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

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.