By Hans-Christian Dirscherl
Publication Date: 2026-05-07 16:03:00
Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- PCWorld reports that Windows 11 still relies on code from the 1990s, particularly the Win32 API from Windows 95, for basic functions like right-clicking.
- Microsoft CTO Mark Russinovich acknowledges the unexpected longevity of this legacy code, which remains fundamental to many applications and core Windows operations.
- Previous attempts to modernize the Windows API, including WinRT, failed to fully replace the enduring Win32 system that continues powering today’s operating system.
Windows 11 is the most modern, secure, and updated Windows ever—at least that’s what Microsoft keeps saying. But a senior Microsoft executive recently revealed just how much of the underlying technology in Windows 11 is still legacy, all the way from decades ago.
One such relic in Windows 11 comes into play whenever you right-click a file or launch a desktop app. When you perform such tasks, you’re executing code that was written in the 1990s.