When Paint 3D is not working, the cause is almost always a corrupted app cache, an outdated graphics driver, or a Windows update that broke the app registration. Work through the fixes below in order; most people are back up and running by fix 3. If Paint 3D is missing entirely, follow our Paint 3D install guide instead.

Problem	Jump to
Paint 3D won’t open or closes instantly	Fix 2, Fix 4
Paint 3D crashes while working	Fix 3, Fix 5
Paint 3D disappeared after a Windows update	Fix 4
3D library won’t load	3D library
PNG exports with a white background	Export problems

Fix 1: Restart your PC and install Windows updates

A restart clears stuck background processes. Then open Settings > Windows Update and install anything pending, since updates often include fixes for the frameworks Paint 3D depends on.

Fix 2: Repair Paint 3D

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Find Paint 3D, click the three dots, and choose Advanced options.
3. Under Reset, click Repair. Your projects are not affected.

Fix 3: Reset Paint 3D

If Repair does not help, click Reset on the same Advanced options screen. This returns Paint 3D to a fresh state.

Before you reset: Reset clears the app’s data. Save any projects you care about as files first via Menu > Save as.

Fix 4: Re-register Paint 3D with PowerShell

This fixes Paint 3D when it won’t launch or vanished from the Start menu after a Windows update. Open Terminal (Admin) and run:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *Microsoft.MSPaint* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Fix 5: Update your graphics driver

Paint 3D relies on DirectX for its 3D workspace, so an outdated or buggy GPU driver is a common cause of crashes in 3D view. Update through Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates, or download the latest driver from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.

Fix 6: Clear the Microsoft Store cache

Press Windows + R, type wsreset.exe, and press Enter. A blank window opens, then the Store relaunches with a clean cache. This helps when Paint 3D fails to reinstall from your Store library.

Fix 7: Repair Windows system files

Open Terminal (Admin) and run these two commands one after the other. They scan for and repair corrupted Windows files.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Fix 8: Uninstall and reinstall Paint 3D

As a last resort, uninstall Paint 3D from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, restart, and reinstall using our step-by-step install guide.

Why the 3D library won’t load

This is not a fault on your PC. The 3D library pulled its models from Remix 3D, Microsoft’s online community library, which was retired in 2021. Use the built-in 3D shapes and 3D doodle tools, or import your own models in 3MF, OBJ, FBX, STL, or GLB format.

Export problems

• PNG has a white background: open Canvas, switch on Transparent canvas, then save as PNG with Transparency ticked. See our background removal guide.
• Export looks blurry: enlarge the canvas size under the Canvas tab before exporting, since the image saves at the canvas resolution.
• 3D model imports look wrong: try exporting the model from its original app as 3MF or GLB, which Paint 3D handles best.

Still stuck? Paint 3D no longer receives updates from Microsoft, so some bugs will never be fixed. Our Paint 3D alternatives guide lists free apps that do the same jobs.