Windows10update kills the app - which one is scheduled?

Windows10update kills the app - which one is scheduled?

The Windows 10 Insider Preview Build offers a glimpse of what's new in Microsoft's operating system. And the new Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 21332 does exactly that to two of Microsoft's least loved applications.

As explained on the Windows Blog, Build 21332 removes the 3D Viewer and Paint 3D apps. Once the changes in this test build are applied to Windows 10 itself, these two applications will no longer be pre-installed on new installations of Windows 10.

The blog post does not give a specific reason for removing 3D Viewer and Paint 3D, but this release follows the recent Insider Preview Build that removed the 3D Objects folder in Windows 10. In other words, it appears that Microsoft is conducting a bonfire of infrequently used 3D features in general.

Microsoft is also rumored to be working on a major overhaul of the Windows 10 UI, nicknamed Sun Valley, so removing less popular apps and features may just be a preliminary step to a larger redesign.

It's not just 3D apps; Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 21332 also eliminated the Math Input Panel, which allowed users to draw mathematical symbols and formulas that Windows 10 could recognize as input. However, Microsoft said the underlying character recognition technology will remain as the "Maths Recognizer" feature and will continue to allow OneNote and Excel users to add mathematical formulas.

Even without the Sun Valley overhaul, the main beneficiaries of these changes will likely be new Windows 10 adopters rather than existing users. Of course, these apps can always be uninstalled themselves from the "Apps and Features" section of Windows 10 settings.

You can also sign up for the Windows Insider Program to try these test builds before Windows Update spreads the final version to all Windows 10 users.

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