TL;DR: Microsoft Insiders participating in the Canary Channel for Windows 11 may recall that Redmond removed WordPad from new OS installs earlier this month. Now with the latest preview build (26040), the legacy word processor is being deleted from existing installs.
None of this should come as a big surprise considering Microsoft first announced plans to deprecate WordPad back in September 2023. Still for some, it may be hard to see yet another piece of legacy software being phased out.
WordPad first shipped as part of Windows 95, and was positioned more as an enhanced version of Notepad than a full-fledged word processor. It could still get the job done in a pinch but anyone serious about word processing would likely have reached for something more capable like Microsoft Word.
Word is still a viable option these days, but it is not the only player on the field. LibreOffice is a popular (and free) choice used by millions, although we understand if you don't want to stray too far from the familiarity of MS Office. If that is you, and you happen to be in the market for a newer version of Office, you can currently grab Office 2019 Professional Plus for under $30. I recently picked up a copy for my new PC build and had zero issues with installation and activation.
The Canary Channel allows Insiders to try the latest Windows features that are "hot off the presses" and can include features that need longer lead times before being released via general channels. Examples include major changes to the Windows kernel and new APIs.
Microsoft notes that some features tried out here may never ship, while others won't show up in a consumer release until they are fully vetted. Furthermore, Redmond will only offer limited documentation that highlights only the most significantly and impactful known issues.
It is not yet known when Microsoft will remove WordPad from the consumer version of Windows 11, but we suspect it isn't long for this world.
https://www.techspot.com/news/101699-microsoft-removes-wordpad-latest-windows-11-canary-build.html
