Fix Paint.NET Plugin Incompatibility After an Update

Upgrading Paint.NET introduces performance improvements, newer .NET runtimes, and modern APIs, but it can frequently cause older plugins to stop working or crash the application. This guide outlines how to identify failing plugins, update them to compatible versions, remove obsolete dynamic link libraries (DLLs), and restore functionality to your effects and file type tools.

1. Identify the Broken Plugins

When Paint.NET encounters an unusable plugin during startup, it automatically disables it to prevent system crashes. To see which plugins are failing:

  1. Open Paint.NET.
  2. Click the Gear icon in the top-right corner to open the Settings menu.
  3. Select the Plugin Errors tab from the left sidebar.
  4. Review the list of failed .dll files and note their names along with the specific error messages (such as missing dependencies or architecture mismatches).

2. Remove Deprecated DLL Files

If an incompatible plugin prevents the application from launching altogether or produces persistent error dialogues, manually delete the affected files:

  1. Close Paint.NET completely.
  2. Navigate to your installation's plugin directory:
    • Standard Installer: C:\Program Files\paint.net\Effects (or FileTypes for custom formats).
    • Microsoft Store Version: Documents\paint.net App Files\Effects
  3. Locate the .dll files identified in the error report and delete them or move them to a temporary backup folder outside the Paint.NET directory.

3. Download Updated Plugin Versions

Older plugins built for 32-bit architectures or legacy .NET Framework versions are not compatible with modern versions of Paint.NET, which run on 64-bit modern .NET runtimes (such as .NET 7, 8, or newer).

  1. Visit the official Paint.NET forum's "Plugin Publishing Center."
  2. Search for the specific plugin or author pack (such as BoltBait's Plugin Pack or Pyrochild's plugins).
  3. Download the newest version explicitly designated for your current Paint.NET release.
  4. If a plugin has been abandoned by its author, check the forum thread for community-maintained forks or alternative tools that provide the same functionality.

4. Unblock Downloaded DLL Files

Windows often blocks files downloaded from the internet, preventing Paint.NET from executing them.

  1. Locate the downloaded .zip or .dll file.
  2. Right-click the file and select Properties.
  3. In the General tab, look at the bottom for a security notice that says "This file came from another computer and might be blocked..."
  4. Check the Unblock box and click Apply, then OK.
  5. Extract and place the unblocked .dll files back into the appropriate Effects or FileTypes folder.

5. Restart Paint.NET

Relaunch Paint.NET once the files are updated. Open the Effects menu to confirm that the tools appear and function properly, and verify that the Plugin Errors tab in Settings is now empty.