Paint.net doesn't start: a device attached to the system is not functioning

[richardsta6]

Paint.net 4.0.9 has been running happily on Win 8 all year - until today.

 

Today I get a windows dialog stating "a device attached to the system is not functioning"

 

this happens for paintdotnet.exe and pdnrepair.exe

 

Paint.Net does not uninstall.

 

 

Other than the monitor I am looking at and the wireless keyboard and mouse I am using, I don't have any other devices attached.

 

 

I have had this before but cannot recall the fix.  Various fora show convoluted anti-virus/malware procedures, but are not related directly to paint.net.

 

Suggestions?

Fixes?

 

thanks

Richard S

[toe_head2001]

'Attached devices' aren't limited to external peripherals; it could be any hardware component. Make sure the drivers installed on your system are up to date, especially for your GPU.