Microsoft deprecates Legacy console mode in Windows 11 and future releases

The legacy console mode is now a deprecated component that Microsoft no longer updates. The company has published a new message in the official Windows documentation detailing the end of development for the legacy console mode, a special compatibility tool designed to run old command-line apps in Windows 10.

According to Microsoft, future Windows releases, such as the upcoming next-gen Windows client scheduled for 2024, will not offer the legacy console mode by default. However, Microsoft is not removing it altogether—the tool will remain available as an optional on-demand feature installable using the DISM /add-Capability command.

Legacy console mode

 

The legacy console mode is deprecated and no longer being updated. In future Windows releases, it will be available as an optional Feature on Demand. This feature won't be installed by default.

Microsoft has dedicated documentation detailing how the legacy console mode works. You can check it out using this link to the Microsoft Learn website. In a nutshell, the legacy console mode reverts the console (Command Line or PowerShell) to an older version if a specific program is not displaying or operating properly in the default, up-to-date Windows console. You can switch to the legacy console mode by right-clicking the title bar, selecting "Properties," and checking the "Use legacy console" option on the "Options" tab.

The legacy console mode joined plenty of other features and components Microsoft recently deprecated. Those include the old Windows Vista-era Speech Recognition tool (substituted by Voice Access in Windows 11), Steps Recorder, the Tips app, WordPad, VBScript, Remote Mailslots, and more.

As a reminder, deprecated features usually remain accessible for quite a while after the initial deprecation. However, they no longer receive updates and eventually disappear from Microsoft's operating systems. You can check out this page to find more information about deprecated features in Windows 10 and 11.

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