Microsoft will remove several Windows features in 2023, such as WordPad, the standard text editor the company has offered for years.
The company often allows users to continue using deprecated features or install them as add-ons after they are removed, although this is not the case with Notepad.
Microsoft is preparing to remove Notepad from Windows 11 and will not allow it to be reinstalled.
The company announced its intention to remove Notepad from recent versions of the Canary Channel operating system.
Notebook is no longer included in version 26020 of the OS and the company states that the app will no longer be reinstallable.
Microsoft said: “After reinstalling the operating system, version 26020 of Windows 11 will no longer include the Notebook and People applications. » We will remove WordPad in a future upgrade. The laptop software cannot be reinstalled. WordPad has become a neglected feature in Windows. "
The company has been automatically installing the software on Windows 95 since 1995. Notepad provides users with simple text processing and a document editor built into the operating system.
There is no official way to bring back this simple and old text editor, although enthusiasts can find a way to bring it back to Windows 11.
You can easily find guides and executables to install essential Windows 7 games on Windows 11, as well as install legacy photo viewer apps and other components. However, you need to check the source code before installing any unknown EXE files you find online.
Step logger apps have suffered a similar fate. Microsoft has not removed the app from the operating system yet, but there is a banner indicating that the app is no longer in active development.
There is no shortage of free and paid text editors for Windows.
Of course, Microsoft wants you to sign up for Microsoft 365 to edit DOC, RTF, and other text files in Word. However, you can also use Office Online for free or use a third-party alternative.
Microsoft recommends the Snipping Tool, Xbox Game Bar, or Clipchamp as alternatives to Step Recorder, although none of these tools can fully replace the functionality available in Step Recorder.