Microsoft Windows Removes Text-Editor WordPad

Microsoft Windows Removes Text-Editor WordPad

News by Roberto OrosaRoberto Orosa
Published: September 06, 2023

Microsoft is removing its word processor software Wordpad from Windows and will no longer update it, according to a support note released by the company.

"We recommend Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like .txt," the company suggested in the note.

Microsoft didn't explain why it would be removing the text editor. Still, its lack of updates - with the last one being over ten years ago - indicated the software would've eventually met termination.

Meanwhile, the tech giant has released new updates for its note-taking software Notepad, giving it an autosave feature after recently adding a dark mode. 

Origins of WordPad

WordPad was first introduced with the release of Windows 95, launched in August 1995. Since then, the text editor has been considered a staple in Windows operating systems.

It would frequently be updated as part of new Windows releases, introducing new features, user interface changes, and improvements in its functionality.

Additionally, WordPad was always offered as a free-to-use software but lacked the features to match the more frequently updated Microsoft Word, which recently introduced a new default font - the first time in 15 years.

Edited by Nikola Djuric

Subscribe to Spotlight Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest industry news
"