MSPaint vs. PBrush

[ChrisGreaves]

Is it my imagination or ...
I seem to recall that in Windows 3.x PaintBrush, selecting a block of image resulted in a Move cursor (example attached), at which time one could use the four cursor-arrow keys to fine-move the image around the canvas.
I wanted to do that this afternoon in MSPaint (Win XP SP3) and couldn't get the keyboard to work no matter what I tried.

The technique works with a window (Alt-space, M, then use the arrow keys).
I could swear I used to teach folks how to do this 15 years ago in paintbrush.
And if I can't do it now in MSPaint, I'll still swear, but for a different reason.

(signed) "Slowly losing my mind" of Toronto.

005.JPG

[JoeP]

Why mess with 10+ year old programs? Use something such as Paint.NET - Free Software for Digital Photo Editing.

Joe

[ChrisGreaves]

Why mess with 10+ year old programs?

Because my paying clients all have Windows with MSPaint, and I can't go around suggesting they install 3rd-party software as a solution to every problem.
Enough of my clients recognize the value of using the keyboard for specific tasks, and fine-movement is one of them.
Being able to adjust an image a pixel at a time is beyond most mouse users, but quite achievable with the keyboard.

Back to my posted question: Are you confirming that keyboard manipulation was possible with Paintbrush but is not possible with MSPaint?
Thanks.

[JoeP]

I am not confirming anything about Paintbrush. I can confirm that with Paint on Windows 7 i can control movement with the keyboard where I was unable to do the same with XP.

If your clients are not able to accomplish specific tasks with the tools at hand shouldn't you recommend a tool that will work?

Joe

[IanWilson]

Why mess with 10+ year old programs?

Because my paying clients all have Windows with MSPaint, and I can't go around suggesting they install 3rd-party software as a solution to every problem.
Enough of my clients recognize the value of using the keyboard for specific tasks, and fine-movement is one of them.
Being able to adjust an image a pixel at a time is beyond most mouse users, but quite achievable with the keyboard.

Back to my posted question: Are you confirming that keyboard manipulation was possible with Paintbrush but is not possible with MSPaint?
Thanks.

Sorry to come to this so late, but I read the thread and started wondering. This Wikipedia article suggests that you can move the mouse cursor with the keyboard if you enable Mouse Keys in the accessibility options in Control Panel. So I have been experimenting. If you enable Mouse Keys, and use the keyboard shortcut to turn Mouse Keys on, you can move a selection in Paint with keys on the Number Pad as long as you also hold down the left mouse button. A bit of a palaver, if you ask me, but it can be done!

Ian