XP-Paint problem

[Resse's Cups]

Okay so I use the XP version of MS-paint to do my pixel art and I have been since the days of Windows XP. However since an update, I have now encountered a glitch where if I use the fill/bucket tool on a single pixel dot or any horizontal line of pixels, from where I clicked to the far left of the picture creates a line of the color I was using. Regardless of any color in the way.

Why? The hell if I know. Yes I know it's an outdated program but I've never found a modern replacement that was simple and in my comfort zone to use. The Windows 11 version of paint SUCKS.


Any help on how I can fix the XP version of Paint would be great. I figured I could ask my follow pixel artists who understand how frustrating this might be. I've tried deleted it and redownloading the app, I've run viral & malware scans. Nothing. I've tried the online version & it doesn't do this, but I can't exactly quick save properly. I have the newer Java Script MSpaint but you can only have 1 open at a time. I REALLY don't want to start a virtual box for Windows XP because 1. I don't know if it would work and I don't want tax my poor laptop running a 2nd OS JUST so I can run a single paint program.

I've used this version for ever because of the simplest and ease of use. And...I guess as a creature of habit the reason why I don't want to learn a new program that isn't super easy to pick up is for a number of reasons but it's like...cutting my dominate hand off and then telling me to use my other hand. Should work in theory but would take too long to train & it won't ever be like it was.

But I'm hoping to ask some fellow sprites, you peeps would understand & have some suggestions if not something can be fix then tell me what I could use to get back into pixel art.

[Barack Obama]

Have you tried PhotoFiltre?

It's pretty good and also has colour tolerances (0% means that only one colour gets filled with the bucket tool).

Also it's freeware:
https://www.photofiltre-studio.com/pf7-en.htm

Although you have to get rid of two nuisances once you start the program:
View - Layer Thumbnail - Hide
Tools - Image Explorer

They are both useless cosmetics and deactivating them takes like 10 seconds flat.

[Resse's Cups]

Have you tried PhotoFiltre?

It's pretty good and also has colour tolerances (0% means that only one colour gets filled with the bucket tool).

Also it's freeware:
https://www.photofiltre-studio.com/pf7-en.htm

Although you have to get rid of two nuisances once you start the program:
View - Layer Thumbnail - Hide
Tools - Image Explorer

They are both useless cosmetics and deactivating them takes like 10 seconds flat.

Unfortunately it also does that annoying thing it erases into transparency which when you work large sprites that just adds more work for me. Plus I liked to use this one trick with the eraser with MSPaint where by using the selected colors I can "erase" change a specific colors of a sprite to another which has been my go to trick in order to quickly recolors stuff. Because let me tell ya...I once recolored a Highly pixel detailed sprite of Belle's dress from KH:CHain of Memories by hand that took way longer until I learned of that trick from youtube and that changed my life forever...until now so I REALLY don't want to do that again.

[Barack Obama]

You can easily recolour things with Recolour 1.6 by Previous Studios (freeware):
https://www.vg-resource.com/thread-43257...#pid684298

Personally, I use Paint Shop Pro 5.01, which is an ancient piece of software, but still brilliant and easy to use.
It's abandonware and can be found on archive sites like Winworld.
Others are Krita and Medibang, also both freeware and easy to google.