MS Paint is one of the oldest graphic design software programs many Windows users use worldwide. This app’s history goes back to 1985, and since then, because of its ease of use, it has been liked by every Windows user. However, like any other software, this excellent tool also breaks down, and users report that MS Paint is not working on their system. If you are facing this issue, there is nothing to worry about. Today, we will fix it by using different working troubleshooting steps.
There are many reasons why MS Paint Does Not Work properly on Windows PCs. We have listed a few common causes here.
Outdated software and temporary glitches in the background running processes are common reasons causing default apps like MS Paint to stop working. Before you try any troubleshooting method it is best to restart the PC and check for Windows updates. We suggest this because Microsoft with each Windows update fixes known bugs and compatibility issues. Hence, to avoid facing malfunctioning issues keep Windows updates. Along with this restart the PC as it helps fix any temporary issues in the background processes.
Once you have tried both these fixes, if the issue persists follow these methods to resolve the issue with MS Paint.
The first step is to run the app as an administrator. Here are the steps to temporarily run the MS Paint app as an administrator.
1. Press Win + S and type “Paint.”
2. Locate the Paint app under Best Match Results and right-click on it to choose Run As Administrator.
3. The Paint app will now open with administrative rights. However, you will not feel any difference while using the app.
If this works for you, you can set the Paint app to always open in admin mode without performing extra steps. Here is what you need to do.
4. Launch the Paint app in admin mode.
5. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
6. In the Process tab, locate mspaint.exe and right-click on it
7. Choose “Open File Location,” and a File Explorer window will open with the main file executable.
8. Right-click on the mspaint file and choose Properties from the context menu.
9. In the mspaint Properties box, click on the Compatibility tab and check the box before “Run this program as an administrator”.
10. Click on Apply and on OK.
The Paint app will always open in Admin mode.
When you run an app with admin rights, the app gets access to all system resources, bypassing any restrictions that might be causing issues.
Accumulated cached data can lead to issues on your system. So, let’s clear the cache before trying any other advanced fixes. Here’s how to do it:
1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type wsreset.exe and hit Enter.
3. A Command Prompt window will open briefly, and the Microsoft Store will launch automatically afterward.
This will clear the cache without deleting your installed apps.
Why clear Microsoft Store Cache
Cache and temporary files slow down system performance and interfere with the working of applications like MS Paint; therefore, it is suggested that they be cleared. This action won’t delete any files.
Windows offers a built-in troubleshooter for automatically fixing issues. Before resorting to more drastic measures like resetting the operating system, try running the troubleshooter for the Windows App Store first. Here is what you need to do.
1. Press Win + I to open the Settings window.
2. In the search bar on the top of the left panel, type “Find and fix problems with Windows Store Apps”.
3. Click on the result with the same name and a new box will appear.
4. Click on the Advanced link and ensure that the “Apply Repairs Automatically” option is already checked.
5. Click on the Next button and follow the onscreen instructions.
Also Read: Remove Apps from “My Libraries” in Windows Store: Effective Ways
If the Paint app is not working on your PC after running the Store App troubleshooter, the next step recommended by experts is to repair and reset the Paint app. Here is what you need to do.
1. Press Win + X to open the Power menu and click on Settings.
2. Click on the Apps tab in the left panel and then click on the Installed Apps option in the right section.
3. Type “Paint” in the top search bar, and the Paint app will be highlighted.
4. Click on the three dots next to the paint app and choose Advanced Options.
5. Scroll down until you reach the Reset Section.
6. Click on the Repair button first and check if the MS Paint not working issue has been resolved,
7. If not, follow steps 1 to 5 again, and this time click on the Reset button to reset MS Paint’s settings.
Moving on, with the expert’s recommended way, updating Windows OS with the hope that new updates might fix the issue. Here are the steps to update Windows OS.
1. Press the Windows key and type “Check For Updates.”
2. Click on the search result with the same name.
3. A new window will open where you have to click on the “Check For Updates” button on the top right corner.
4. Wait for the Windows to connect to Microsoft Servers, find, download, and install updates on your PC.
Also Read: How To Fix “Please Wait While Windows Install A System Update” Error
A Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool is provided within the Windows OS environment to scan and fix issues with the Windows image. To run a scan with this tool, follow these steps:
1. Press Win + R to launch the RUN dialog box and type “cmd”.
2. Press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER to open the Command prompt in admin mode.
3. Type the following command followed by the Enter key.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
4. Wait for the process to complete and restart the PC.
If the issues persist after a DISM scan and fix, then you ought to run a System File Checker scan on your PC to verify and replace corrupted system files. Here are the steps.
1. Press Win + S and type “cmd.”
2. The search results will highlight the Command Prompt under Best Match. Right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator.
3. Copy and Paste the following command in the Command prompt, followed by the Enter key.
Sfc /Scannow
4. Wait for the scan to complete and restart your PC.
If you’ve recently installed new fonts, they could be causing issues with the MS Paint application, leading to crashes or preventing it from opening. To resolve this, you may need to remove the newly installed fonts. Access Windows Settings by pressing Win + I, then navigate to Personalization > Fonts. From there, uninstall any recent fonts.
There are a few Registry entries known as SID, or Security Identifier entries that are different for different apps. The SID Entries related to the Paint app could be corrupted, which means you will have to delete them. Here is what you need to do.
1. Press Win + R to open the RUN box and type “regedit.”
2. Press the OK button to open the Windows Registry Editor.
3. Copy and paste the path below in the Registry Editor’s address bar and press Enter.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Appx\AppxAllUserStore
4. Click on the AppxAllUserStore key on the left to expand it downwards and you’ll see the SID entries that start with S-1-5.
5. Expand each of these keys to find any entries associated with the Paint app.
6. When you locate the Paint app entries, right-click on them and select Delete to remove them.
7. After that, exit the Registry Editor, uninstall the Paint app, and then reinstall it to clear the corrupted SID profile.
Also Read: What is a Registry Cleaner and How to Fix Registry Error
Another reason MS Paint does not work is Local Group Policies. We can verify whether any such setting has been accidentally enabled. Here is what you need to do.
1. Press the Windows key and type “gpedit.” Click on the Edit Group Policy search result.
2. In the new open box, click on the following path in the left pane, one below the other to reveal the next.
Local Computer Policy > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System
3. Now, on the right side, locate Don’t run specified Windows applications entry and double-click on it.
4. Click on the Disabled button and then click on Apply, followed by OK.
Although you can uninstall the Paint app through Apps & features in Settings, this might not effectively resolve the issue if the app isn’t functioning properly. Uninstalling the Paint app via Windows PowerShell can be a more reliable solution in these cases. Here are the steps.
1. Press Win + X to open the Power menu and choose Terminal (Admin).
2. This will open the PowerShell app in admin mode. Copy and paste the following command followed by the Enter key.
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.MSPaint | Remove-AppxPackage
3. The Paint app has been removed from your PC. To reinstall it, copy and paste this command and press the Enter key afterward.
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.MSPaint | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
Also Read: Effective Ways to Get Rid of Powershell.exe Pop-Up Virus on Windows
The final fix to make MS Paint work on your PC is to reset Windows OS. Here is how you can do that. Although Windows provides an option to keep your data during the reset, it is recommended to manually back up your files externally to prevent any potential data loss.
Step 1. Open the Start menu and search for ‘Reset this PC.’ Then, select the appropriate option from the search results.
Step 2. Click on “Reset PC.”
Step 3. Select “Keep my files.”
Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions to start the reset process for your Windows computer.
Also Read: Restore Data After Factory Reset on Windows – Bring Your Files Back!
After religiously following all the troubleshooting methods, we hope that the issue of MS Paint not working on your system will have been resolved. We would love to hear from you and know which method helped you fix this issue in the comments section below.
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