Where Is the Paint Application Located on My Computer?
By Randall Blackburn
Some users have difficulty locating and launching the Microsoft Paint simple graphics application in Windows 8. Though the location of the app is not obvious, you can find and launch MS Paint through the Windows 8 desktop by searching for the app. Create a shortcut to MS Paint on the Windows 8 desktop for easy access in the future.
Step 1
Swipe in from the right side of the screen toward the center of the desktop to display the “Search” box. If using a mouse, click and hold the left mouse button in the upper right corner of the desktop, and then drag the cursor toward the center of the screen.
Step 2
Type “paint” into the Search box, and then click or tap the “Search” icon. The search results list the MS Paint application as the first entry.
Step 3
Tap or click the MS Paint option. Paint opens on the Windows 8 desktop. To find the location of the app, right-click or tap and hold the “Paint” option in the Search results to select the file, and then click or tap the “Open File Location” icon on the bottom of the screen. The file location for the Paint program is displayed. The mspaint.exe program is located in the System32 sub-folder under the Windows root folder. For example, if the Windows root folder is “C:\Windows,” the Paint program is located at C:\Windows\System32\mspaint.exe.
References
Tips
- Create a shortcut on the Windows 8 desktop by right-clicking on “Paint” in the Search results to select the program. A check mark is placed on the right side of the "Paint" entry. Click the “Open File Location” icon on the bottom of the screen. The file location for the Paint program opens. Right-click on “Paint,” and then click “Send To.” Click the “Windows Desktop” option. A shortcut to Paint is created on the Windows desktop.
Writer Bio
Randall Blackburn has worked for several Fortune 1000 companies as a technical writer over the past seven years. He has produced a wide variety of technical documentation, including detailed programming specifications and research papers. Randall has also acquired several years' experience writing web content. Randall lives and works in Austin, TX.