When Windows 11 was released in the preview channels, I was among the early adopters. The iteration in its early days looked promising, particularly the modern UI, though compatibility with older hardware was a concern. Frankly, I liked the centrally-aligned taskbar, the updated Settings app, and even the new File Explorer, and I made my peace with the revamped Start Menu. As for hardware limitations, I soon found out that installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware was as easy, and there was no major downside to it, as long as the system wasn’t super old.

Microsoft just announced a per-app permission system, just like Android, for Windows 11, to make the OS “secure by default”. Soon, Windows is said to allow only properly signed apps and drivers to run. This is still an experiment, and we don’t know when it’ll become the default behaviour, but it’s being considered, and we might see changes soon. Of course, you’ll be able to turn off all new security features.

Microsoft regularly deprecates and eventually removes legacy components from Windows SKUs, typically due to security issues, low usage, or the presence of better alternatives. One such example is WINS, which Microsoft announced as deprecated back with Windows Server 2022, and now, it has published a support article clearly outlining the plans for the component.

For those unaware, Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) is Microsoft’s name resolution service that was introduced back in 1994 with Windows NT 3.5. Over time, its user base has collapsed drastically, since modern networks don’t use it and typically rely on Domain Name System (DNS) as the modern alternative.