Microsoft is readying Paint and WordPad as optional features in Insider Build 18963. As spotted by Windows Latest, the two programs can now be found in the settings app and removed with a single click.
After removing them, a restart will enough to completely uninstall them from your PC. This will save a little storage while removing general clutter and bloat in the OS. If needed, you can reinstall the programs at any point.
This seems to be an ideal solution to Microsoft’s conundrum with legacy Paint. With the Windows 10 Creator’s Update, it introduced its upgraded app, Paint 3D. However, many users still prefer classic Paint, and its proposed removal was met with some resistance.
In fact, it was planning to remove the app for close to two years. Users were presented with a warning that it would be replaced by Paint 3D in Insider builds but later removed the message.
Earlier this year, Windows program manager Brandon LeBlanc confirmed that the app would be in the May update, but it wasn’t clear if it would still be there in 2020. This testing is a strong indication that it will be.
Meanwhile, plans to shutter Paint 3D’s Remix 3D site in January raise questions about the app’s future. It’s not clear where exactly Microsoft is heading with its drawing apps in the future, but classic will at least be around for a while longer.
Meanwhile, Build 18963 adds some other very welcome changes. GPU temperature is now available in Task Manager, while users can rename virtual desktops and more easily change their cursor speed.
