Redmond is fed up with the security issues of WJ

Aug 10, 2016 09:26 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is shipping an update to Windows devices that’s removing Windows Journal, an application that was first introduced in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and that is still available today.

The main reason for this sudden decision is the growing number of security issues affecting Windows Journal, so Microsoft prefers to discontinue it completely rather than fix vulnerabilities every single month.

KB3161102 is now being shipped to Windows 7, 8.1, and Windows 10, and once installed, Windows Journal is completely gone.

“It's currently a component of all supported client versions of Windows through Windows 10 Version 1511. The file format that's used by Windows Journal (Journal Note File, or JNT) has been demonstrated to be susceptible to many security exploits. Therefore, Windows Journal will be removed from all versions of Microsoft Windows soon,” Microsoft says on the KB page of the update.

Microsoft wants Windows Journal users to move to OneNote

So what should you do next? The easiest solution is to move to OneNote, an application that Microsoft is actively supporting these days and that is already available on all platforms, including Windows and non-Windows (as well as mobile operating systems).

“This update lets users remove the Windows Journal component immediately. Because it is a more secure alternative to Windows Journal, we recommend that users download, install, and use Microsoft OneNote,” Microsoft notes.

But if OneNote isn’t really your cup of tea, Microsoft is also providing a downloadable version of Windows Journal, but you should be aware that this will be affected by the same security issues as the built-in flavor of the app. So although you install it manually, the security risks remain, and a notification informing you about these will be displayed upon launching the app.

Microsoft says that all users are recommended to install this update immediately, so if you’ve noticed it in Windows Update and don’t know what to do, this should lend you a hand to make a decision as soon as possible.