gh-76773: Update docs mentioning no-longer-supported Windows versions & features (GH-92529)

1 files changed, 51 insertions, 83 deletions

diff --git a/Doc/using/windows.rst b/Doc/using/windows.rst
index 1d1be20..dcc5337 100644
--- a/Doc/using/windows.rst
+++ b/Doc/using/windows.rst
@@ -391,7 +391,9 @@ may be changed from ``.``, and the package will be installed into a
 subdirectory. By default, the subdirectory is named the same as the package,
 and without the ``-ExcludeVersion`` option this name will include the specific
 version installed. Inside the subdirectory is a ``tools`` directory that
-contains the Python installation::
+contains the Python installation:
+
+.. code-block:: doscon
 
    # Without -ExcludeVersion
    > .\python.3.5.2\tools\python.exe -V
@@ -438,7 +440,7 @@ dependants, such as Idle), pip and the Python documentation are not included.
 .. note::
 
     The embedded distribution does not include the `Microsoft C Runtime
-    <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145>`_ and it is
+    <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-US/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist#visual-studio-2015-2017-2019-and-2022>`_ and it is
     the responsibility of the application installer to provide this. The
     runtime may have already been installed on a user's system previously or
     automatically via Windows Update, and can be detected by finding
@@ -572,27 +574,22 @@ System variables, you need non-restricted access to your machine
     Windows will concatenate User variables *after* System variables, which may
     cause unexpected results when modifying :envvar:`PATH`.
 
-    The :envvar:`PYTHONPATH` variable is used by all versions of Python 2 and
-    Python 3, so you should not permanently configure this variable unless it
-    only includes code that is compatible with all of your installed Python
+    The :envvar:`PYTHONPATH` variable is used by all versions of Python,
+    so you should not permanently configure it unless the listed paths
+    only include code that is compatible with all of your installed Python
     versions.
 
 .. seealso::
 
-    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/help/folder-variables
-      Environment variables in Windows NT
-
-    https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754250.aspx
-      The SET command, for temporarily modifying environment variables
+    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/procthread/environment-variables
+      Overview of environment variables on Windows
 
-    https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755104.aspx
-      The SETX command, for permanently modifying environment variables
+    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/set_1
+      The ``set`` command, for temporarily modifying environment variables
 
-    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/310519/how-to-manage-environment-variables-in-windows-xp
-      How To Manage Environment Variables in Windows XP
+    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/setx
+      The ``setx`` command, for permanently modifying environment variables
 
-    https://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/~louis/software/faq/q1.html
-      Setting Environment variables, Louis J. Farrugia
 
 .. _windows-path-mod:
 
@@ -690,9 +687,7 @@ From the command-line
 System-wide installations of Python 3.3 and later will put the launcher on your
 :envvar:`PATH`. The launcher is compatible with all available versions of
 Python, so it does not matter which version is installed. To check that the
-launcher is available, execute the following command in Command Prompt:
-
-::
+launcher is available, execute the following command in Command Prompt::
 
   py
 
@@ -700,26 +695,20 @@ You should find that the latest version of Python you have installed is
 started - it can be exited as normal, and any additional command-line
 arguments specified will be sent directly to Python.
 
-If you have multiple versions of Python installed (e.g., 2.7 and |version|) you
-will have noticed that Python |version| was started - to launch Python 2.7, try
-the command:
-
-::
-
-  py -2.7
+If you have multiple versions of Python installed (e.g., 3.7 and |version|) you
+will have noticed that Python |version| was started - to launch Python 3.7, try
+the command::
 
-If you want the latest version of Python 2.x you have installed, try the
-command:
+  py -3.7
 
-::
+If you want the latest version of Python 2 you have installed, try the
+command::
 
   py -2
 
-You should find the latest version of Python 2.x starts.
+You should find the latest version of Python 3.x starts.
 
-If you see the following error, you do not have the launcher installed:
-
-::
+If you see the following error, you do not have the launcher installed::
 
   'py' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
   operable program or batch file.
@@ -727,11 +716,11 @@ If you see the following error, you do not have the launcher installed:
 Per-user installations of Python do not add the launcher to :envvar:`PATH`
 unless the option was selected on installation.
 
-::
+The command::
 
   py --list
 
-You should see the currently installed versions of Python.
+displays the currently installed version(s) of Python.
 
 Virtual environments
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
@@ -757,9 +746,7 @@ following contents
     import sys
     sys.stdout.write("hello from Python %s\n" % (sys.version,))
 
-From the directory in which hello.py lives, execute the command:
-
-::
+From the directory in which hello.py lives, execute the command::
 
    py hello.py
 
@@ -772,9 +759,9 @@ is printed.  Now try changing the first line to be:
 
 Re-executing the command should now print the latest Python 3.x information.
 As with the above command-line examples, you can specify a more explicit
-version qualifier.  Assuming you have Python 2.6 installed, try changing the
-first line to ``#! python2.6`` and you should find the 2.6 version
-information printed.
+version qualifier.  Assuming you have Python 3.7 installed, try changing
+the first line to ``#! python3.7`` and you should find the |version|
+version information printed.
 
 Note that unlike interactive use, a bare "python" will use the latest
 version of Python 2.x that you have installed.  This is for backward
@@ -827,8 +814,8 @@ shebang lines starting with ``/usr``.
 Any of the above virtual commands can be suffixed with an explicit version
 (either just the major version, or the major and minor version).
 Furthermore the 32-bit version can be requested by adding "-32" after the
-minor version. I.e. ``/usr/bin/python2.7-32`` will request usage of the
-32-bit python 2.7.
+minor version. I.e. ``/usr/bin/python3.7-32`` will request usage of the
+32-bit python 3.7.
 
 .. versionadded:: 3.7
 
@@ -921,19 +908,19 @@ Examples:
   ``python2`` will use the latest Python 2.x version installed and
   the command ``python3`` will use the latest Python 3.x installed.
 
-* The commands ``python3.1`` and ``python2.7`` will not consult any
+* The command ``python3.7`` will not consult any
   options at all as the versions are fully specified.
 
 * If ``PY_PYTHON=3``, the commands ``python`` and ``python3`` will both use
   the latest installed Python 3 version.
 
-* If ``PY_PYTHON=3.1-32``, the command ``python`` will use the 32-bit
-  implementation of 3.1 whereas the command ``python3`` will use the latest
+* If ``PY_PYTHON=3.7-32``, the command ``python`` will use the 32-bit
+  implementation of 3.7 whereas the command ``python3`` will use the latest
   installed Python (PY_PYTHON was not considered at all as a major
   version was specified.)
 
-* If ``PY_PYTHON=3`` and ``PY_PYTHON3=3.1``, the commands
-  ``python`` and ``python3`` will both use specifically 3.1
+* If ``PY_PYTHON=3`` and ``PY_PYTHON3=3.7``, the commands
+  ``python`` and ``python3`` will both use specifically 3.7
 
 In addition to environment variables, the same settings can be configured
 in the .INI file used by the launcher.  The section in the INI file is
@@ -944,21 +931,21 @@ an environment variable will override things specified in the INI file.
 
 For example:
 
-* Setting ``PY_PYTHON=3.1`` is equivalent to the INI file containing:
+* Setting ``PY_PYTHON=3.7`` is equivalent to the INI file containing:
 
 .. code-block:: ini
 
   [defaults]
-  python=3.1
+  python=3.7
 
-* Setting ``PY_PYTHON=3`` and ``PY_PYTHON3=3.1`` is equivalent to the INI file
+* Setting ``PY_PYTHON=3`` and ``PY_PYTHON3=3.7`` is equivalent to the INI file
   containing:
 
 .. code-block:: ini
 
   [defaults]
   python=3
-  python3=3.1
+  python3=3.7
 
 Diagnostics
 -----------
@@ -1145,13 +1132,14 @@ is a collection of modules for advanced Windows-specific support.  This includes
 utilities for:
 
 * `Component Object Model
-  <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/com/component-object-model--com--portal>`_
+  <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/com/component-object-model--com--portal>`_
   (COM)
 * Win32 API calls
 * Registry
 * Event log
-* `Microsoft Foundation Classes <https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fe1cf721%28VS.80%29.aspx>`_ (MFC)
-  user interfaces
+* `Microsoft Foundation Classes
+  <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/mfc/mfc-desktop-applications>`_
+  (MFC) user interfaces
 
 `PythonWin <https://web.archive.org/web/20060524042422/
 https://www.python.org/windows/pythonwin/>`_ is a sample MFC application
@@ -1162,7 +1150,7 @@ shipped with PyWin32.  It is an embeddable IDE with a built-in debugger.
    `Win32 How Do I...? <http://timgolden.me.uk/python/win32_how_do_i.html>`_
       by Tim Golden
 
-   `Python and COM <http://www.boddie.org.uk/python/COM.html>`_
+   `Python and COM <https://www.boddie.org.uk/python/COM.html>`_
       by David and Paul Boddie
 
 
@@ -1176,18 +1164,6 @@ you can distribute your application without requiring your users to install
 Python.
 
 
-WConio
-------
-
-Since Python's advanced terminal handling layer, :mod:`curses`, is restricted to
-Unix-like systems, there is a library exclusive to Windows as well: Windows
-Console I/O for Python.
-
-`WConio <http://newcenturycomputers.net/projects/wconio.html>`_ is a wrapper for
-Turbo-C's :file:`CONIO.H`, used to create text user interfaces.
-
-
-
 Compiling Python on Windows
 ===========================
 
@@ -1197,21 +1173,13 @@ latest release's source or just grab a fresh `checkout
 <https://devguide.python.org/setup/#getting-the-source-code>`_.
 
 The source tree contains a build solution and project files for Microsoft
-Visual Studio 2015, which is the compiler used to build the official Python
+Visual Studio, which is the compiler used to build the official Python
 releases. These files are in the :file:`PCbuild` directory.
 
 Check :file:`PCbuild/readme.txt` for general information on the build process.
 
-
 For extension modules, consult :ref:`building-on-windows`.
 
-.. seealso::
-
-   `Python + Windows + distutils + SWIG + gcc MinGW <http://sebsauvage.net/python/mingw.html>`_
-      or "Creating Python extensions in C/C++ with SWIG and compiling them with
-      MinGW gcc under Windows" or "Installing Python extension with distutils
-      and without Microsoft Visual C++" by Sébastien Sauvage, 2003
-
 
 Other Platforms
 ===============
@@ -1220,12 +1188,12 @@ With ongoing development of Python, some platforms that used to be supported
 earlier are no longer supported (due to the lack of users or developers).
 Check :pep:`11` for details on all unsupported platforms.
 
-* `Windows CE <http://pythonce.sourceforge.net/>`_ is still supported.
-* The `Cygwin <https://cygwin.com/>`_ installer offers to install the Python
-  interpreter as well (cf. `Cygwin package source
-  <ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/pc/gnuwin32/cygwin/mirrors/cygnus/
-  release/python>`_, `Maintainer releases
-  <http://www.tishler.net/jason/software/python/>`_)
+* `Windows CE <http://pythonce.sourceforge.net/>`_ is
+  `no longer supported <https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/71542>`__
+  since Python 3 (if it ever was).
+* The `Cygwin <https://cygwin.com/>`_ installer offers to install the
+  `Python interpreter <https://cygwin.com/packages/summary/python3.html>`__
+  as well
 
 See `Python for Windows <https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/>`_
 for detailed information about platforms with pre-compiled installers.