Joel wrote:

>>In stark contrast to the tradeoff between functionality & learning curves,
>>surprisingly, the Windows Photoshop replacement (which Microsoft picked up
>>from a student project, as far as I recall), is shockingly easy to use and
>>rather powerful (IMHO) in terms of doing things the way they should be.
>
> What do I Google to find this "replacement"?

Hi Joel,

I apologize for not having listed that link, where I listed it in another
post which you found and I see you've already installed it, to your credit.

For the lurkers, it's important to note that Paint.NET is incredibly hard
to find nowadays, if you don't know a few tidbits of information first.

The reason isn't known to me why, but the original author having sold it to
Microsoft (apparently) probably has a lot to do with why it's hard to find
the _free_ version and so easy to find the payware ($10) version from M$.
<https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/paintnet/9NBHCS1LX4R0>

If all you do is run a normal search for "Paint.net download" on Google/DDG
<https://www.google.com/search?q=paint.net+download>
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=paint.net+download>

The first hit (which most people will choose, I suspect) takes you here:
<https://www.getpaint.net/download.html>

As far as I can surmise, the page is designed sort of like how those "free
download" pages are designed, where every button that is obvious is the
wrong button and last I checked the right button doesn't even exist.\

It's especially pernicious a page if you consider there _is_ a free
version, but if you click on the link purporting to be that, it sucks.
<https://www.dotpdn.com/>

You just have to know that the "real" free version of this excellent
PhotoShop replacement tool for Windows only is at the github web site.
<https://github.com/paintdotnet/release/releases>

Namely, these files:
<https://github.com/paintdotnet/release/releases/download/v5.0.3/paint.net.5.0.3.portable.arm64.zip>
Name: paint.net.5.0.3.portable.x64.zip
Size: 91282350 bytes (87 MiB)
SHA256: 4B5384BBD2C41525A27F1CFDC66526852754DCF680CF2ABF8916B88A944E77D4

<https://github.com/paintdotnet/release/releases/download/v5.0.3/paint.net.5.0.3.winmsi.x64.zip>
Name: paint.net.5.0.3.winmsi.x64.zip
Size: 73082211 bytes (69 MiB)
SHA256: FBA5DBE88C4791A37B10587A7F93520FAEB4C3594960F1B5A1088441F6121756

That zip contains this one file:
Name: paint.net.5.0.3.winmsi.x64.msi
Size: 73469952 bytes (70 MiB)
SHA256: 20AAF754A65C544029E5DA76024275CB16C9189157EBAFC6FDE32C31C7C9DC16

Please do let the rest of us know what you think of Paint.NET as I have
tested _every_ single free editor/viewer ever suggested on the Windows and
digital photo newsgroups, including exif editors, 3D CAD editors, vector
graphic editors, and every _free_ photo & image editor ever suggested.
--
Posted out of the goodness of my heart to disseminate useful information
which, in this case, is to give advice on avoiding the $ trapware links.

Andy Burnelli <nospam@nospam.net> wrote:

>>>In stark contrast to the tradeoff between functionality & learning curves,
>>>surprisingly, the Windows Photoshop replacement (which Microsoft picked up
>>>from a student project, as far as I recall), is shockingly easy to use and
>>>rather powerful (IMHO) in terms of doing things the way they should be.
>>
>> What do I Google to find this "replacement"?
>
>Hi Joel,
>
>I apologize for not having listed that link, where I listed it in another
>post which you found and I see you've already installed it, to your credit.

Indeed, thank you very much. I saw it was on GitHub, and that it was
likely a rival to GIMP, and immediately got the MSI. Definitely
likely to become my preference, among the non-Photoshop stuff.

--
Joel Crump

Joel wrote:

>>I apologize for not having listed that link, where I listed it in another
>>post which you found and I see you've already installed it, to your credit.
>
> Indeed, thank you very much. I saw it was on GitHub, and that it was
> likely a rival to GIMP, and immediately got the MSI. Definitely
> likely to become my preference, among the non-Photoshop stuff.

Thanks for letting us know you downloaded it because I have tested
everything, and I mean everything ever suggested on the Windows and photo
newsgroups, over, oh, I don't know, the time span of two decades.

Here's just _one_ dir from just one of my directories, Joel.
F:\software\editors\pic> dir
Volume in drive F is SOFTWARE
Volume Serial Number is 0000-0001

Directory of F:\software\editor\pic

06/05/2019 01:36 AM <DIR> .
06/05/2019 01:36 AM <DIR> ..
06/04/2018 10:18 PM 1,190 Paint.lnk
12/16/2018 02:02 AM <DIR> artweaver
11/23/2018 10:27 PM <DIR> faststone
12/20/2018 03:16 AM <DIR> fotor
12/31/2018 02:02 PM <DIR> fotosketcher
12/02/2018 05:15 PM <DIR> ghostscript
05/31/2019 04:12 AM <DIR> gimp
01/02/2019 12:05 PM <DIR> imagemagick
01/02/2019 12:13 PM <DIR> inkscape
03/07/2019 12:11 PM <DIR> irfanview
11/23/2018 10:28 PM <DIR> jsware_crop
01/01/2019 02:50 PM <DIR> krita
12/03/2018 07:03 PM <DIR> morph
11/23/2018 10:28 PM <DIR> paint.net
12/16/2018 02:35 AM <DIR> paintstar
03/07/2019 11:54 AM <DIR> photodemon
12/20/2018 03:01 AM <DIR> photopad
12/31/2018 03:12 PM <DIR> pinta
11/23/2018 10:28 PM <DIR> vicman_last_good_version
01/25/2020 02:44 AM <DIR> xnview
12/31/2018 02:06 PM <DIR> psp_shareware
06/13/2021 03:02 PM 20,780 readthis.txt
06/13/2021 03:06 PM <DIR> photome
04/13/2022 04:15 AM <DIR> freehandpaint
04/13/2022 04:04 AM 5,445 editor.txt
07/09/2022 07:51 AM <DIR> vector
3 File(s) 27,415 bytes
25 Dir(s) 589,824 bytes free

Here's a directory of my screen recorders...
Directory of F:\software\editor\screenrec

06/05/2019 01:48 AM <DIR> .
06/05/2019 01:48 AM <DIR> ..
11/23/2018 10:31 PM <DIR> 1-cutescreenrec
11/23/2018 10:31 PM <DIR> apowerrec
01/02/2019 02:40 PM <DIR> camstudio
11/23/2018 10:31 PM <DIR> debut
11/23/2018 10:31 PM <DIR> dvdvideosoft
11/23/2018 10:31 PM <DIR> ezvid
01/02/2019 02:43 PM <DIR> flashback
01/02/2019 02:44 PM <DIR> gamedvr
01/02/2019 02:45 PM <DIR> gilisoft
01/02/2019 02:47 PM <DIR> goplay
01/02/2019 02:49 PM <DIR> icecream
11/23/2018 10:32 PM <DIR> ispring
01/02/2019 02:51 PM <DIR> 2-obsstudio
01/02/2019 02:54 PM <DIR> screencastomatic
01/02/2019 03:01 PM <DIR> sharex
01/02/2019 02:58 PM <DIR> tinytake
03/25/2022 03:20 PM 17,031 readthis.txt
03/25/2022 03:25 PM <DIR> wisdom
03/25/2022 03:29 PM <DIR> aviscreenclassic
03/25/2022 03:31 PM <DIR> bsr
03/25/2022 03:42 PM <DIR> captura
03/25/2022 04:05 PM <DIR> chrispc
03/25/2022 04:26 PM <DIR> em
03/25/2022 04:35 PM <DIR> fdr
03/25/2022 04:43 PM <DIR> freecam
03/25/2022 04:45 PM <DIR> hypercam
03/25/2022 04:57 PM <DIR> wink
03/25/2022 05:00 PM <DIR> vclip
03/25/2022 05:04 PM <DIR> uscreencapture
03/25/2022 05:08 PM <DIR> jing
03/25/2022 05:15 PM <DIR> streamobs
1 File(s) 17,031 bytes
32 Dir(s) 589,824 bytes free

Oh, here are the converters, for example.
Directory of F:\software\editor\convert

06/05/2019 01:31 AM <DIR> .
06/05/2019 01:31 AM <DIR> ..
11/23/2018 10:20 PM <DIR> avidemux
11/23/2018 10:20 PM <DIR> avisynth
11/23/2018 10:21 PM <DIR> handbrake
11/23/2018 10:21 PM <DIR> oxelon
11/23/2018 10:21 PM <DIR> super
11/23/2018 10:21 PM <DIR> totallyfreeconverter
11/23/2018 10:21 PM <DIR> virtualdub
08/03/2020 09:23 AM <DIR> ffmpeg
02/16/2021 06:06 AM <DIR> avconv
03/25/2022 04:53 PM <DIR> minitool
0 File(s) 0 bytes
12 Dir(s) 589,824 bytes free

Check out the PDF editors...
06/05/2019 01:43 AM <DIR> .
06/05/2019 01:43 AM <DIR> ..
12/10/2018 08:29 PM 162,080,289 AdobeAcrobat6.0Standard.zip
08/24/2020 11:18 AM 1,172 putinacrobatreadmewhencleaningup.txt
05/03/2019 02:58 PM <DIR> ghoststuff
11/23/2018 10:30 PM <DIR> msoffice2007saveaspdf_microsoft
11/23/2018 10:30 PM <DIR> mupdf
12/31/2018 02:44 PM <DIR> pdf-xchange_viewer
05/03/2019 03:27 PM <DIR> PDF2OFFICE professional_BOUGHT
12/31/2018 02:22 PM <DIR> pdfcreator
12/31/2018 02:43 PM <DIR> pdfsam
11/23/2018 10:30 PM <DIR> pdftk
05/03/2019 03:16 PM <DIR> pdfxchange
12/31/2018 03:15 PM <DIR> posterazor
05/03/2019 03:16 PM <DIR> sumatra
11/23/2018 10:30 PM <DIR> wkhtmltox
11/23/2018 10:30 PM <DIR> wps_pdf2word
12/31/2018 02:43 PM <DIR> xpdf
07/21/2019 01:43 PM <DIR> AdobeAcrobatReaderDC
11/14/2019 09:02 AM 2,909 shrink_optimize.txt
11/17/2019 02:41 PM <DIR> fileoptimizer
07/30/2020 11:42 AM <DIR> AdobeAcrobat6.0Standard
03/30/2020 10:08 PM <DIR> cutepdf
05/03/2019 02:41 PM <DIR> pdfshaper
10/11/2020 11:58 AM <DIR> psutils
10/08/2020 06:14 PM 1,291 pdf_version.txt
05/26/2021 04:05 PM <DIR> foxit
03/13/2022 10:08 AM 35,779 readthis.txt
04/03/2023 03:21 AM 0 New Text Document.txt
6 File(s) 162,121,440 bytes
23 Dir(s) 589,824 bytes free

And codec managers
Directory of F:\software\editor\codec

06/05/2019 01:30 AM <DIR> .
06/05/2019 01:30 AM <DIR> ..
11/23/2018 10:18 PM <DIR> avicodec
03/14/2019 01:57 AM <DIR> codecinstaller
11/23/2018 10:19 PM <DIR> cole2k
03/07/2019 11:50 AM <DIR> gspot
11/23/2018 10:20 PM <DIR> klite
11/23/2018 10:20 PM <DIR> mediainfo
03/14/2019 01:55 AM <DIR>
TechSmithScreenScaptureCodec_for_Camtasia
11/23/2018 10:20 PM <DIR> videoInspector
04/26/2020 02:42 PM 13,106 readthis.txt
1 File(s) 13,106 bytes
10 Dir(s) 589,824 bytes free

Or exif editors...
Directory of F:\software\editor\exif

09/29/2019 07:51 PM <DIR> .
09/29/2019 07:51 PM <DIR> ..
09/29/2019 07:52 PM <DIR> exiftool
09/29/2019 08:06 PM <DIR> exiv2
09/29/2019 08:43 PM <DIR> exiftoolgui
09/30/2019 08:46 AM <DIR> analogexif
09/30/2019 09:18 AM <DIR> sample
09/30/2019 09:29 AM <DIR> exifer
01/25/2020 01:13 AM <DIR> exifpilot
01/25/2020 01:15 AM <DIR> exifmanager
01/25/2020 01:17 AM <DIR> metadata++
01/25/2020 01:19 AM <DIR> exifdatechangerlite
01/25/2020 02:33 AM <DIR> exiftran
03/30/2020 10:08 PM <DIR> xnview
10/11/2020 08:17 PM <DIR> jpeg_templates
06/13/2021 04:30 AM 69,870 ]
06/13/2021 06:04 AM 70,238 readthis.txt
06/13/2021 02:57 PM <DIR> jpegclub
2 File(s) 140,108 bytes
16 Dir(s) 589,824 bytes free

Or video editors...
Directory of F:\software\editor\vid

06/05/2019 02:31 AM <DIR> .
06/05/2019 02:31 AM <DIR> ..
03/29/2019 12:03 PM <DIR> adobe_premiere_free
11/23/2018 10:38 PM <DIR> avisynth
03/29/2019 11:55 AM <DIR> kdenlive
03/11/2019 04:14 PM <DIR> mpc_with_klite_codec
03/14/2019 02:13 AM <DIR> shotcut
05/30/2019 10:23 AM <DIR> videopad
03/14/2019 02:12 AM <DIR> vlc
03/23/2020 08:02 PM <DIR> mpc_without_klite
06/05/2020 04:10 PM <DIR> mpc_be
04/26/2020 01:01 PM <DIR> bmp2avi_30daytrialware
02/16/2021 01:28 PM 30,447 readthis.txt
1 File(s) 30,447 bytes
12 Dir(s) 589,824 bytes free