deprecation

When Microsoft announces the deprecation of a feature or service, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was because few people use it. This may be the case in some instances, but with the deprecation of WSUS driver synchronization, the company is making it seem otherwise.

So many reminders have been issued about the loss of this particular service, it is hard to think that Microsoft isn't aware that the cull will affect a lot of people. And now yet another reminder has been published!

Microsoft is no stranger to announcing the deprecation of components of Windows, or even entire apps. But what does it mean exactly? The company has tried to make things a little clearer, but it’s up for debate whether it achieved this or not.

In a post on the Windows IT Pro Blog, Microsoft starts off by defining deprecation by describing what it is not -- “deprecation is not the end point of the lifecycle”.  It is also not to be considered “the end” according to Microsoft. Eh?

Having previously announced its intention to terminate the option to perform driver synchronization updates via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Microsoft has issued a reminder to users as the deadline draws closer.

There is still time to prepare for the demise of WSUS driver synchronization, but the clock is definitely ticking. With the end just weeks away, Microsoft has not only reminded admins that they need to take action but also suggested alternatives.

It may be the longest, slowest death of any deprecated piece of software, but Microsoft is inching closer to the complete killing off of the WMI command line utility.

It is now eight years since Microsoft deprecated the Windows Management Instrumentation Command line (WMIC), but the utility was converted into a Feature on Demand in Windows 11 22H2. However, starting now in Insider builds -- and later in the year for release builds -- WMIC will be disabled by default.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it would be retiring legacy troubleshooters in Windows 11. These built-in tools have helped users diagnose and fix common Windows problems since their arrival in Windows 7 back in 2009.

Now, the company has started the process of removing these troubleshooters.