Microsoft has added another feature to the list of obsolete Windows features. After tagging Paint 3D and Adobe Type1 fonts as obsolete in August 2024, this time it has set its sights on legacy DRM features.
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. It is used to allow playback of protected media.
The deprecation means that the feature will eventually be removed from Windows. Microsoft has not said when this will be done for the mentioned features.
Description:
- This change only affects DRM on Windows 7 and Windows 8. Microsoft hasn't mentioned Windows 8.1, making it unclear whether that system is also affected.
- Microsoft specifically mentions Windows Media Player and Silverlight.
Windows 7: Windows Media Player affected
Windows 7 users who use Windows Media Player to play DRM content will no longer be able to do so after Microsoft removed this functionality.
This means:
- If you used Windows Media Player to rip CDs containing protected content, you will no longer be able to play these CDs.
- Windows Media Player will no longer play any protected content. This may include purchased media.
Windows 7 users who use Media Player to rip content may need to use another program to rip the CD again. Free CDex is a great audio CD ripper.
Microsoft released a Digital Rights Update Tool Visit the Microsoft Store which allows users to remove copy protection of wma audio files ripped from Windows Media Player. This may also work, but it requires Windows 10 or newer. According to reviews, this tool is very poor.
Windows 8: Silverlight and More
Windows 8 machines will not be able to play protected content after this change is implemented.
Microsoft also reports Silverlight clients and Windows 8 clients are affected. The impact is the same as in Windows 7: any attempt to play protected content in a player using Microsoft tools or Microsoft technology is blocked after Microsoft removes the functionality.
This also affects streaming from Silverlight or Windows 8 clients to Microsoft's Xbox 360.
Windows 7 and 8 are no longer supported
Both operating systems are no longer supported (except for select non-consumer versions), as stated by Microsoft. Support for both ends in early 2023, which means Microsoft is no longer creating updates for the systems.
While most Windows users have upgraded their devices to newer versions of Windows, a large percentage of users are still using devices with these operating systems.
statcounter estimation About 3 percent of Windows users are still using Windows 7 or Windows 8. With over a billion Windows devices, that's still a huge number of users.
Closing words
In the meantime Microsoft released a new Windows Media Player for newer versions of Windows. This player does not seem to be fully compatible with DRM media files created on Windows 7 using the legacy DRM system.
You can try the tools mentioned above to remove DRM, but it may not work in all cases. You can check Latest Obsolete Features on the Microsoft website.
Are you affected by Microsoft's decision? Did you use Windows Media Player or Silverlight before? Feel free to comment below.
Thanks for reading..
