Can you believe it? After 30 years of faithful service, Microsoft is finally pulling the plug on WordPad. The app that debuted with Windows 95, and lets you open a .doc file if you don’t have Word installed, is being shown the door.

But why now and what does it mean for your business??

Microsoft has declared that it will no longer update WordPad and will eventually remove it from Windows entirely. It was a low-key reveal, and it’s unclear when it will take place, but it’s on the way.

But, let’s be honest… How many times have you opened a document in WordPad when you meant to open it in Notepad?

Notepad is what you use for plain text. WordPad is more like a word processor. Everyone gets them confused.

Could this common mix-up be the reason behind WordPad’s impending demise? Or perhaps Microsoft is trying to nudge more people towards paying for Microsoft Word, a key part of its Microsoft 365 suite.

In an excerpt from Microsoft’s recently updated Windows deprecated features list, they recommend using Microsoft Word for rich text documents and Windows Notepad for plain text documents. So, in other words, “WordPad who?”

But, let us not get too sappy. As a lifelong Windows user, I admit that I’ve generally accessed WordPad by accident. And even if it does vanish, I won’t be worried. There are plenty alternative word processors available, but I prefer Word.

However, if you’re a devoted WordPad user, don’t give up hope just yet. Microsoft is soliciting comments through the Windows comments Hub app. So, who knows if there is an outpouring of support? Perhaps Microsoft will reconsider and keep WordPad available, even if only as an optional, rarely updated programme from the Microsoft Store.

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