The answer is a tangled web of hidden updates, “deprecated” features, and the eternal human need for simplicity in a world of bloated software. Today, we are going deep into the rabbit hole of the Paint download saga. In 2017, Microsoft made a PR mistake. They placed MS Paint on a “deprecated” list—tech speak for “we are going to kill this soon.” The internet erupted in mourning. Memes were made. Eulogies were written.

If you open your Start Menu and type “Paint,” it might not show up. This leads the average user to assume it has been vaporized. Hence, the frantic search for a third-party download. Let’s address the elephant in the room. If you search Bing or Google for “MS Paint download,” the first result is often the Microsoft Store .

Yes and no.

Paint doesn't support PNG transparency (it turns it white). But, ironically, people download "Paint" to quickly remove backgrounds by erasing to white, then using a different tool to mask it. It is the fastest eraser tool on earth.