unnoticed and has not received updates.
WordPad was born as a kind of free version of Microsoft Word; It is a word processor that offers more functions and options than a simple text editor, and that is why many people prefer it to Notepad. It was also an essential program if one wanted to read .doc files created with Word, since it was compatible with its format and even with later versions like .docx. If we didn’t want or couldn’t buy Microsoft Office, at least we had the WordPad alternative.
Microsoft WordPad and Windows 11
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WordPad hasn’t received any major updates in many years. The last time it received a major change was with Windows 7, when it adopted the “ribbon” interface that other Microsoft programs already had; Since then, it has only received security updates, losing compatibility with old or obsolete formats to avoid attacks. WordPad is still included by default in Windows 11, but it is very noticeable that it is not a native program for this system due to the use of colors and icons more typical of the era of Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Finally, Microsoft decided to kill WordPad and it will no longer be installed in future versions of the operating system. And unlike other programs that have simply been abandoned but can continue to be used, in this case the undertaking has been tougher and WordPad will be removed from computers and will not allow users to reinstall it.
In a future Windows 11 update, WordPad will be uninstalled from the system without the user being able to do anything to change it; And the system will block the installation if the user downloads the program by other means. It is possible that this extreme measure was taken to prevent WordPad from being used by hackers to carry out attacks against users, taking advantage of the fact that it will no longer receive security updates.
Therefore, if we still use WordPad, it is advisable to look for an alternative as soon as possible. If we need compatibility with .docx, we have a Microsoft 365 subscription to be able to use Word, but we also have free alternatives like Google Docs, although in this case the disadvantage is that it is is a web application.
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