GIMP Version: 2.6.11
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: XP - SP2
GIMP Experience: Beginner Level

---

Hi, I have installed, several times actually, gimp and none of the tools will work. If anyone can be of assistance I would really appreciate it.

What exactly happens? Does the program start up even? If so, what happens when you select tools and try to use them? Do you have a screenshot of the program in operation?

The program opens up, I can load an image into it, but if I try to write on it, nothing happens with the text tool on the images.

When I select, say an elipse tool and try to create an image with it, nothing happens.

I have opened a transparent background and tried to work on that but nothing happens.

The program appears to open fine. It opens in 3 sections.

I'll try to supmit a screen image, however, it is just going to be an image of the program
cssaddict

btw, thanks for your reply

You have to go to File/New and create a new document first.Or you can go to File/Create/ and try and run a script in there.

To use the text tool you have to click on the text icon in the toolbox, and then in the new document window.
The selection tools only make a selection you have to either stroke Edit/Stroke selection
Or fill the selection with a pattern, blend (gradient), or solid color. Edit/Fill with.....

When you open an new image like a photo or older work make sure to select the image mode as RGB.
Image/Mode/RGB - many filters will not work on a non RGB image.

Hi Rod,
I have other graphic programs that work fine. Create new image, click on the tool that you want to use, and they work. It isn't working here.

I have created new images, selected tools, nothing works at all. Not even the gradient.

The only thing that works is to open an image from my computer. Once that is done, I can't use the text tool, it won't work at all.

Looks to me that you don't have an image open. You have to do that first, or the tools won't work. OR, you can drag your image into your gimp and it will open up an image so you tools should work.

right now I just have a new empty file open, tried to do something with it, however it won't work. If I click in it with the text tool and try to write test, all it does is just change the tools on the left as per letter that I type.

When I get a new image program, I like to test all the tools and see how they work by just playing around. However, nothing.

I have installed and uninstalled several times, cleaning the registry each time.

Go to Edit/Preferences in the "Input devices/Input controllers" tab. What have you got in "Available controllers" and "Active controllers"?

Also Gimp doesn't use the registry... it creates a "profile" directory which is left unchanged if you uninstall/reinstall. If the configuration there is incorrect, reinstalling won't change anything. You can erase that profile to make Gimp recreate a new one (hopefully correct). The profile is in

C:\Documents and Settings\{your_id}\.gimp-2.6

This very likely won't fix it but it's worth a try.

Click the tiny arrow to the right of a tool name (indicated by the red arrow): Tool Options Menu > Reset all Tool Options.

In the available controllers, I have: DirectX Direct input, Mouse wheel, and keyboard

In Active Controllers I have : Main Mouse wheel, and Main Keyboard.

When I uninstall I use crap cleaner, then use the registry tool to get anything left behind, and it always comes up with a few things that are still on the computer. Then to make sure nothing is left I do a gimp search with the search feature. One time there were a couple of files left behind that I deleted.

@Oregonian
I tried what you stated, and of course, that didn't work either. Thanks for the reply and try though. appreciate it.

Ofnuts, is that the file named profile.rc?

That sounds like the solution that should probably work.

cssaddict, you should close gimp before you delete that file and then re-start it.

I did as suggested, and the tools still aren't working. sigh, this is getting very frustrating. I just don't understand why all my other graphic programs work, but this one won't.

And I need it to work to get work as this is the preferred graphics editor of choice to be used.

One more thing to try. Go to Add/Remove programs and uninstall gimp 2.6.11.

Go to Program Files and delete the entire Gimp 2.0 folder. (Hold down the Shift key when you delete it so it doesn't linger in your trash.) When it asks if you are sure you want to do that, click Yes.

Go to the <your name> .gimp-2.6 folder > Delete it while holding down the Shift key.

That will get rid of all traces of GIMP on your computer.

Boot your computer.

Go here to get Gimp: http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
Don't use the one you already downloaded, there could have been a "blink" while you downloaded it.

Reinstall GIMP.

Thanks admin, I'll do this and see what happens.

Actually, that is the link that I downloaded from. I'll do it again and see if it helps.

OK, so that's not the problem.



Still not positive that your Gimp profile has been completely removed. Please remove/rename the directory stated above.

I have the sensation you always tried first with the text tool or with the ellipse or rectangle thingies, that may have created a (only apparent ) problem :

Text tool don't do nothing directly on the image you loaded or created BUT create a new VERY SPECIAL layer above it
even if works you may see nothing (because the font of same color of the BG..or because the new layer may be out of the image border and for similar cases)
PROBLEM HERE once you create that TEXT layer, that will become the active layer and almost no any tool or filter may do something on a text layer (you should get some message if trying but on WIN xp easily messages remain hidden in the Win taskbar or behind other gimp windows

About the ellipse or rectangle tool may be not the best idea (again be totally new to the program) start with them:
they don't draw nothing , if they do some changes to the images is only in combination with some other tool

BUT they may accidentally create a selection so tiny to be almost impossible to be be seen (as 1px selection)
then all the tool you will try to use, would only change that pixel and nothing else

TRY THIS

1 ) open or create a image and go in Image menu, there Image Mode: should be set on RGB,
IF NOT change to RGB (in the other modes only few tools and filter will work )

2 ) just to check open a image you have (or create a new one as example fully white ) click AT FIRST on the Brush or Bucket tool, check if the FG color is different from the BG one (are the 2 tiny overlapping squares on the lower part of the toolbox, as default 1 is black the other white) and just try to scribble with a brush



PS i don't want give the impression that the text or elliptical selection tool are difficult to use...are not only maybe they don't work as you expected
A WAY to see if the text tool did something is CTRL L (Open the layer window) if there is more then 1 layer text tool works..

PhotoComix.

It isn't just the image that won't work. paint brush, free draw, any of the tools on a newly created space won't work. I even tried saving the new project thinking that might help, but it didn't. And I have the colors set correctly.

You tried Gimp_Portable 2.6.11, and that will not run either?

Hi,
I did as stated above, rebooted, and still no working tools.

Tomorrow I'll look up gimp portable and see if that will run.

I'm really baffeled about this.

cssaddict

honestly i never heard of a similar problem
Anyway the portable version often solve the weirdest problems, you may get from here
http://portableapps.com/apps/graphics_p ... p_portable

note that is ALSO portable works perfectly if installed on the HD (even better than from USBdrive, because USB connection is a bottleneck so may slow down)

please let us know if this solved


PS
your Windows is a bit outdated, i don't mean xp (for sure is better then Vista, and with less than 2GB ram is more performing than 7) ...but your SP, you wrote 2 from long you should have 3

This can NOT be the cause of Gimp problems ...it is not related i just tell you because Windows security is low, and become VERY low when the system is not updated