Microsoft Paint is about to be brushed aside after 32 years

Microsoft could be on the verge of scrapping its Paint app after 32 years.

The app has a treasured place in the hearts of budding artists and anyone who ever wanted to kill some time on their computer.

Microsoft Paint, formerly known as Paintbrush, was packaged in the first version of Windows back in 1985 and went on to become a phenomenon.

But now Microsoft could be about to axe the app in its upcoming autumn Windows update.

MS Paint is listed in a Microsoft rundown called, ‘Features that are removed or deprecated in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update’.

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It could spell the end for the once popular painting app, which has been included in every version of Windows for three decades.

Microsoft Paint is among a number of apps that are earmarked for the chopping block, including Outlook Express, Reader and Reading list.

Windows 10 does include Paint 3D, which is a separate application to the original Paint.

According to the scheduled autumn update, Paint is ‘not in active development and might be removed in future releases’.

A date hasn’t been set for its demise, and the release of the Windows 10 Autumn Creators Update is also unknown.

When it was launched in 1985 with Windows 1.0, Paint only supported 1-bit monochrome graphics.

Later versions of Windows allowed Paint users to save images in JPEG, GIF and PNG formats.

Versions such as Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 all launched with Microsoft Paint.

(Main picture: Microsoft)