Microsoft announced they will retire the Windows legacy inbox Troubleshooters and the Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT). The process of retiring these tools means that Microsoft will slowly phase out the built-in tools that automatically diagnose and correct common problems for various Windows features. As a part of this process, some of the troubleshooters will be redirected to a new Get Help platform, and the rest will be removed.
The Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) is a legacy service in Microsoft Windows that allows Microsoft technical support agents to analyze diagnostic data remotely for troubleshooting purposes. It is a command-line tool that can run troubleshooters, collect diagnostic data, and create support requests.
- Redirection to Get Help (2023-2024): Microsoft will redirect certain legacy inbox troubleshooters to the new Get Help troubleshooting platform in 2023. This means that when you run these troubleshooters, you will be directed to the Get Help platform to assist you in diagnosing and resolving issues related to
– audio
– BITS
– Bluetooth
– camera
– Network and internet
– printer
– program compatibility
– video playback
– Windows Media Player
– Windows Update - Complete Removal (2024): By 2024, Microsoft plans to remove the remaining legacy inbox troubleshooters from devices running the next release of Windows 11. This means that you won’t have access to these troubleshooters anymore.
- Removal of MSDT Platform (2025): In 2025, Microsoft will also remove the Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) platform, the underlying technology for many of these legacy inbox troubleshooters.
This retirement plan only affects Windows 11 and its future releases. If your device runs on Windows 10, 8.1, 7, or an older version, you don’t need to worry. You can continue to use the existing troubleshooters without any issues.
