Get ready to say hello to new Windows and goodbye to an old friend

As nan presence of nan adjacent type of Windows 11 looms, it is besides clip to hole a not-so-fond farewell to nan Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) and its troubleshooters.

Earlier this year, Microsoft warned that its bequest inbox troubleshooters – specified arsenic nan keyboard and reside troubleshooters – would beryllium retired and, pinch nan adjacent merchandise of Windows 11 soon to arrive, now is arsenic bully a clip arsenic immoderate to clasp hands, stitchery astir nan campfire and opportunity goodbye.

While galore readers will beryllium pleased astir nan deprecation, malware authors will beryllium sorry to spot them go. A number of high-profile attacks, including nan infamous Follina exploit, made usage of flaws successful nan work successful bid to execute malicious code. The announcement that Microsoft was sidesplitting disconnected MSDT, therefore, made a batch of consciousness and wasn't hugely surprising.

Run and Get Help

Microsoft's scheme is to redirect users attempting to tally nan bequest troubleshooters to its caller Get Help platform. It's a noble effort, but will beryllium somewhat hamstrung by nan truth you'll request to beryllium online – unless you are utilizing nan Network and Internet assistant, which appears to usability erstwhile a instrumentality is not connected.

The institution noted that half of nan built-in troubleshooters person already been redirected, while nan remainder will beryllium retired and removed pinch nan adjacent merchandise of Windows.

This intends that by adjacent year, according to Microsoft's timeline, nan redirections will beryllium complete and each troubleshooters removed. Finally, successful 2025, nan MSDT level itself will beryllium stripped from Windows.

• Symantec: More malware operators moving successful to utilization Follina
• Now Windows Follina zero-day exploited to infect PCs pinch Qbot
• Zero-day vuln successful Microsoft Office: 'Follina' will activity moreover erstwhile macros are disabled
• National Cybersecurity Awareness programme 18 years on: Don't click that

Organizations pinch typical troubleshooting needs will beryllium capable to entree nan MSDT level arsenic a Windows Feature connected Demand, but 2025 is nan cut-off point. "This change," nan institution said generously, "will let you to proceed to usage MSDT to tally civilization troubleshooting packages while transitioning to a caller platform."

Users still clinging to older versions of Windows (from Windows 11 22H2 done to Windows 7 and earlier) won't beryllium affected.

No flowers. ®