How to Uninstall Paint 3D on Windows 11 and 10

Paint 3D is a small app, so removing it takes a minute. There are three ways to do it. Here is how to uninstall Paint 3D with each one, plus the mistake that removes classic Paint as well.

First: save your projects

Microsoft's own note on the uninstall button says "Your documents will not be affected." That is true for pictures, videos and 3D models you saved with Save as copy. Those are normal files in your own folders.

Paint 3D projects are different. They live inside the app's own storage, and that storage goes with the app. To keep them:

1. Close Paint 3D.
2. Press Windows + R, paste this, and press Enter:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.MSPaint_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState

3. Copy the Projects folder to your desktop or another drive.

Our guide on where Paint 3D files are stored explains what is in that folder.

Method 1: From the Start menu

1. Press the Windows key and type Paint 3D.
2. Click Uninstall in the list on the right.
3. Click Uninstall again to confirm.

That is all.

Method 2: From Settings

This route also shows you Repair and Reset, which may fix the app without removing it.

1. Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps.
2. Find Paint 3D in the list, click the three dots next to it, and choose Advanced options.
3. Scroll to Uninstall and click it.

A faster way to reach this page: search for Paint 3D in Start and click App settings.

Thinking of uninstalling because it is broken?

Try Repair first. Microsoft's wording on this page is clear: with Repair, "The app's data won't be affected." Reset is different: "The app's data will be deleted." Uninstalling removes it too. Our guide to Paint 3D not working walks through the safer fixes first.

Method 3: With PowerShell

Use this if the first two methods fail, or if you manage several PCs.

For your own account

Open PowerShell. A normal window is fine. Paste this and press Enter:

Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.MSPaint | Remove-AppxPackage

There is no confirmation. When the prompt returns, Paint 3D is gone.

For every user on the PC

This needs an administrator window. Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin). On Windows 10, choose Windows PowerShell (Admin). Then run:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MSPaint | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers

On an older PC that had Paint 3D built in, Windows may also keep a copy it gives to every new user account. To remove that copy too, run this in the same administrator window:

Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object DisplayName -eq Microsoft.MSPaint | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online

If it prints nothing, there was no such copy, and nothing more needs doing.

The mistake that removes classic Paint too

You may see commands online with *paint* in them. Do not use them.

Paint 3D's package is named Microsoft.MSPaint. Classic Paint, the app that comes with Windows 11, is a separate package named Microsoft.Paint. A wildcard like *paint* matches both. Run it, and you lose classic Paint as well.

Always use the exact name, Microsoft.MSPaint, as in the commands above. To see what a command would match before you remove anything, run the first half on its own:

Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.MSPaint

It should list one package, with Microsoft.MSPaint as its name.

If Paint 3D will not uninstall

The Uninstall button does nothing. Close Paint 3D completely and try again. If it still fails, use Method 3.

PowerShell prints an error about files in use. Paint 3D is still running. Close it, or restart the PC, then run the command again.

Paint 3D comes back for a new user. The provisioned copy is still there. Run the last command in Method 3.

Putting it back later

You can reinstall at any time. The final build is on our Paint 3D download page. Our guide on how to install Paint 3D takes you through it.

Keep your copy of the Projects folder safe. We have not tested copying it back into a fresh install, so treat it as a backup, not a guaranteed restore.

FAQ

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