- Paint has been pre-installed on Windows since it was launched in 1985
- It is set to be one of several features removed in Windows 10 Creators Update
- Along with Paint, the Reader app and screen saver function are also at risk
It was a firm staple for children in IT lessons around the world in. But fans of Paint will the 1980s and 1990sbe disappointed to hear that Microsoft plans to remove the drawing software, 32 years after it was first introduced.The software looks set to be one of several features removed in the Windows 10 Creators Update this autumn.
After being around for 32 years and becoming one of the most recognized elements of the Windowsoperating system, Microsoft is planning to kill off graphics app Paint. The Redmond firm has threatened to depreciate the long-running program in the next Windows 10 update.In a list of “ Features that are removed or depreciated in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update ,” Paint is one of the items classed as “not in active development and might be removed in future releases."Paint started out as a 1-bit monochrome licensed version of ZSoft’s PC Paintbrush in the first version of Windows 1.0 in 1985. Having been around for over three decades, and with the introduction of Paint 3D in April’s Windows 10 Creators Update, it seems as if the program will soon become nothing more than part of Windows' history.While it was far from best graphics app and pales in comparison to professional programs, it’s still used by millions for a bit of quick and easy editing.System Image Backup (SIB) solution is also being depreciated. Microsoft is pointing users to “full-disk backup solutions from other vendors” as an alternative.Windows features that are definitely being removed include Outlook Express, Reader App and Reader list (both being integrated into Edge), and encryption utility Syskey, which Microsoft says is insecure - it recommends people use BitLocker instead.No official word yet on when Paint might be removed from Windows. We still don’t know the exact date when the Fall Creators Update will arrive, either, though it’s expected to roll out sometime this October.
