By Berry Zwets
Publication Date: 2025-11-24 10:33:00
Microsoft has announced that WINS (Windows Internet Name Service) will be removed from future versions of Windows Server. The feature will remain available in Windows Server 2025 until 2034, after which organizations will have to switch to DNS permanently.
According to Microsoft, DNS is the logical successor. The protocol complies with RFC 1034 and RFC 1035 and offers a distributed, hierarchical structure. WINS, on the other hand, works with a centralized replication model that scales less well.
DNSSEC protects against attacks such as spoofing and cache poisoning, security layers that WINS and NetBIOS lack. Modern applications and services, including Active Directory and cloud platforms, are built entirely on DNS.
Microsoft marked WINS as obsolete in its documentation years ago. The technology is now listed as a deprecated feature for Windows clients.
Ten years of preparation time for migration
Microsoft has opted for a phased approach. WINS has…
