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How to fix "Paint cannot read this file" in Paint, Photos

Paint cannot read this file. This is not a valid bitmap file, or its format is not currently supported.

What this error means

Paint found a header it does not trust — usually a size mismatch from a cut-off file.

Why it happens

  • Incomplete copy or download
  • Header written incorrectly by another program

How to fix it

  1. Upload it here: we correct the header and fill any missing rows

About BMP image files

A BMP is an uncompressed image: a header with the size, then raw pixel rows. A wrong size in the header or missing rows stops many viewers from opening it.