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Deploying Paint.NET 4.0

We previously looked at the new features and design of an early beta Paint.NET 4.0. Today, the free image editor came out of beta and reached final release. You can check out the Paint.NET roadmap and change log for all of the new features available in this major update.

The minimum system requirements for Paint.NET 4.0 are as follows:

Paint.NET depends on Microsoft’s .NET Framework 4.5, which is automatically installed if it isn’t already on the system.

To deploy PDN 4.0, you have the same options with previous versions of the software. The PDN website has documentation you can follow for the full options in deploying Paint.NET as an unattended installation. If you are scripting the installation with default options, the best bet is to just point to the setup executable with the ‘auto’ switch.

Download the Paint.NET 4.0 from getpaint.net and extract the setup file.

With this new file, from a command line or with a script, run: paintdotnet40.exe /auto

You can even get more specific using the other install options with a command such as:
paintdotnet40.exe /auto TARGETDIR=C:PDN DESKTOPSHORTCUT=0

This will install Paint.NET to C:PDN and not create a desktop shortcut.

If you’re looking for a more traditional deployment, you will probably be looking for a .msi file to use in deployment through Group Policy, SCCM, or just having more configuration options in scripting. To get the .msi files from the setup executable, run: paintdotnet40.exe /CreateMSI

This will put a folder on your desktop called PaintDotNetMSI with a 32-bit .msi file and a separate 64-bit .msi file. (Note that the .msi files are specific to the operating system architecture and cannot be used interchangeably. You cannot use the x86 .msi file on a 64-bit Windows system.) You can then use those files in your deployment and partner them with the documented MSI properties to control the install directory, automatic checking for updates, desktop shortcuts, and other settings. See the Unattended Installation documentation for all of your options.