I only moved the files for brushes, gradients, pallettes, patterns, gimpressionist, scripts and plugins over into the empty folders. Now I am getting the libprce.dll not found again and script-fu is still not in my top menu.
Restarted my computer. I didn't have gimp on when I did this so I started it up after and found out then this error came up with 6 of the exe's (Plugins); and some of the other stuff too. Now I don't have GMIC anymore . All this began because I wanted to update.
I do remember when making patterns from images I would get error messages but they still were created. Have lost a lot of patterns - probably ones I made recently. Looks like the brushes all came over but not the patterns.


I will have to put it down to my computer. As long as I have got the basics I guess, might learn to do more.

I just had a look in the gmic folder. There isn't any libprce.dll at all. There is however a libpcre-1.dll.

On the same wavelength of Wallace: when you "rebuild" your full set of plug-ins, do it step by step.
But now that you have done already an unsuccessful rebuild, you need to do as such, otherwise you will never exit from your gmic problem:
In these steps I assume you still have the folder you got by renaming the old full as .gimp-2.8-backup.
1-recreate again a clean .gimp-2.8 folder (delete the one you have "rebuilt", because it is not correct, restart gimp which will recreate the clean one)
2-move again in there the gmic folder obtained yesterday
Now you should see again g'mic existing and running (no other plug-ins nor scripts)
3-create a folder named "additional1" where you will put a first limited series of the most interesting plug-ins you like to have back (ignore for the moment the scripts)
4-link this newly created folder "additional1" in gimp preferences
5-check whether you see now both g'mic and the small restored set
case a) yes, you see both g'mic and that small set of plug-ins
if so, create another folder "additional2" with some other plug-ins and link also that one
repeat the steps -always creating new mini-sets additionaln- until you get a
case b) no, you do not see g'mic any more
you know now which subset of plug-ins is in error
in that subset remove all and place only one plug-in at a time until you detect which one is the responsible of your mess.
This should be your goal, all the rest will follow....
Good luck!

Just to say thanks a million for your instructions dinasset, really helped me.