{{Short description|Windows notetaking application}} {{distinguish|Microsoft Systems Journal}} {{Infobox software | name = Windows Journal | logo = Windows Journal Viewer Icon.png | logo_size = x64px | screenshot = Windows Journal.png | screenshot_size = 300px | caption = Windows Journal running on Windows 11 | developer = Microsoft | replaced_by = OneNote | included with = {{ubl|Windows XP Tablet PC Edition |Windows Vista |Windows 7 |Windows 8 |Windows 8.1 |Windows 10 version 1507 and version 1511}} }} '''Windows Journal''' was a notetaking application created by Microsoft. It allowed the user to create and organize handwritten notes and drawings. It could be used with an ordinary computer mouse to compose a handwritten note, as well as a graphics tablet or a Tablet PC. It was first included with Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, and then later included with selected editions of Windows Vista and later. It was removed in 2016 with the Windows 10 "Anniversary Update" and was succeeded by OneNote. In the following months, patches for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 were released to uninstall Windows Journal due to security vulnerabilities with the Windows Journal file format (.JNT).
== History ==
=== Initial release === The first release of Windows Journal was included with Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.
=== Windows Journal Viewer === '''Windows Journal Viewer''', also created by Microsoft, allowed viewing notes created with Windows Journal on other systems without the Tablet PC software. The most recently released version 1.5.2316.0<ref name="viewer">{{Cite web |date=14 March 2005 |title=Download Microsoft Windows Journal Viewer 1.5 from Official Microsoft Download Center |url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20771 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115031749/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20771 |archivedate=2016-01-15 |access-date=29 July 2014 |work=Microsoft Download Center |publisher=Microsoft Corporation}} </ref> for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 was removed as of March 2016.
=== Windows Vista === An update was included with Windows Vista with slight visual changes.
=== Discontinuation and replacements === Windows Journal was included with later revisions of Windows. While it didn't receive feature updates, it was still tested for compatibility and patched for security vulnerabilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gfi.com/blog/may-2016-microsoft-patch-tuesday/|title=May 2016 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday|last=Shinder|first=Debra|date=12 May 2016|website=gfi.com/blog|publisher=GFI Software}}</ref> Windows Journal was available in the original July 2015 release of Windows 10 (version 1507) and the "November Update" (version 1511), but it was removed in the "Anniversary Update".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mspoweruser.com/sticky-notes-updated-for-preview-users/|title=Sticky Notes updated for preview users|last=Veal|first=Nicholas|date=5 May 2016|website=MSPowerUser}}</ref> Windows Journal is now replaced by OneNote, which is integrated into Windows 10. OneNote does not support natively support Windows Journal files, but Microsoft offers the ability to reinstall Journal<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3162655|title=Windows Journal Application Beta Refresh for Windows|date=9 August 2016|website=Support|publisher=Microsoft}}</ref> and a tool for converting Journal files to OneNote files.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/johnguin/2007/12/21/journal-to-onenote-importer/|title=Journal to OneNote Importer|last=Guin|first=John|date=21 December 2007|website=OneNote Testing|publisher=Microsoft}}</ref> On July 12, 2016, Microsoft released a patch (KB3170735) for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to notify users about future Windows Journal developments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3170735|title=July 2016 Update for Windows Journal|date=15 July 2016|website=Support|publisher=Microsoft}}</ref> On August 9, 2016, Microsoft released another patch (KB3161102) to remove Windows Journal from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 due to the Windows Journal file format (Journal Note File, or JNT) being susceptible to security exploits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3161102|title=Update for Windows Journal component removal|date=9 August 2016|website=Support|publisher=Microsoft}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/microsoft-releases-kb3161102-to-kill-off-windows-journal-507159.shtml|title=Microsoft Releases KB3161102 to Kill Off Windows Journal|last=Popa|first=Bogdan|date=10 August 2016|website=Softpedia|publisher=SoftNews SRL}}</ref>
On February 17, 2021, Microsoft released an alternative to Windows Journal called Microsoft Journal<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKibtldQU-o |title=A look inside: Microsoft Journal, a Microsoft Garage project |date=2021-02-17 |last=Windows Insider Program |access-date=2025-11-02 |via=YouTube}}</ref> as a part of the Microsoft Garage program.
== JNT format == Microsoft has provided no documentation for its proprietary {{Not a typo|.JNT}} file format, which makes it difficult or impossible for other developers or software publishers to read or write {{Not a typo|.JNT}} files. Therefore, other programs cannot import Windows Journal files. There can be no third-party applications that make direct use of files created with Windows Journal. {{Not a typo|.JNT}} files should be converted to other formats such as XML with the Journal Reader Supplemental Component,<ref name="JRSC">{{Cite web |date=April 2005 |title=Microsoft Windows Journal Reader Supplemental Component for the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Development Kit 1.7 |url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa813353.aspx |access-date=May 25, 2015 |work=Microsoft Developer Network |publisher=Microsoft Corporation |edition=v.1.7.2600.2180}}</ref> for external applications to use.
==See also== * Comparison of notetaking software
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{Cite web |url = http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Create-and-personalize-handwritten-notes-using-Windows-Journal |title = Create and personalize handwritten notes using Windows Journal |work = Windows 7 Help home |publisher = Microsoft Corporation |access-date = 5 July 2011 }} *{{Cite web |url = http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Customize-the-appearance-of-a-Journal-note |title = Customize the appearance of a Journal note |work = Windows Vista Help home |publisher = Microsoft Corporation |access-date = 5 July 2011 }} *{{Cite web |url = http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/tablet-pc |title = Tablet PC improvements |work = Windows 7 home |publisher = Microsoft Corporation |access-date = 5 July 2011 }} *{{Cite web |url = http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/evaluation/overviews/pctools.asp |title = New Tools to Use with Your PC |work = Windows XP Tablet PC Edition home |publisher = Microsoft Corporation |date = 7 November 2002 |access-date = 5 July 2011 |archive-date = 4 February 2004 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040204181354/http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/evaluation/overviews/pctools.asp }} *{{Cite web |url = http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/tabletpc/russel_03january20.mspx |title = Getting to Know Windows Journal for Tablet PC |work = Windows XP home |publisher = Microsoft Corporation |date = 20 January 2003 |access-date = 5 July 2011 |first = Charlie |last = Russel |archive-date = 1 June 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100601155401/http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/tabletpc/russel_03january20.mspx }} *{{Cite web |url = http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms812502.aspx |title = Converting Journal Notes to XML, SVG, and OneNote |work = Microsoft Developer Network |publisher = Microsoft Corporation |access-date = 29 July 2014 }}
{{Windows Components}}{{Notetaking software}} Category:Discontinued Windows components Category:Microsoft Tablet PC Category:Note-taking software Category:2002 software
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