Paint.Picture OLE/COM object cannot be created on Windows 11

Question

Paint.Picture OLE/COM object cannot be created on Windows 11

Egor Izotov 0

Bug report: Paint.Picture OLE/COM object cannot be created on Windows 11

Windows 11 24H2 (build 26100.x), Microsoft Paint version 11.2609.401.0.

OLE objects of type "Paintbrush Picture" cannot be opened or edited in Microsoft Word (2024). Word displays:

"This object was created in Paint. This program is not installed on your computer or is not responding."

Investigation results:

Microsoft Paint is installed and launches normally.
Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office are working correctly.
OLE objects for Excel and other applications work correctly.
New-Object -ComObject Excel.Application works.
GetTypeFromProgID("Paint.Picture") successfully resolves the COM class.
New-Object -ComObject Paint.Picture fails with:

0x80080005
CO_E_SERVER_EXEC_FAILURE

Registry entries for Paint.Picture and CLSID {D3E34B21-9D75-101A-8C3D-00AA001A1652} are present.
Paint executable launches correctly from:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Paint...\mspaint.exe

The same OLE object works correctly on Windows 7, where New-Object -ComObject Paint.Picture succeeds.

This suggests that the modern Microsoft Paint package registers the Paint.Picture COM class but does not correctly provide the legacy OLE/COM server functionality required by Word and other applications.

Expected behavior: Paintbrush Picture OLE objects should open and edit normally from Microsoft Word, as in previous Windows versions.

Prussack, Mike 0 Reputation points

2026-11-09T23:52:23.68+00:00

Having this exact issue with a client who just happens to edit images within Word documents on a regular basis. They said it just started happening on Nov 6th. Removed and reinstalled MS Paint store app, no change. I assume something got updated in the app recently that is causing this. Re-registering the app also didn't make a difference. I don't think installing "classic" Paint is a viable solution, as it can't be installed in a way that makes it link properly from Word.

I assume something changed with the Paint app recently. Would love to hear if anyone has figured out a solution.
Egor Izotov 0 Reputation points

2026-11-10T22:37:58.55+00:00

Hi, @Prussack, Mike

I started having this problem around the same time.

1 answer

Your answer

Prussack, Mike 0 Reputation points

2026-11-09T23:52:23.68+00:00

Having this exact issue with a client who just happens to edit images within Word documents on a regular basis. They said it just started happening on Nov 6th. Removed and reinstalled MS Paint store app, no change. I assume something got updated in the app recently that is causing this. Re-registering the app also didn't make a difference. I don't think installing "classic" Paint is a viable solution, as it can't be installed in a way that makes it link properly from Word.

I assume something changed with the Paint app recently. Would love to hear if anyone has figured out a solution.
Egor Izotov 0 Reputation points

2026-11-10T22:37:58.55+00:00

Hi, @Prussack, Mike

I started having this problem around the same time.

Answer 1

Kai-H 30,915 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi, @Egor Izotov

Nice troubleshooting, the 0x80080005 pretty much tells the story. Since Windows 11 turned Paint into a Store (MSIX) app, Office can't always use it as an OLE server anymore. The same thing broke "Bitmap Image" objects in Access, Excel and Word back in 2022, Microsoft fixed it in the February 2023 Windows update, and it looks like it has regressed again on 24H2 with the latest Paint build.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

Check the Paint app alias is still switched on. Go to Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings > App execution aliases and make sure the toggle for Paint (mspaint.exe) is On. The old COM registration points at C:\Windows\System32\mspaint.exe, which on Windows 11 is only a stub that forwards to the Store app. If that alias is off, Paint opens fine from Start but anything that calls it by path, like Word, gets "server execution failed." Quick test: press Win+R, type mspaint and hit Enter. If nothing opens, that is your problem.

Re-register the Paint package without removing it. Open PowerShell as admin and run: Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Paint | ForEach-Object { Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" } Then restart and retest New-Object -ComObject Paint.Picture. This rewrites the COM entries from Paint's own manifest, which sometimes fixes a half-broken registration.

Try it in a fresh local user account. Aliases and Store app registrations are per user, so if Word can edit the object there, the fix is just removing and re-adding Paint for your profile.

If you need in-place editing working today, it is suggested to install the classic (Windows 10) Paint alongside the new one. It is a proper OLE server, so Paintbrush Picture objects open normally in Word. Not officially supported though, so only grab it from a source you trust and keep a backup of your documents.

Let me know how it goes.

Kai-H 30,915 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-10T08:54:56.8566667+00:00

Hi, @Egor Izotov

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue.

Have you had a chance to check the replies provided?

Any update would be appreciated.
Egor Izotov 0 Reputation points

2026-11-10T22:28:38.69+00:00

Hi, @Kai-H

Thank you for your suggestions.

I tested all of the proposed troubleshooting steps, but the issue remains unchanged.

The issue persists after a clean Windows reinstall and affects only Paint.Picture.

As @Prussack, Mike wrote, I also encountered this problem around the same time (on Nov 6th)
Kai-H 30,915 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-11T09:15:13.17+00:00

Hi, @Egor Izotov

Thanks for testing all of that, and for confirming it survives a clean install. That pretty much rules out anything on your side. Another person in this thread reports the exact same thing starting around Nov 6, right when Paint 11.2609.401.0 rolled out, and reinstalling or re-registering didn't help them either. So this looks like a bug in the current Paint build, not your PC.

Here are some suggestions you can try while waiting for a fix:

Convert the objects to regular pictures without Paint. Word keeps a cached image of every embedded object, so click the Paintbrush Picture object, press Ctrl+X, then go to Home > Paste > Paste Special and choose Picture (PNG) or Picture (Enhanced Metafile). The picture shows up exactly as before and you can crop or adjust it with Word's picture tools. You lose in-place Paint editing, so do this on a copy of the document.

If you must edit the actual bitmap, use the Windows 7 machine where Paint.Picture still works. Open the object there, select all, copy, and paste it into Paint or any image editor on Windows 11, then insert the edited result back into Word as a normal picture.

Keep Paint from updating again once a fixed build lands. In Microsoft Store > Profile > Settings, turn App updates off temporarily so you control when Paint changes, and check Store > Library > Get updates every few days for a newer Paint version.

For reference, when the same thing happened in 2022, the only workaround was a registry change that pointed the Paint OLE class at a classic mspaint.exe, and Microsoft later fixed it in a Windows update. I wouldn't recommend editing the registry unless you're comfortable restoring it, but it shows this has been fixed before and will most likely be fixed again.

Since you're on Word 2024 (perpetual), it's also worth opening a ticket with Microsoft Support so it gets tracked on the Office side as well as Paint.