Paint 3D Not Working: Troubleshoot Guide

When Paint 3D refuses to open or suddenly crashes, it can interrupt your creative flow and make projects harder to continue. I have faced similar issues where unexpected error messages kept appearing, often right when I was in the middle of something exciting.

These glitches tend to happen frequently, but simple solutions usually fix the app quickly. By staying patient and using Paint 3D with regular updates and clean installs, I have learned how to keep everything running smoothly.

paint 3D for Window
paint 3d not working

Issue 1: Paint 3D frequently crashes on Windows 10, and an error message appears on the screen.

When Paint 3D starts to crash frequently and strange error messages begin appearing on the screen, it usually signals something deeper. I have seen these problems caused by outdated graphics drivers or corrupted files, but the right solutions can quickly restore stability and keep your creative work uninterrupted.

Solution 1: Fix the Outdated Graphics Driver

  • Open Settings and then to Windows Update to confirm your Windows is updated to the latest version; sometimes these updates automatically install a new graphics driver.
  • Press the Windows key + X, launch Device Manager, then Expand Display Adapters, find your GPU, right-click, select Update Driver, and choose Search automatically for drivers to refresh your setup.
Fix the Outdated Graphics Driver

Solution 2: Fix the Corrupted Files

  • Search for Command Prompt on your PC, then copy the code and paste it carefully to start the repair process.
  • Use sfc /scannow
  • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  • And, DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  • Then run the commands, restart the pc, and your problem should be fixed
Fix the Corrupted Files

Solution 3: Repair and Reset the App

  • Open the Start Menu, go to Settings, then select Apps and navigate to Installed Apps to locate the app.
  • Click on the Advanced option, choose Repair, and once done, Restart the PC to fix the issue if the problem continues.
Repair and Reset the App

Solution 4: Reinstall Application

  • If earlier solutions are not working, uninstall the app by opening the Start Menu, going to Settings, and selecting Apps → Installed Apps → Uninstall.
  • Once done, reinstall the app to fix the persistent issue and restore smooth performance.
Reinstall Application

Issue 2: Paint 3D not Working and freezing frequently

While working in the middle of a project, I have seen Paint 3D not working suddenly freeze and not respond, which can interrupt creativity and cause progress loss if not handled quickly.

Solution 1: Close the Background App

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then navigate to the Processes tab and end any unnecessary tasks or apps that are consuming high memory or CPU.
  • Once system resources are freed, close Paint 3D if its frozen, then reopen it to run smoothly again.

Solution 2: Run the Microsoft Store App Troubleshooter

  • Open the Start menu and search for Find and Fix the problem with Microsoft App Troubleshooter to begin the diagnostic process.
  • Click Next, allow the system to detect any problem, and once the repair completes, the issue should be fixed automatically.

Issue 3: Performance issue

Many users often notice that Paint 3D becomes slow and starts lagging, making its overall performance drop noticeably, especially when handling larger 3D projects or multiple layers at once.

Solution

  • Ensure your PC has enough RAM and Free Storage this alone can make a noticeable difference in Paint 3D performance.
  • Update your graphics driver regularly through Device Manager to keep things running smoothly.
  • Open Device Manager, expand Display Adaptor, and select Update to refresh your graphics and driver settings for better responsiveness.

Minimum System Requirements for Smooth Paint 3D Performance

Component

Minimum Requirement

Recommended

RAM

4 GB

8 GB or more

storages

2 GB free

5 GB free

Graphics Driver

Latest version

Auto-updated via Windows Update

Processor

Dual-core

Quad-core or higher

not working paint 3D

Issue 4: Paint 3D Deleted All the Projects

When I once noticed my projects were suddenly missing from the Paint 3D menu, I quickly found a simple solution to this problem by checking my saved files location and syncing settings to restore them.

Solution

  • When my Paint 3D not working projects vanished, I dug into my local disk under my user folder, opened App data, and followed the path through Packages to Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe, then into LocalState where all the projects were stored.
  • I decided to Copy the project file, rename it as PROJECT.JSON, and noticed it appeared empty with 0 bytes but thankfully, a PROJECT.JSONxxxxx.TMP existed, which turned out to be the main file containing my lost projects that I was able to restore successfully.

File Paths and Restoration Steps for Lost Projects

Step

Path / Action

Description

1

Local Disk → User → App Data → Packages → Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe → LocalState → Projects

Locate Paint 3D project files

2

Copy and rename project file to PROJECT.JSON

Create readable JSON project file

3

Find PROJECT.JSONxxxxx.TMP

Identify main file containing project data

4

Open in Visual Studio and copy content between brackets

Restore data

5

Save file (Ctrl + S)

Recover lost project

Step 2

  • I once had to open the PROJECT.JSON file in Visual Studio and realized it showed only empty brackets, which made me suspect the content was missing.
  • To fix it, I checked the PROJECT.JSONxxxxx.TMP file, copied everything between the brackets, and then pasted it into the original JSON file.
  • I made sure to separate multiple files with commas if needed, just as shown in the Example — “Step 1: [ ], Step 2: [Project A, Project B].”
  • Once done, I hit Ctrl + S to Save and instantly restored my Paint 3D work without any hassle.

Issue 5: Paint 3D is unable to create new projects

While using Paint 3D, I once opened the app and it showed an error that it could not create any new projects, which was frustrating but fixable with a few quick checks and resets.

Solution

  • Open Settings and go to Apps → Installed Apps → Paint 3D → Advanced option.
  • Choose the Reset option to start the process that can solve several problems related to the app.
  • Before resetting, make sure to copy all your projects to a safe folder to avoid accidentally losing data permanently.

Common Paint 3D Issues and Quick Fix Summary

Issue

Possible Cause

Quick Fix / Solution

Paint 3D crashes or shows error

Outdated graphics driver

Update graphics driver via Device Manager

Paint 3D not working / freezing

Too many background apps

End high-memory tasks via Task Manager

Performance is slow / lagging

Low RAM or outdated GPU driver

Free storage and update graphics driver

Deleted projects

Missing JSON or TMP files

Restore project data from LocalState folder

Unable to create new projects

App corruption

Reset app from Settings → Apps → Advanced options

Conclusion

paint 3D not working? Fixing Paint 3D issues does not have to be stressful most problems, from crashes and freezing to lost or slow projects, can be solved with a few simple steps. By updating your graphics driver, managing system resources, and using built-in Windows tools, you can restore smooth performance and protect your work.

Keep your app updated, back up your projects regularly, and maintain enough RAM and storage space. With these quick checks, Paint 3D will stay reliable for all your creative ideas.