13 Ways to Fix MS Paint Not Working on Windows 10 Error
Some users also see a pop-up that says – MS Paint has stopped working. Here are all the ways you can solve the MS Paint problem.
1. Close the application, restart the PC
This simple step can resolve common Windows 10 bugs and errors. It can also be a resource issue when the system fails to allocate adequate resources to a particular application because too many people are claiming His attention. This step shouldn't take more than a few moments either. Check if MS Paint does not open as the memory problem is insufficient.
2. Run as administrator
Are you using MS Paint from a guest user account? Try to use it via an account with administrator rights. Maybe the app doesn't have administrator rights at all. To resolve this issue, close the application, right click on the icon and select Run as administrator to reopen with administrator rights.
You can also search for the app and right click to open the app with admin rights from the search results themselves. MS Paint still doesn't work on Windows 10 after that?
3. Antivirus and Malwarebytes
Run a full scan with your favorite antivirus app or Windows Defender to make sure a virus isn't causing this error. I also strongly recommend that you download Malwarebytes and run another full scan just to be sure.
4. Windows troubleshooting
Windows 10 comes with a set of troubleshooting options for different Windows services and apps. It detects and corrects common mistakes to help smooth things out. Press Windows key + I to open Settings and look for Find and fix issues with Microsoft Store apps.
Select Apply repairs automatically here and click Next.
Follow the on-screen instructions if something is found.
9. Hack Register
Press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt and type RegEdit before pressing Enter.
Access the folder structure below.
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionAppletsPaint
Copy and paste the registry key here to your desktop, then delete it from the Registry Editor. Restart your computer and start MS Paint again. The key must be recreated automatically. Check if it was, and if not, restore it from the desktop.
10. Update the operating system
Open the settings again and click Update & Security.
You can check for new updates and install them immediately here.
Updating the operating system can fix several known bugs and conflicts with apps or services.
11. SFC and DISM
Whichever version of Windows 10 you are running, Microsoft support recommends running these three commands in this order to fix MS Paint not working on a Windows 10 error.
Reopen the command prompt with administrator rights.
Run the command below, which will scan the system files for corrupted files and attempt to repair them.
sfc /scannow
You should check whether MS Paint opens now or not. Otherwise, give the two commands below, but one at a time. The DISM command checks Windows images for irregularities and restores them if necessary. Your personal or application data will not be affected by this.
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
12. Microsoft Security Scanner
If SFC and DISM haven't found anything, download and run the Microsoft Security Scanner now. It is an advanced security application which needs to be downloaded every time you run it. Updates are not sent to Windows 10. Check to see if MS Paint is still not opening or working for you.
13. Try another application
Have you tried the new Paint 3D as it is the advanced version of MS Paint. There are many image editing apps available for Windows 10, and you can choose one based on your needs. Perhaps, it's time to finally let go of MS Paint.
Then: Can't live without MS Paint? Here is a handy list of all the MS Paint keyboard shortcuts for you.