Microsoft Says Windows 11 Still Runs on 1990s Win32 Code

Overview

• Microsoft CTO Mark Russinovich said in a new video that the Win32 API remains central to Windows 11.
• Win32 is a library of ready-made functions apps call to draw windows, read files, handle clicks, and process keys.
• Common actions like right-clicking a file or launching a desktop app still trigger code first written in the 1990s.
• Past attempts to replace the API, including the Windows 8-era WinRT push, fell short because rewriting apps would break compatibility.
• Microsoft still publishes Win32 developer docs, and Russinovich highlighted long-lived tools such as Sysinternals and ZoomIt, with Sysmon now being added into Windows.