Cannot open Paint on Vista

[SKesselman]

I guess it's mspaint.exe although I could swear it was once paint.exe.
Anyway, I've searched online and here and cannot find the solution.

It acts like it's opening (mouse over jpg, right click, select Edit, and, ..... nothing)



I kill the process mspaint.exe and always there are several instances (Outlook does this too).
I kill all instances of this nonsense and it still won't open, even if I choose open instead of edit.

I cannot even save a simple picture from my camera.
(BTW This post explains why I cannot participate in any computing discussion above 2nd grade level - I'm still working on these kinds of issues...)

Thanks.

[zridling]

You could do a startup repair using your Vista install cd/dvd, but why not download and install Paint.NET instead? It's the same type of program, only with way more features. (It's free.)

[SKesselman]

Thank you Zaine, I thought about that just prior to posting.
I used to have paint.net, but it lacked the simplicity of Paint.
I just want Paint. Nothing more, at least for now.
I cannot believe that something so simple won't work.

[SKesselman]

...and if I do a startup/repair, forget it. I'll just reformat my drive.
Neither Blockbuster nor the Brain, or Personal Brain (*whatever*) will uninstall.

[SKesselman]

You could do a startup repair using your Vista install cd/dvd, but why not download and install Paint.NET instead? It's the same type of program, only with way more features. (It's free.)

Uh, Zaine, have you seen the website you directed me to?
I was trying to be flexible, checking to see if paint.net was even a possibility.
It has a link to paint.net, yes, but even that link is so smothered in ads I could barely navigate.
Nothing like what it used to be. Pity, perhaps if someone donated enough money, this could be fixed.

[f0dder]

http://www.getpaint.net/download.html isn't too ad-covered? (Or perhaps adblock plus is just efficient? ). Decent enough program, imho.

[SKesselman]

http://www.getpaint.net/download.html isn't too ad-covered? (Or perhaps adblock plus is just efficient? ). Decent enough program, imho.

That page was better. Thanks.
F0dder, I've seen your post recommending AdBlock Plus.
It's not listed in available installed plug-ins. I'll go hunt it down.
As for paint, it won't even start from the start menu. NICE.

[f0dder]

I would probably be a lot grumpier person if it wasn't for ABP filtering the web that I see, I can definitely recommend it

[SKesselman]

.xpi?
Windows cannot open that file.
FF search cannot locate such a plug-in or add-on.
"Sorry, no search results found".

[Shades]

Irfanview (version 4 and up) has a very basic paint feature, just like paint. Open Irfanview, open an image or create a new image with it and use the F12 key to get a floating menu with all kind of options to draw.

As a viewer it was already way more superior than Paint (because of all the plug-ins), but now you also have drawing features and it is free (for non-commercial use).  

[f0dder]

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865 , hope that one works for you

[SKesselman]

Irfanview (version 4 and up) has a very basic paint feature, just like paint. Open Irfanview, open an image or create a new image with it and use the F12 key to get a floating menu with all kind of options to draw.

As a viewer it was already way more superior than Paint (because of all the plug-ins), but now you also have drawing features and it is free (for non-commercial use).  

Thank you Shades! I love Infran View, it's much, much better than when I tried it years ago.
People were raving about it then, I hated it, & I haven't trusted anyone's opinion on it since.
It IS simple!

It has THE feature I needed in the same place on the menu paint had it, and it even opened a scanned photo of me & my little sister (23-year old photo) that would not open before! It was a .TIF file. I thought my scan was bad, had NO idea paint would not open such a file.

I have Aha-soft software that might have worked, but frankly I don't know what to do with that program once it opens.

Thanks again Shades, you made my week.

XOXO

[Shades]

And Monday has only just begun...


Always glad to help.

[zridling]

My apologies on the URL; I thought it had changed from the google search. As others have pointed out, it is here:
http://www.getpaint.net/index.html

Would have never thought of Irfanview as a Paint replacement. Way to go, Shades!

[Curt]

This is strange. Last night I was trying to use mspaint, and for the first time (I have only had Vista for a month) it wouldn't launch! Well, I decided to sleep on it, but today the situation is the same: It will load, but not launch. And I come here to ask for help, and SKesselman is telling about the exact same problem just today! Indeed this is very strange!

Therefore I am also extra disappointed that no-one so far have been giving Sarah an answer to her initial question. Paint.NET and IrfanView are good, but nowhere near as easy to use as msPaint. I like my msPaint, and I am already missing it,    and hoping for the forum to solve "our" problem! 

[Curt]

.xpi?
Windows cannot open that file.
FF search cannot locate such a plug-in or add-on.
"Sorry, no search results found".

.xpi is the extension for Mozilla addons. Place the file in the folder C > Program Files > Mozilla Firefox, and then open Firefox > Files > Open file... , and navigate to & open the same file, and it will install as an addon in Firefox.

[SKesselman]

Hey Curt,
thanks for the help with the .xpi file, f0dder was kind enough to walk me through that last night.

I wanted my Paint too, but I just submitted to my computer's whims...there seems to be no answer.

In the meantime, I downloaded Irfan View with no plug-ins, and although of course it's not as simple as Paint, the commands are easy and really fast to find. It's also opening faster than Paint.

It's very fast & easy to learn, so far, and  I can't recommend it enough.
I wish I could say the same for AdBlocker.

BTW my pc will not open oovoo either, count that as program #3.
However, I've had this issue with Paint & Outlook pretty much since I got Vista earlier this year.
I just got fed up last night.

Best of luck!

[app103]

Have you considered uninstalling MS Paint and then reinstalling it? It's quite easy to do.

Start > Control Panel > Add Remove Programs > Add/Remove Windows components and find and uncheck paint. Click Ok, Next, next, etc., etc., etc.

When you are all finished doing that, go back and do it again, but put a check in the box for Paint this time, and it will reinstall it.

[Curt]

- mspaint is not an option to add or remove, on my version. It is not listed anywhere I can find.

[app103]

- mspaint is not an option to add or remove, on my version. It is not listed anywhere I can find.

This is where it is on XP. I don't have Vista so I can't show you a screenshot or guide you on Vista. But finding it should be a similar method to XP. If I am wrong, maybe a Vista user could provide the exact details.

Make sure when you open the add/remove programs panel that you click the button for "add remove windows components".

Another window will pop open with a list. Locate and select "Accessories and Utilities" and then click the details button. Another window will open.

On that window, locate and select "Accessories" and then click the details button. Another window will pop open.

On that window, scroll till you find "Paint" and uncheck it. Then click OK, etc etc etc.

When everything is done, then go back again, same place, same way, and check the box to reinstall it. You may need to pop in your Windows disk if your PC came with one. If it came with a restore partition instead, you won't need the disk.

Screenshot guide:

[Curt]

- thanks for going to so much troubles, April :-) However, Vista has been simplified~restricted a lot on this feature. There are no boxes or anything. Only third party programs, and a little number of services to enable or disable, but no Windows programs or extra popups. I have even used a clever Master Control (from Fujitsu Siemens) to have it tell me what can be changed or not.

It is hard for me to believe that it should not be possible, well EASY, to find a (new) version of msPaint somewhere at Microsoft's, to download & install.

[f0dder]

It is hard for me to believe that it should not be possible, well EASY, to find a (new) version of msPaint somewhere at Microsoft's, to download & install.

The small apps that come with windows (paint, calc, ...) generally aren't updated very often, probably to the extent that they only see updates on major OS releases. Some of the somewhat bigger bundled components (movie maker, media player) do receive updates, but those are handled via windows updates.

[Curt]

- thanks, f0dder. When you search Microsoft's site there are thousands of files to be downloaded. So why not these? Now it should be noted that Vista's Paint is new, and there is no place (that I know of) to tell Windows that mspaint somehow is not working - other than to post a question on their forum, and hope that someone will answer.

[Carol Haynes]

.xpi is the extension for Mozilla addons. Place the file in the folder C > Program Files > Mozilla Firefox, and then open Firefox > Files > Open file... , and navigate to & open the same file, and it will install as an addon in Firefox.

You don't need to move the XPI file to Mozilla first - simply use File > Open File and the installation will move it to your profile folder automatically.

[Curt]

deleted - I misunderstood the post I was trying to answer