Microsoft has sought to reassure fans of its iconic Paint program that the Windows staple will live on, despite having listed it as “deprecated” ahead of this autumn’s Fall Creators Update release.
Despite placing MS Paint on an apparent ‘kill list’ of applications to be removed from the final Fall Creators Update build, Microsoft appears to have already U-turned on any decision to drop Paint completely, writing in a new blog post that the program is “here to stay.”
However, rather than coming baked into Windows as it had in the past, Paint will now be available to download for free from the Windows Store. The newer Paint 3D will ship with new versions of Windows 10 instead.
Late on Monday June 24, Microsoft’s Megan Saunders wrote on the company’s Windows blog:
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“We’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support and nostalgia around MS Paint. If there’s anything we learned, it’s that after 32 years, MS Paint has a lot of fans. It’s been amazing to see so much love for our trusty old app. Amidst today’s commentary around MS Paint we wanted to take this opportunity to set the record straight, clear up some confusion and share some good news:
“MS Paint is here to stay, it will just have a new home soon, in the Windows Store where it will be available for free.”
In other words, reports of Paint’s demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated – the program won’t be getting any further updates, with Microsoft now shifting its development focus to Paint 3D, but it’ll still be available for those of us who want to relive the tedium of 90s IT classes.
The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is expected to be released in September or October 2017, with new features including Clipboard, Timeline, and an all-new Fluent Design-based UI.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.