Windows 11 Paint Recent File List

[WinLite]

Does someone of you here know were to find the last used picture list from Paint in the Win11 registry?

In all previous versions of Windows it was in "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Paint\Recent File List".

But this registry entry doesn´t exist in Win11 anymore.

 

[garlin]

User settings for AppX programs have moved to User.dat files, under the AppData\Local\Packages folders.

reg load HKLM\Helium \Users\GARLIN\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe\SystemAppData\Helium\User.dat

 

[WinLite]

Thanks garlin but i don´t have any folder called "Helium" in my registry.

I only have it in AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe\SystemAppData\Helium\User.dat in Windows 11 File Explorer.

Another member from MyDigitalLife forum also tried to help me with that and gave me this registry path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\SystemAppData\Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe\PersistedStorageItemTable\ManagedByApp

But my registry entry is ending with Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe and had no PersistedStorageItemTable\ManagedByApp in that path, only in other entry pathes.

Could that be because i use old Paint with Win11 and not the new one?

 

[garlin]

Helium is the Windows project name for AppX containers. The reason AppX folders and registry files are hidden, is it runs under virtualization to isolate apps from the system.

\Windows\SystemApps - pre-installed "in-box" app folders
\Program Files\WindowsApps - Store app folders
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\...\SystemAppData - user settings

Every AppData\Local\Packages folder has a nest of subfolders, you have to keep digging deeper to find the User.dat.
When you run Paint for the first time, it will create the Helium folder. I'm running old Paint (not Store).

Turn on show hidden files in Explorer, or use CMD to look around.

When you load User.dat, reg.exe needs a mount location. The normal way is HKLM\[some folder], and has an easy to identify name.
Why did MS make this insanely complicated? You're not supposed to edit AppX like with older Win32 apps.

 

[WinLite]

Well, i couldn´t find anything in the registry, didn´t matter how deep i was digging or loading User.dat with Editor. I finally think that this has also to do with my personal NTLite configuration in Win11.
But i went another way. I simply deleted the Helium folder completely in Windows File Explorer, startet Paint new and configurated it from the scratch. Result is like expected. Everything works and the Recent File List is empty now.
After that i made a new system backup and if i wish an empty file list in the future, i simply playback my backup and everything is fine. A little bit more work but problem solved.
Thanks again garlin, you were helping me a lot with your hints and tips, so that i could help myself in the end.