GIMP uninstalled by Windows

xkjd · **Joined:** Jul 11, 2018 **Posts:** 3

Today I suddenly don't have GIMP installed on my Windows computer anymore. I have had 2.8 and 2.9 installed for a very long time, and have definitely not uninstalled them myself, so I'm guessing big brother Microsoft decided that they were not healthy for me and uninstalled them... Has anyone else experienced this?

Wallace · **Posted:** Wed Jul 11, 2018 2:20 pm **(#2)**

xkjd wrote:

Today I suddenly don't have GIMP installed on my Windows computer anymore. I have had 2.8 and 2.9 installed for a very long time, and have definitely not uninstalled them myself, so I'm guessing big brother Microsoft decided that they were not healthy for me and uninstalled them... Has anyone else experienced this?

This is the first I've ever heard of this issue.
Perhaps looking into the Windows Event Viewer,
can help to give you a clue as to what happened.

Also,
some security software,
might flag certain aspects of GIMP to be PUP's,
(potentially unwanted program)
and uninstall the entire program.
This activity may have been logged by the security software,
if this was indeed the case.

xkjd · **Joined:** Jul 11, 2018 **Posts:** 3

Thanks, didn't find anything in the event viewer. But realized that not just GIMP have been uninstalled, also git and a bunch of other software Microsoft don't want me to use... After some googling I found out that Microsoft have been doing this on Win 10 since 2016, and reserve the right to do so in the license agreements. It's their way of solving the problem of software potentially not working after a Windows update... But this is the first time it's happened to me on Win 7.

If only Gnome had been as smooth to use as Win 7... :´(

Wallace · **Posted:** Wed Jul 11, 2018 3:09 pm **(#4)**

xkjd wrote:

Thanks, didn't find anything in the event viewer. But realized that not just GIMP have been uninstalled, also git and a bunch of other software Microsoft don't want me to use... After some googling I found out that Microsoft have been doing this on Win 10 since 2016, and reserve the right to do so in the license agreements. It's their way of solving the problem of software potentially not working after a Windows update... But this is the first time it's happened to me on Win 7.

If only Gnome had been as smooth to use as Win 7... :´(

Have to found any kind of workaround for this issue, within Windows?
Maybe something like adding GIMP,
or any other program to a White-list?

xkjd · **Joined:** Jul 11, 2018 **Posts:** 3

Wallace wrote:

Have to found any kind of workaround for this issue, within Windows?
Maybe something like adding GIMP,
or any other program to a White-list?

Unfortunately it does not seem possible to whitelist any software, but it is possible to install them again. I got the Windows update "Malicious software removal July 2018" today, that might have been what uninstalled my software. So at least I can keep my software for a month now...

I installed the latest GIMP 2.10 instead of 2.8 and 2.9, and so far it seems pretty awesome so this turned out to be a good thing anyway.

racer-x · **Joined:** Apr 15, 2017 **Posts:** 1837

Fix the issue at it's core. Delete Windows and install Linux. I haven't used Windows in years and that's the way I like it.

Just my 2-Cents....

Wallace · **Posted:** Wed Jul 11, 2018 4:06 pm **(#7)**

xkjd wrote:

Unfortunately it does not seem possible to whitelist any software, but it is possible to install them again. I got the Windows update "Malicious software removal July 2018" today, that might have been what uninstalled my software. So at least I can keep my software for a month now...

I installed the latest GIMP 2.10 instead of 2.8 and 2.9, and so far it seems pretty awesome so this turned out to be a good thing anyway.

I guess,
"all's well that ends well".

racer-x wrote:

Fix the issue at it's core.
Delete Windows and install Linux.
I haven't used Windows in years and that's the way I like it.

Just my 2-Cents....

I understand your comment,
I'm all for those who choose to use Linux.

However,
not all computer users feel comfortable using Linux.

Plus,
many people have paid their hard-earned cash for Windows,
myself included.

Peter · **Posted:** Sat Jul 14, 2018 5:45 pm **(#8)**

Wallace wrote:

xkjd wrote:

Today I suddenly don't have GIMP installed on my Windows computer anymore. I have had 2.8 and 2.9 installed for a very long time, and have definitely not uninstalled them myself, so I'm guessing big brother Microsoft decided that they were not healthy for me and uninstalled them... Has anyone else experienced this?

This is the first I've ever heard of this issue.
Perhaps looking into the Windows Event Viewer,
can help to give you a clue as to what happened.

Also,
some security software,
might flag certain aspects of GIMP to be PUP's,
(potentially unwanted program)
and uninstall the entire program.
This activity may have been logged by the security software,
if this was indeed the case.

Here's one for you. I haven't mentioned this before because I didn't think anyone
would believe me. After running GIMP 2.8 for years, I decided to uninstall it, install
2.10. Didn't like 2.10, uninstalled 2.10. Re-installed 2.8. Used 2.8 for about a week
then suddenly, one morning, I clicked on my GIMP icon and 2.10 was back. Imagine
my surprise. How in the world did 2.10 re-install itself on my computer? The only
reason I'm using 2.10 now is because I feel like I don't have a choice.
Incidentally, I have Windows 8.1

sallyanne · **Posted:** Sun Jul 15, 2018 8:51 pm **(#9)**

Sounds like windows did a sneaky update on you and got rid of your program that way. I lost lots of information (3-4 months worth) because of that happening to me. Check also when the last update was.

lylejk · **Joined:** Sep 24, 2010 **Posts:** 12845

I doubt it had anything to do with Windows. Highly likely either Windows was recovered to an earlier point before GIMP was installed, or, a virus was involved.