Updated: July 15, 2020 (May 2, 2016)

Feature Deprecation and Removal in Windows Server 2016

Wes Miller analyzes and writes about Microsoft’s security, identity management, and systems management technologies. Before joining Directions on Microsoft, Wes... more

Microsoft has published a list of removed or deprecated features in Windows Server 2016. Most applications written for recent versions of Windows Server should work on this release, but some management tools or scripts might need updates to ensure they function properly as the OS moves forward. Existing applications should be tested for compatibility with the new OS.

Management and Legacy File Services Affected

Most of the features being removed or deprecated are legacy management frameworks and APIs, highlighting the movement of Windows Server toward PowerShell-based management.

The following features available in previous OSs are removed in Windows Server 2016:

The File Server Share and Storage Management snap-in has been removed. Organizations that still require this Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in will need to use a system running Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, or older.

The Security Configuration Wizard has been removed. Group Policy or the Microsoft Security Compliance Manager should be used instead of the wizard.

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