What should I use when Paint.net is discontinued?

QI was told by a guy in a computer shop that Microsoft is to stop support for its Paint.net program very soon. As a Windows 7 user I’m concerned by this. Is there a free alternative, preferably without adverts? Philip George

AWe think there are several crossed wires here, so let’s untangle them. First, the free image-editing tool from Microsoft is called Paint, or Microsoft Paint if you prefer. It’s been included with Windows since XP, and remains in Windows 10.

There’s another painting program, called Paint.net, which is a free download from www.getpaint.com. However, while Paint.net’s developer Rick Brewster states that it was the result of his having been mentored by Microsoft during a college project, his program actually has nothing to do with the software giant. So, Paint.net is an independent tool that’s maintained by an independent developer.

It’s possible you’ve downloaded Brewster’s Paint.net but actually we think you’re talking about (and have been using) Microsoft Paint. Microsoft’s program has been in the news recently, as the company intends to release a new version next year for Windows 10 only, called Paint 3D (see News, Issue 488). That’s probably what your computer-shop guy was alluding to.

But that does not mean support for the original Microsoft Paint will disappear soon. Paint’s support is only likely to stop with the end of Windows 7’s ‘extended support’ phase, which is scheduled for January 2020. But even then, Paint won’t actually stop working — it simply means that Microsoft won’t produce any more updates or fixes for Windows 7 or its tools. So, you’ve got nothing to worry about for several years, at least.