What was it?
Microsoft's multimedia digital encyclopedia. CD-ROM and DVD editions, MindMaze game, 3D virtual tours. The Wikipedia before Wikipedia.
What happened?
Microsoft discontinued Encarta in 2009 after Wikipedia made paid encyclopedias obsolete. Encarta Online shut down October 31, 2009.
Migration Guide
Wikipedia (free, vastly larger), Britannica.com, or specialized references (Wolfram Alpha for facts).
Timeline & context
Microsoft Encarta shut down in October 2009, 17 years ago. It sat in the design category, where Soft.xyz tracks 7 discontinued products in total. If you are still running it in production, the migration path above is the shortest route off it.
FAQ
Why did Microsoft Encarta shut down?
Microsoft discontinued Encarta in 2009 after Wikipedia made paid encyclopedias obsolete. Encarta Online shut down October 31, 2009.
What should I migrate Microsoft Encarta to?
No drop-in replacement is tracked yet — check the design category for current options.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Encarta?
Not among the tracked alternatives.