Some basic Windows programs are a little hard to find, and Microsoft Paint is no exception to this rule. Fortunately, there are several ways to locate Microsoft Paint: you can choose to use the "File Explorer" window to search for it in your system folders, or you can opt for a more advanced solution using the "Run" window. Once you have found the Paint executable file, you can create a shortcut directly on the desktop to fix the problem permanently. This article explains how to find the Microsoft Paint program quickly and easily.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Finding Microsoft Paint Inside Your Computer
Step 1. Access the "Start" menu
In order to start Microsoft Paint, you need to use the "Start" menu and follow some instructions. Access the "Start" menu by clicking on the appropriate button located in the lower left corner of the desktop.
- Regardless of the version of Windows you are using, the "Start" button is always located in the lower left corner of the desktop.
- Alternatively, you can access the "Start" menu by pressing the ⊞ Win key on your keyboard. Although the exact location of the key may vary, it is usually located at the bottom left of the computer keyboard.
Step 2. Click on the "All apps" icon
After opening the "Start" menu, click on the "All apps" icon located in the upper left part of the menu. A complete list of all applications installed on your computer will be displayed, including Microsoft Paint.
Depending on the version of Windows you are using, you will need to select the "All Programs" icon instead of the "All apps" icon
Step 3. Scroll down the list to the "Windows Accessories" section
It is listed in the "All apps" section of the "Start" menu. You can scroll down the menu by clicking the down arrow button in the lower right corner of the menu, dragging the scroll bar down, or using the mouse wheel or trackpad. Since you are looking for "Windows Accessories", you will need to refer to the letter "A" section of the list. All the functional programs integrated into the operating system, such as Wordpad and Paint, are grouped in the "Windows Accessories" tab.
Depending on the version of Windows you are using, the "Windows Accessories" option may be replaced by "Accessories". In this case, select the latter
Step 4. View the list of programs in the "Windows Accessories" section
After identifying the "Windows Accessories" item, click on it with the mouse and scroll down the new list until you find the "Paint" item. This is the application you were looking for!
Step 5. Select the Microsoft Paint icon
Double click on the "Paint" menu item using the left mouse button to start the program.
Part 2 of 3: Start Microsoft Paint Using the Run Window
Step 1. Access the "Start" menu
If you need to start Microsoft Paint, but can't find the corresponding shortcut icon, you'll need to use the "Start" menu. Regardless of the version of Windows you are using, the "Start" button is always located in the lower left corner of the desktop. Click on the "Start" button to open the menu of the same name.
Step 2. Open the "Run" window
Even if you deleted a link by mistake, be aware that the corresponding program is still installed on your computer. However, finding it might be a bit difficult. If this is your case, you can use the "Run" system window to start the Paint application. Type the keyword "run" (without quotes) into the search bar located at the bottom of the "Start" menu. The first item in the list of results should be the "Run" icon, characterized by the description "App". Click on the indicated option to open the "Run" window.
- If you are using an older version of Windows, for example Windows XP, you will find the link to the "Run" window directly in the "Start" menu. In this case, click on the link icon to open the "Run" window.
- Alternatively, you can search the "Start" menu to locate the Paint application, then you can create a shortcut on the desktop by clicking on the icon with the right mouse button and choosing the "Create shortcut" option from the menu contextual that will appear.
Step 3. Use the "Run" window to start Paint
Type the command "mspaint.exe" (without quotes) in the "Open" field of the "Run" window, then click on the "OK" button to start Microsoft Paint. After a few moments, the program window should appear on the screen.
Step 4. At this point, you can use Microsoft Paint as you normally would
When you need to save your work, consider choosing the desktop as the reference point, so you can access your files more quickly and easily.
Part 3 of 3: Create a Shortcut to Paint
Step 1. Access the "Start" menu
In order to start Microsoft Paint, you need to use the "Start" menu and follow some instructions. Access the "Start" menu by clicking on the appropriate button located in the lower left corner of the desktop.
- Regardless of the version of Windows you are using, the "Start" button is always located in the lower left corner of the desktop.
- Alternatively, you can access the "Start" menu by pressing the ⊞ Win key on your keyboard. Although the exact location of the key may vary, it is usually located at the bottom left of the computer keyboard.
Step 2. Click on the "All apps" icon
After opening the "Start" menu, click on the "All apps" icon located in the upper left part of the menu. A complete list of all applications installed on your computer will be displayed, including Microsoft Paint.
Depending on the version of Windows you are using, you will need to select the "All Programs" icon, rather than the one labeled "All apps"
Step 3. Scroll down the list to the "Windows Accessories" section
It is listed in the "All apps" section of the "Start" menu. You can scroll down the menu by clicking the down arrow button in the lower right corner of the menu, by dragging the scroll bar down, or by using the mouse wheel or trackpad. Since you are looking for "Windows Accessories", you will need to refer to the letter "A" section of the list. All the functional programs integrated into the operating system, such as Wordpad and Paint, are grouped in the "Windows Accessories" tab.
Depending on the version of Windows you are using, the "Windows Accessories" option may be replaced by "Accessories". In this case, select the latter
Step 4. View the list of programs in the "Windows Accessories" section
After identifying the "Windows Accessories" item, click on it with the mouse and scroll down the new list until you find the "Paint" item. This is the application you were looking for!
Step 5. Create a link
Now that you've located the Paint executable file, you'll be able to create a shortcut icon quickly and easily. Right-click the Paint app icon, then choose the "Pin to Taskbar" option. This will add a shortcut icon to Paint directly to the Windows taskbar. Now, to start Microsoft Paint, simply click on the program icon that appeared on the taskbar with the left mouse button.
If you are using an operating system version earlier than Windows 10, you will need to right-click on the Microsoft Paint icon and choose the "Create Shortcut" option from the context menu that will appear. The shortcut icon will automatically be created on your computer desktop. At this point, if you wish, you can dock the link directly on the taskbar by dragging the corresponding icon from the desktop to the point you prefer
Step 6. Launch Microsoft Paint from your computer desktop
When you need to use Microsoft Paint, simply click on the program icon without the need to access the "Start" menu or perform a search.
If you wish, you can rename the link you just created by clicking on the corresponding icon with the right mouse button and choosing the "Rename" option from the context menu that will appear
Advice
- In principle, you shouldn't have any worries about the Paint executable file being removed from your computer. As it is a system file, it does not appear in the list of programs that can be uninstalled using the "Programs and Features" function of the "Control Panel".
- If you accidentally managed to delete the Paint executable file, you can fix the problem by performing a system restore.
- If you delete a shortcut by mistake, you can restore it by searching for the corresponding program file, then creating a new shortcut.
- Depending on the version of Windows you are using, the search function and the "Run" window will be accessible in different ways. However, to manually start Microsoft Paint, you will need to follow the same procedure in all versions of Windows.
