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Question

Search in Start Shows mspaint.exe still in My PC but......

Aug 19, 2012 10:15AM PDT

They say you've gotta have a disk or go into the Registry. I know this is a dumb question, but can a person somehow get the application back from the start menu's Search program where it was found today? Just clicking on one of the 8 results doesn't do it. I clicked the one that had .exe.

Notepad had disappeared at about the same time, but has come back somehow.

System Restore recently tried to restore back to June but there'd been "no changes". WHAT kind of changes?
Today it wouldn't even try to go back to July.

Instead of a disk, doesn't MS have a built-in recovery feature? I'll be rereading E-how's 2 or 3 page suggestions re recovering lost files but hope not to have to buy something. Probably they don't mean lost applications, just files? 2002 Compaq XP Home, SP3. Oh, and these 8 search results were "Service Pack" ? I'll really appreciate your help. Always get some. TIA.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: mspaint.exe
Aug 20, 2012 5:08AM PDT

You can copy either the most recent mspaint.exe to the c:\windows\system32 folder (I think that's the right location, but I can't check it here), or copy it from that same location at any other XP PC you've got access to.

Kees

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Thanks, Kees...
Aug 20, 2012 11:47PM PDT

Why didn't I think of that, just copy/paste, right? I'll answer later re "This answers my question", after I try it. Probably it does. Thanks again.

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Not Solved Yet
Aug 23, 2012 3:02AM PDT

When I went back to copy/paste mspaint.exe to the Syst.32 file (not sure I know where that is) the 8 search results including the one with .exe on the end wouldn't come up again. It just said C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\1386. Do I have to remove SP1, 2, and/or 3 first if I must reinstall them?
Enough brain strain for an old lady for now. Some of my friends won't even try a computer. I'll get back to you, and thanks so much for trying. mspaint isn't in Add/Remove, but from Start Menu Search, I've been getting a few results, already mentioned. Would they have to be somehow removed before downloading that "Mirror" version? (Know anything about that?) Again, 2002 XP Home, SP3. Thanks again.