Microsoft has announced that Cortana, Tips, and WordPad applications will no longer be available on systems upgraded to the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 release. The announcement came in a Thursday blog post revealing that Windows 11, version 24H2 (Build 26100.712), is now accessible for Insiders in the Release Preview Channel.
The removal of the Cortana standalone app from Windows 11 began in preview build 25967 for Insiders, released in the Canary Channel in early October. This move follows Microsoft’s decision to end support for Cortana, as initially outlined in a support document published in June and later deprecated in an August Canary build.
Replacing Cortana is Microsoft’s new Windows digital assistant, the AI-powered Copilot, introduced during last year’s Build conference. Copilot was rolled out to all customers on September 26th with the Windows 11 22H2 update.
In September, Microsoft announced the deprecation of WordPad, an application automatically installed on Windows systems for 28 years since 1995, and an optional feature since the Windows 10 Insider Build 19551 release in February 2020. Similarly, the Tips app was marked for deprecation in November, with users being informed of its removal in a future Windows release.
The Windows Insider Program Team clarified on Thursday that “Cortana, Tips, and WordPad are removed after upgrading to Windows 11, version 24H2,” emphasizing that these apps are deprecated.
Windows Insiders can access Windows 11 24H2 on compatible devices through Settings > Windows Update. Commercial customers can also upgrade via Windows Update for Business (WUfB) and Windows Server Update Service (WSUS).
Reflecting on past decisions, Microsoft noted its reversal regarding the classic Windows Paint app, which was initially slated for removal with the Windows 10 Fall Creator’s Update in July 2017. Due to user feedback, Microsoft made Paint available via the Microsoft Store instead of entirely discontinuing it.
Furthermore, in November, Microsoft announced the deprecation of the Defender Application Guard for Office and the Windows Security Isolation APIs, two years after their rollout to all Microsoft 365 customers with supported licenses.
As part of broader efforts to enhance security by removing potential attack vectors, Microsoft revealed plans to deprecate VBScript in the second half of 2024. This involves making it an on-demand feature before eventually disabling it by default and removing it from Windows.
Source: bleepingcomputer.com
