Everything removed or deprecated in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update
96 Comments
Microsoft is introducing a number of new features in Windows 10 1809, aka the October 2018 Update, including a dark theme for File Explorer, a new screenshot tool, and clipboard, search, Notepad, and Edge improvements. Sadly what promised to be the big new feature, Sets, hasn't made it into the OS this time around.
With each new Windows 10 update, some existing features get dropped, or stop being actively developed. Here are all the features that have been removed or deprecated in this forthcoming release.
SEE ALSO:
- Microsoft releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update Build 17760 to the Fast ring, with no known issues
- WTF? Microsoft now interrupting Chrome and Firefox installations to promote Edge in Windows 10
- Microsoft quietly stops interfering with Chrome and Firefox installations on Windows 10
- Forget Windows 10, it's Windows Vista -- 2018 Edition we want!
REMOVED FEATURES:
| Feature | Instead you can use... |
|---|---|
| Business Scanning, also called Distributed Scan Management (DSM) | Microsoft is removing this secure scanning and scanner management capability -- there are no devices that support this feature. |
| FontSmoothing setting in unattend.xml | The FontSmoothing setting lets you specify the font anti-aliasing strategy to use across the system. Microsoft has changed Windows 10 to use ClearType by default, so is removing this setting as it is no longer necessary. If you include this setting in the unattend.xml file, it'll be ignored. |
| Hologram app | Microsoft has replaced the Hologram app with the Mixed Reality Viewer. If you would like to create 3D word art, you can still do that in Paint 3D and view your art in VR or Hololens with the Mixed Reality Viewer. |
| limpet.exe | Microsoft is releasing the limpet.exe tool, used to access TPM for Azure connectivity, as open source. |
| Phone Companion | When you update to Windows 10, version 1809, the Phone Companion app will be removed from your PC. Use the Phone page in the Settings app to sync your mobile phone with your PC. It includes all the Phone Companion features. |
| Trusted Platform Module (TPM) management console | The information previously available in the TPM management console is now available on the Device security page in the Windows Defender Security Center. |
| Future updates through Windows Embedded Developer Update for Windows Embedded Standard 8 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard | Microsoft is no longer publishing new updates to the WEDU server. Instead, you may secure any new updates from the Microsoft Update Catalog. |
DEPRECATED FEATURES:
| Feature | Instead you can use... |
|---|---|
| Companion device dynamic lock APIS | The companion device framework (CDF) APIs enable wearables and other devices to unlock a PC. In Windows 10, version 1709, Microsoft introduced Dynamic Lock, including an inbox method using Bluetooth to detect whether a user is present and lock or unlock the PC. Because of this, and because third party partners didn't adopt the CDF method, Microsoft is no longer developing CDF Dynamic Lock APIs. |
| OneSync service | The OneSync service synchronizes data for the Mail, Calendar, and People apps. Microsoft added a sync engine to the Outlook app that provides the same synchronization. |
| Snipping Tool | The Snipping Tool is an application included in Windows 10 that is used to capture screenshots, either the full screen or a smaller, custom "snip" of the screen. In Windows 10, version 1809, Microsoft is introducing a new universal app, Snip & Sketch, that provides the same screen snipping abilities, as well as additional features. You can launch Snip & Sketch directly and start a snip from there, or just press WIN + Shift + S. Snip & Sketch can also be launched from the "Screen snip" button in the Action Center. Microsoft is no longer developing the Snipping Tool as a separate app but are instead consolidating its functionality into Snip & Sketch. |
Photo Credit: Andrey_Popov/ Shutterstock