Microsoft announced Friday that Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) will no longer be available in Windows Server releases after 2025. Windows Server 2025 will be the final release to include WINS support.
The tech giant deprecated WINS in Windows Server 2022 back in 2021. Standard support for WINS will continue through the lifecycle of Windows Server 2025, ending in November 2034. After that date, Microsoft will remove the WINS server role, the WINS management console snap-in, WINS automation APIs, and related interfaces entirely, Bleeping Computer reports.
Microsoft revealed that it removed WINS because DNS scales better and fits with modern internet standards. The company also noted that DNS offers security protections like DNSSEC, which protects against cache poisoning and spoofing attacks that WINS and NetBIOS cannot prevent. Modern Microsoft services, including Active Directory, cloud platforms, and Windows APIs, all rely on DNS for name resolution rather than WINS.
Microsoft urges organizations still using WINS to start planning their migration now. Options for migration include using conditional forwarders, split-brain DNS, and DNS search suffix lists.
Microsoft warns against using temporary solutions, such as static host files, which aren’t scalable or sustainable for larger organizations. The company is asking IT experts to check their dependencies now, review their DNS migration plans, and make calculated decisions to avoid future disruptions.