Guide: Fix ‘MS Paint Not Working on Windows 10’ Issue
Microsoft Paint is an iconic Windows app, even if it pales in comparison to those of CorelDRAW, Adobe Photoshop, and other advanced image editing apps. Fortunately, Microsoft decided not to discontinue the iconic but ageing app for the time being. Unfortunately, MS Paint does not work on Windows 10 for many users. Some users also see a pop-up that says – MS Paint no longer works. Here are all the ways you can fix the problem with MS Paint.
1. Close the app, restart the PC
This simple step can fix common bugs and errors in Windows 10. It could also be a resource issue where the system fails to allocate enough resources to a particular app because too many are clamouring for its attention. The step should also take no more than a few moments. Check if MS Paint does not open due to an insufficient memory problem.
2. Run as administrator
Are you using MS Paint from a guest user account? Try to use it through an account with administrator privileges. Maybe the app doesn’t have administrator rights at all. To fix this, close the app, right-click on the icon and select Run as administrator to reopen with administrator privileges.
You can also search for the app and right-click to open the app with administrator privileges from the search results themselves. Does MS Paint still not work on Windows 10 after that?
3. Antivirus and Malwarebytes
Run a full scan with your favourite antivirus app or Windows Defender to make sure there is no virus behind this error. I would also highly recommend downloading Malwarebytes and running another full scan just in case. Download Malwarebytes
4. Troubleshooter for Windows
Windows 10 comes with various troubleshooting options for various Windows services and apps. What it does is find and fix common mistakes to smooth things out. Press Windows key + I to open Settings and look for Search and fix problems with Microsoft Store apps.
Here, select Apply repairs automatically and click Next.
If anything is found, follow the on-screen instructions.
5. Reset Microsoft Store Cache
Old cache files can be responsible for tampering with how an app works. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run prompt, type WSReset.exe and hit Enter.
That will reset the Store cache files. You can check if the problem with MS Paint not working is solved or not.
6. Delete new fonts
Some users came up on Microsoft’s support forums to reveal that installing new fonts was why MS Paint didn’t open or work on their Windows 10 computers. Open Settings again (Windows key + I) and go to Personalization> Fonts.
Find and select the font you recently installed here and on the next screen, click Remove to remove them.
Do this for any new or recently installed fonts before checking if MS Paint is working or not. Always download and install fonts only from known and trusted sources.
7. Update the app
If a known bug is causing that error, Microsoft may also have released an update. Open the Microsoft Store and expand the menu to click Downloads and updates.
All available updates are visible here. Check if there is one for MS Paint; if so, download and install.
8. Remove and reinstall MS Paint
You tried to remove it from the control panel, didn’t you? MS Paint is not that easy to remove or even add back in. Search for the command prompt and open it with administrator privileges.
Run the command below to remove MS Paint.
dism / Online / Remove-Capability /CapabilityName:Microsoft.Windows.MSPaint0.0.1.0.
Run the command below to add it back.
dism / Online / Add-Capability /CapabilityName:Microsoft.Windows.MSPaint
However, the option may or may not be present depending on your Windows 10 version and build number. You can uninstall MS Paint if you see it in the screenshot above. Not me. You can then add it back from One feature
9. Registry hack
Press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt and type RegEdit before pressing Enter.
Zoom in on the folder structure below. HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionAppletsPaint
Copy and paste the registry key here on your desktop and then delete it from Registry Editor. Restart your computer and restart MS Paint. The key should be automatically recreated. Check if it was, and if not, restore it from the desktop.
10. Update the operating system
Open Settings again and click Update and security.
You can check for new updates here and install them immediately.
Updating the operating system can fix various bugs and known app or service conflicts.
11. SFC and DISM
Regardless of which Windows 10 version you are running, Microsoft support recommends running these three commands in this order to fix MS Paint not working on Windows 10 error. Open the command prompt again with administrator privileges.
Enter the command below to scan system files for corrupt files and try to fix them. sfc / scannow You need to check whether MS Paint opens now or not. If not, give the two commands below, but one at a time. The DISM command checks Windows images for irregularities and repairs them if necessary. Your personal or app data will not be affected by this. DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / Scan health DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup-Image / Restorehealth
12. Microsoft security scanner
If SFC and DISM cannot find anything, download and run the Microsoft Security Scanner now. It is an advanced security app that must be downloaded every time you run it. Updates are not pushed to Windows 10. Check if MS Paint still doesn’t open or works for you. Download Microsoft Security Scanner
13. Try another app
Have you tried the new Paint 3D as it is the advanced version of MS Paint? Plenty of image editing apps are available for Windows 10, and you can choose one based on your needs. Maybe it’s time to let go of MS Paint for good. The next up is Can’t Live Without MS Paint? Here’s a handy list of all the MS Paint keyboard shortcuts for you.
Fix ‘MS Paint Not Working on Windows 10’ Issue: benefits
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