Microsoft pulls Notepad from Microsoft Store

Microsoft has released build 19035 of the Insider Preview of Windows 10 2004 to test users, and the most significant change involves the removal of Notepad from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft wanted to be able to update the app more flexibly via the store.

The build version has been released to users in the Fast and Slow Ring. Microsoft thanks test users for their feedback on the Store version of Notepad and has made the decision to “not release it to customers at this time.” Test users who were using the version and pinned it to the taskbar will need to re-pin Notepad after upgrading to build 19035 in order to use the non-Store version again. Also, file types may need to be re-associated with Notepad.

Microsoft will not provide any further explanation about the decision. In August, with the release of Windows Insider Preview build 18963, the company announced that it had moved Notepad to the Microsoft Store for test users so that the company was no longer tied to the semi-annual feature updates to update the software. With the eventual arrival of Windows 10 20H1, which is now called Windows 10 2004 and is expected in April 2020, the Store version would then become widely available. Since Windows 10 2004 is almost getting the rtm stamp, Notepad with the current decision remains a program that will have to be updated via Windows updates.

The other changes of Windows 10 Insider Preview build 19035 mainly concern fixes.