All articles tagged with #win32
Microsoft CTO Mark Russinovich confirms Windows 11 still relies on the Win32 API dating back to Windows 95 for core operations, with a vast ecosystem built on it. Efforts like WinRT to modernize the API didn’t replace Win32, so much of today’s OS and applications remain grounded in decades-old code, even as Microsoft markets Windows 11 as the most modern and secure Windows yet.
Microsoft CTO Mark Russinovich acknowledged that Win32—the 1990s-era API—remains a first-class surface in Windows 11 due to its vast ecosystem, despite decades of attempts to replace it. Microsoft is gradually modernizing with native WinUI 3 via the Windows App SDK and reworking UI elements (like the Run dialog) to be faster and more memory-efficient, while WebView2-driven web apps have contributed to RAM usage. The move signals a shift back toward native apps to improve performance and consistency while preserving compatibility with legacy Win32 software.