How to Open Microsoft Paint on Your Windows Computer

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Quick and easy steps to open MS Paint on your PC or laptop

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: January 28, 2026 Fact Checked

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Finding Paint on Windows

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Opening Paint with Run

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Adding Paint to the Taskbar

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Video

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Q&A

Some of the most basic programs can be the trickiest to find, and Microsoft Paint is no exception. Thankfully, there are a variety of ways to locate Microsoft Paint, whether you prefer simple file-to-file navigation or slightly more advanced Run commands. Better yet, once you find the file, you can always pin the Paint shortcut to your taskbar. Here are a few ways to locate the Microsoft Paint program.

Ways to Open Paint

In the taskbar search bar, type "Paint," then click Paint in the Start menu to open it.
Press Windows Key + R, type "mspaint.exe," and press Enter.
To add Paint to your taskbar, find it in the Start menu, right-click it, then select More (Windows 10 only) > Pin to taskbar.

Section 1 of 3:

Finding Microsoft Paint on Your Computer

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1
Click into the taskbar search bar. In your taskbar at the bottom of the screen in Windows 11 and 10, you'll see a search bar. Click this search bar to place your cursor in it.
- If you don't see a search bar, click the magnifying glass icon instead.
This will pull up the Start menu, and you'll see Paint at the top of the menu.

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3
Click Paint in the Start menu. It should be at the top (or near the top) of the Start menu, and it has an icon of a painter's palette.
- Once you click on Paint, the Paint app will immediately open. You can then start to use Paint to draw or paint a digital picture.

Section 2 of 3:

Opening Microsoft Paint with Run

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The Win key might say "Win" or it might have the Windows icon on it. On third-party keyboards, the key may say something else, like "Opt" or "Start." Regardless, the key will always be the second key from the left on the bottom row of your keyboard (between the left Ctrl key and left Alt key).
Then click on "OK" to open Microsoft Paint. After a slight delay, this should bring up the Microsoft Paint interface.
You can draw or paint your picture, then save it to your computer when you're done. To save the image, click File > Save as.

Section 3 of 3:

Adding Paint to Your Taskbar

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In your taskbar at the bottom of the screen, you'll see a search bar. Click this search bar to place your cursor in it.
This will open the Start menu, and you'll see Paint at the top.
This will open a contextual menu.
If you're on Windows 11, you can skip this step.
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Click Pin to taskbar. This will pin the MS Paint shortcut to your taskbar so you can easily open it without having to search in the Start menu.
- If you're using an operating system prior to Windows 10, you'll instead need to right-click Microsoft Paint and select "Create Shortcut" in the drop-down menu. The shortcut will appear on your desktop, and you can click and drag it onto your taskbar.^{[1]
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To open Paint, simply click on the icon on your taskbar. Paint's icon has an image of a painter's palette and paintbrush.

Community Q&A

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Question

I'm working with Windows 10 and my start menu task bar is non-functional. How can I create a shortcut for MS Paint?

Community Answer

Right click on your desktop, then hover over the "New" option and select "Shortcut." In the first window that opens, type "%windir%\system32\mspaint.exe" (without quotation marks) into the dialog box, then click "Next." Name your shortcut "Paint" in the following text input box, then click "Finish." You will now have a shortcut to Paint on your desktop.

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Question

Does Windows XP Professional have MS Paint?

Community Answer

Yes, it is included in XP Professional (though it may have been deselected from the install list during installation).

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