GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: 7
GIMP Experience: Beginner Level

---

I have used gimp on this machine before; it worked fine.
today, I opened an image, asked to adjust contrast, and the window to adjust the settings doesn't open.
In fact, none of the color tools will open their control windows. Most of the filters are greyed out, but the few that arent *DO* open their control windows.

I tried rebooting; I tried uninstalling and installing a newer cut of gimp. no dice.

is this one of those annoying windows problems that cannot be solved?

AHA! (as soon as I post... )

it says "brightness-contrast does not operate on indexed layers" at the very bottom. I missed that.
this is a tif; it must be formatted oddly.
I exported to jpeg, opened it, and now it works.

Most of the time when you if these kind of issue, it has to do with the "Image Mode" that the image is set to and if the image has an alpha channel or not.