WHAT’S MICROSOFT REMOVING Wbottom FROM teaser YOUR xxxxxxxx PC? Will you lose your pxx favourite tools?
(and what you should use instead) Windows 10 is already gearing up for a new update and some of its tools are set to bite the dust. Mike Plant reveals which of your favourite features will disappear – and what the best alternatives are
Many computers still haven’t received the Creators Update (CU), which was released in April. But Microsoft is already working on Windows’ next major update, the Fall Creators Update (FCU), likely to be released in September. It will have new features like My People (a new way to view your contacts list), improved Onedrive syncing and added ransomware protection. But it will lose a few tools and features as well.
Microsoft classifies these expendable features as ‘deprecated’ or ‘removed’. The former are still available but are “not in active development” and could be axed soon. Some of them have been relegated from traditional programs to Microsoft Store apps. Basically, Microsoft has abandoned them so they’ll never be improved. Removed features, on the other hand, are easier to explain. They’ve simply been removed entirely, so you’ll have no choice but to look elsewhere for a similar program. Read Microsoft’s own explanation at www.snipca.com/25211.
Microsoft Paint
Microsoft’s announcement that it would remove Paint was met with astonishment and anger from its loyal users, and led to a surge in artwork created using the program being shared on social-media sites (there are some great examples at www.snipca.com/25084). So loud was the outcry that Microsoft quickly performed a U-turn, announcing in a blog post ( www.snipca.com/25085) that MS Paint will survive as a Windows Store app that users can download. Use this instead Paint.net
www.getpaint.net
Paint might live on and Paint 3D, which arrived in the CU, is still open for business, but we wouldn’t suggest you use either. Instead, try Paint.net. It’s as easy to use, but includes better options, such as the ability to crop images, add layers, enhance with artistic effects (such as Pencil Sketch – see screenshot left), and to separate an image’s foreground from its background. User communities have also created all kinds of plug-ins that add even more features – see them at www.snipca.com/25086.
Reader
Microsoft initially pitched Reader as a way to display PDFS and ebooks in Windows, but has largely ignored it since incorporating it into Edge. Predictably, the company is now preparing to remove the app from both Windows and the Windows Store. Use this instead
Pdf-xchange Editor www.snipca.com/24974
While we agree with Microsoft’s decision to abandon Reader, we can’t recommend Edge as a replacement. Even though Edge’s ‘Reader view’ displays websites well – click the book icon to the right of the web address to use it (see screenshot above) – it isn’t a great PDF reader. We prefer Pdf-xchange Editor ( www.snipca.com/24974). To set it as your default PDF reader, tick ‘Set Pdf-xchange Editor as default application for PDF files’ during its installation.
Windows Reading List app
This app was (it’s already unavailable) a way to save web pages so you could read them offline at your convenience. Like the Reader app (see above), it’s since been
absorbed into Edge. To access its features, click the Hub icon (the three horizontal lines at the top right), then the ‘Reading list’ icon (second from the left). Click the star icon to access any web pages you’ve saved. Use this instead Pocket www.getpocket.com
Instead of Edge, you should try the web extension Pocket, which lets you save web pages and read them later whether you’re online or offline. It also syncs with the Pocket app on your phone or tablet so anything you save on one device will be available on all of them.
To get started, go to www.snipca.com/ 25094, then sign in using your Google account (or create a new account by clicking ‘Sign up now’ at the bottom of the page). Next, add the ‘Save to Pocket’ extension to your browser (Chrome users should go to www.snipca.com/25095, for example). To save a web page, click the Pocket extension in your browser. To view your saved pages, right-click the extension, then click Open Pocket (see screenshot above).
To see this content on your phone or tablet, download the app (Android www. snipca.com/25096; IOS www.snipca. com/25097), then sign in using the same details you used on your PC.
3D Builder app
When was the last time you designed a 3D model in Windows? We thought so. Which is probably why Microsoft is
‘deprecating’ this app (see screenshot below left) from Windows 10. For now, though, you can still get it from the Microsoft Store ( www.snipca. com/25092). Use this instead Blender www.blender.org
Those who do want to dabble with more advanced 3D modelling should download Blender, a free 3D sculpting program. Beware though, it’s as complicated to use as it is powerful. Make sure you visit the support page for guidance ( www.snipca.com/25098).
Outlook Express
This is a confusing one. Microsoft says it’s “removing this non-functional legacy code” from Windows 10. All well and good, but Outlook Express was last seen in Windows XP, so why are its remnants still clogging up Windows today? Use this instead Mail app Whatever the reason, we recommend you move to the Mail app – it’s easy to use, compatible with all popular email services and handles unlimited email addresses for free – unlike em Client which lets you add only two accounts before you have to pay.
To sync your entire inbox with the Mail app, click settings (cog icon at the bottom left), Manage Accounts, click your account, then ‘Options for syncing your content’. Scroll down to the ‘Download email from’ dropdown menu and select ‘any time’, then click Done followed by Save.
If you prefer a more traditional Outlook-style program, then Thunderbird ( www.snipca.com/25099) is a good option.
Sync your settings
Microsoft isn’t removing the backup feature from Windows 10, but will probably replace it – if not in the Fall Creators Update, then in the next major update after that (see box above). Use this instead Cloneapp www.snipca.com/25102
If you’d rather not leave Microsoft in charge of saving your settings we suggest you try Cloneapp. Go to the URL above, then click the download icon (a hard drive with a green arrow on top). Once installed, click Select Installed (see screenshot above) to have Cloneapp scan your PC for compatible Windows and program settings (you’ll see all programs listed on the left are ticked by default). Click Start Cloneapp to begin the back-up process. To restore your settings (if you reinstall a program you removed, for example), tick that program’s box, then click Restore.