Microsoft has been increasingly moving towards the Windows Store as its only supported way of distributing Windows apps. After the introduction of Paint 3D with the Windows 10 Creators Update, many feared the original desktop Paint app would soon be removed entirely.
Today, Microsoft took another step towards stripping Paint out of Windows. It has published a list which details all the Windows features being removed, deprecated or significantly altered in the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. Paint is amongst the casualties and will be deprecated with the update.
Contrary to what other publications have reported, this does not mean Paint will no longer be available. As of the Fall Creators Update, the program will remain present on computers and will still be installed with Windows. However, its official deprecation means Microsoft could remove it in a future Windows update without issuing further warnings.
R.I.P. My childhood with Microsoft Paint 1998-2017. :'(. #MSpaint pic.twitter.com/cTpoWHwxFS
— Kayla Rae (@KaylaColgan) July 24, 2017
Moment of silence for #MSPaint
— Kenton M. (@kentoetc) July 24, 2017
Paint’s functionality has been largely replaced by Paint 3D, the new Universal Windows app introduced by Microsoft with the Creators Update. The company is pushing everyone to try the new app which features a completely redesigned UI and the addition of 3D editing tools alongside traditional Paint features.
The app is regarded by many critics of the Windows Store as unnecessary bloatware. Paint is famed for its simplistic interface and speed of operation. The app weighs in at just 6.5MB, or 3% of Paint 3D’s listed 206.9MB installation size. While the classic Paint app isn’t going away immediately, the news of its deprecation will renew fears among fans that it could soon be stripped out of Windows, leaving no directly comparable replacement.
Future kids are not going to have the annoyance of accidentally saving your great work as a .bmp instead of a .jpg. I will miss #MSPaint
— Jude Coram (@JudeCoram) July 24, 2017
RIP MS Paint
1985-2017
Long 32 years journey has came to an endMicrosoft to kill MS Paint in an impending update #MSPaint pic.twitter.com/IuI23cV64p
— AMAL .G.S ( अमल) (@mr_amalgs) July 24, 2017
Alongside Paint, additional features being deprecated with the Fall Creators Update include the screen saver functionality in Windows themes, the current version of “Sync Your Settings” and legacy versions of several Windows internal components.
Features being removed include the 3D Builder app, regarded by many as bloatware, and EMET, Microsoft’s popular security tool favoured by system administrators. The latter removal has been particularly controversial with some security experts claiming Microsoft’s alternatives aren’t as safe as EMET.
