GIMP Version: 2.8
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: XP - SP3
GIMP Experience: Intermediate Level

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The color picker in 2.8 XP Pro is broken.

Here is the basic procedure to reproduce the problem:

1. Open an image in GIMP
2. In the toobox, open either the foreground or background color selection dialogue.
3. Click the eyedrop icon in the color selection dialogue.
4. Click anywhere on an image in an open GIMP window.
5. The color selected will always be black. You will also see that as you move the eyedropper over the image the color selection dialogue does not update to match the color under the eyedropper.

OK. I Googled that too and the solutions I saw sounded like gibberish at first. If you are using the color picker from the color selection dialogue, that is also the toolbox. But there are two places to apply the color picker, from the color selection dialogue and directly from the toolbox where a color selector sits with all the other tools, Scale Tool, Select Tools, etc. It is the Color Picker Tool, not to be confused with the Select by Color Tool.

I find the eye dropper a lot handier than the color picker. double click your color dialogue and use it from there. I just leave it open until I finish my project and I use it every time I want a new color or shade. It does a perfect job.