Answer is the txt line in the brushe interface window acts differently now. There was a brush listed on that line from the last time the brushes were working. i had used gimp many times since and just would click on a brush name listed in the window there hoping it would work but it didnt, so i just ignored it all.
The newest version does not list all the brush sets there anymore, so i decided to type in a name of one i knew was in the brush folder and and when i deleted the txt, the magic happened, all the brushes appeared! yeah.. easy, but i didnt realize it worked that way.
Its odd too because until i removed all brush paths i had under preferences except to the roaming path one, the old list of the brushes i had was still there, but grayed out. Today when i opened gimp it was finally gone. Im not sure how or why that happened, and i guess i dont care as i have my brushes back lol.
GIMP Version: 2.10.20
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: New User
List any ERROR messages you received:Error loading 'C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\share\gimp\2.0\brushes\__MACOSX\._ARTOMATIC_Industry.abr': Unable to decode abr format version 5.
I had been using these same brushes all this year, but i guess after an update they stopped working a couple months ago. I cannot figure out how to change them to usuable format for gimp. OH there are more brushes different names same result, this is just one. They all go to the error file. Too many to list.
I have searched online and downloaded code but these are too new for it to change. I cant find anything to open them so i can extract the images and make new brushes. These are all free brushes to use for personal or commercial. I love them and really need access to them.
I read that the newewst edition had fixed / updated to abr version 7? so i installed it hoping it would work , no luck . Also when i first tried it, it gave me an error on the .txt files within the brushes folders, it doesnt do that in this latest edition. I had never seen that before either.
I did put the .abr brushes in the roaming path, and that did not work either. ok I used to be a systems analyst and coder but that was over 20 years ago and im 70, so please keep that in mind if you have advice for me and want to explain how to fix this.
Im not sure what else you need, windows 10 the very newest edition, im in the test group. but this has been happening a while now. I just give up and use something else, but i need these and cant give up anymore
thank you