Get Old Classic Paint for Windows 11 (Windows 10 app version)

You can now download the Windows 10 version of the classic Paint app for Windows 11. It is built with genuine files from Build 14393, and integrates into the OS seamlessly.

You may wonder what is wrong with the inbox Paint on Windows 11. The answer varies  for each person, but the most common reasons are as follows.

• For 16:9 screens, the UI leaves even less working area. Its ribbon cannot be collapsed.
• Ribbon customization/Quick Access toolbar is removed.
• It has the hardcoded title bar grey color, and the same for the "chrome" of the app. If you have multiple Paint windows side by side, you can accidentally press Alt+F4 on the wrong window since they all look the same.
• More commands without a text label.
• In initial Windows 11 version, if you snap two Paint windows side by side in Windows 11, they don't snap properly and overlap a bit.
• Its process also consumes significantly more RAM
• Keyboard accessibility for menus is much worse.
• Finally, it starts much slower.

If you are the one who aren't happy with the new Paint app, you can restore the Windows 10-like version with ease. Do the following.

Download Windows 10 Classic Paint for Windows 11

1. Open this website and download the Classic Paint setup program.
2. Launch the installer, and specify the folder where to install it. The default location is OK to agree with.
3. On the next page, please read carefully the provided instructions, and click on the "Open Settings" button.
4. Once the Settings app opens to the "Advanced App Settings" page, click on "App execution aliases".
5. Disable "Paint" aliases for mspaint.exe and pbrush.exe entries using the toggle switches next to their names.
6. Close the Settings app, and finish the setup.

Voila, now you have the old classic Paint in Windows 11! You will find its shortcut on the Desktop and in the Start menu.

It will fully integrate itself into the Windows shell. If you open an extended context menu, you will find a new entry, "Edit with Classic Paint". It will allow you to open any image in the good old app directly.

Additionally, you will find it in the "Open with" submenu of the modern context menu.

The package includes the full set of interface languages (MUI), so it will always be of the same translation as your operating system and user account. The full list of languages includes:

af-za, am-et, ar-sa, as-in, az-latn-az, be-by, bg-bg, bn-bd, bn-in, bs-latn-ba, ca-es, ca-es-valencia, chr-cher-us, cs-cz, cy-gb, da-dk, de-de, el-gr, en-gb, en-us, es-es, es-ms, et-ee, eu-es, fa-ir, fi-fi, fil-ph, fr-ca, fr-fr, ga-ie, gd-gb, gl-es, gu-in, ha-latn-ng, he-il, hi-in, hr-hr, hu-hu, hy-am, id-id, ig-ng, is-is, it-it, ja-jp, ka-ge, kk-kz, km-kh, kn-in, ko-kr, kok-in, ku-arab-iq, ky-kg, lb-lu, lo-la, lt-lt, lv-lv, mi-nz, mk-mk, ml-in, mn-mn, mr-in, ms-my, mt-mt, nb-no, ne-np, nl-nl, nn-no, nso-za, or-in, pa-arab-pk, pa-in, pl-pl, prs-af, pt-br, pt-pt, quc-latn-gt, quz-pe, ro-ro, ru-ru, rw-rw, sd-arab-pk, si-lk, sk-sk, sl-si, sq-al, sr-cyrl-ba, sr-cyrl-rs, sr-latn-rs, sv-se, sw-ke, ta-in, te-in, tg-cyrl-tj, th-th, ti-et, tk-tm, tn-za, tr-tr, tt-ru, ug-cn, uk-ua, ur-pk, uz-latn-uz, vi-vn, wo-sn, xh-za, yo-ng, zh-cn, zh-tw, zu-za

But the good thing is that it won't install them all for you at once. It will carefully pick only the existing locales, and won't fill your drive with not needed files.

Another great thing about this package that it doesn't replace system files. It installs the old classic mspaint.exe alongside the inbox one.  This way, you can use them simultaneously. It is easy to launch them both from the Start menu or with Search. Type "paint" and pick the one you need, or run them all.

The files are from genuine Windows 10 Build 14393, not tampered with or modified in any way.

Restore the inbox app

It is easy to remove the old classic paint from Windows 11 by opening Settings (Win + I). There, go to Apps > Installed apps, find Classic Paint, and click on the three dot menu button. From that menu, select Uninstall, and confirm your intention.

This will launch the uninstaller that will remove all the "classic" files and registry entries, so you will only have the inbox app.

Do not forget to re-enable mspaint.exe and pbrush.exe app execution aliases so the new Store-powered app can register itself for the Run box.

Thanks to our team member Gaurav Kale for helping with this post.