For the past couple of weeks, every time I boot up GIMP, I get a missing dll file error. I click the x then Gimp opens.
Is there any way I can fix this? Where do I look for this?
libpng3.dll _ not found.....

Thanx for anyone that can help with this. grrrrrr

Hi Molly,

Have you did a file search on your hard drive to see if the dll is there? If it is, looks like window just can't find it and you will need to add the folder it's located in to your path.

If it is not found on your drive, you can install it. You'll need to place the dll(s) in a folder that is your path (such as C:\Windows\System32 ) or place them in a new folder and add the new folder to your path.

This link explains how you set the path in Windows XP.

Here is a another good page that outlines how to install DLLs in Windows.

Attached below is a zip file containing the libpng3.dll and libpng12.dll. You might need both of them.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Thank you very much GnuTux, I will give those thingys a try......

Hy Molly you too here

i really doubt that Gimp may dump any ddl in System or in System 32 folders..because all gimp dll in Windows are inside the Gimp folder

Basically on windows the "normal" gimp is as portable apps (because is all self-contained in the program folder, except for a space in the user directory for preferences and user add on)but with a defect..at loding time it search for dll everywhere and only when and if didn't found them in the wrong places, (=were other programs usually store them but never gimp :in "system" and" system32" ) start to search in the right place, in its own folder

But the problem is that if Gimp find the dll there, in the Windows innards, were should not be, it stop the search but instead then be happy it gives errors, (before to notice to have the right dll in the right place )

TO SOLVE

Look as suggested but if you found that dll not ONLY in Program Files/Gimp but ALSO somewhere else...you may just try to rename that in System (as example add "old_" to the dll name )
..reload gimp and see if the message is gone


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HEM...Then may remain a problem for some other apps looking for that dll...but may even be something you unistalled a lot of SW forgot dll behind when unistalled

Thanx photoComix. I went to search and the two dll files that GnuTux enclosed are not on my hard drive anywhere, including GIMP.
The only place they show up is in the WarRar in my desktop that GnuTux sent.
I am a scared to put them anywhere in case I screw up.

I looked in a lot of folders inside Gimp and there are too many to count with dll files inside. My luck would be to put them in the wrong place.

I just wish someone would wave a magic wand and they would appear.

How do I know which Gimp folder is the correct one to put the dll files?

Don't be scared...but wait a few minutes

ok that dll apparently is not part of gimp but part of the Gmic plugin

So i suggest you just to download the most recent version of GMIC (is out from few days ) and install it (when doing it in case prompted to overwrite files, click yes )

Anyway that is not directly part of gimp ,is just needed by gmic...when installing gmic remember that you have to add everything that is in that zip not only the exe, but also all the dll.(apparently last time you try to install gmic , youdid not link the gmic dll to your plugin folder )

ok thanks GC. I will see what I can do.......

PhotoComix gave good advice.

You don't want the same DLL in multiple locations. Windows will load the first DLL it encounters (*first in path) and if it's the wrong version of the DLL, you can get an error. That is why I wanted you to search for the DLL to ensure it wasn't already there.

All the files and folders in the zip should be copied over to your hard drive. If you still get an error, make sure the folder you copy the DLLs to is in your window's path.

The system/system32 folders are always in your path so that is why I suggested you could copy them there. However, it is better to have them in a separate folder that is controlled by the app's installer, which may avoid potential problems with future updates. DLLs must be in the same folder the .exe is being executed from, or they must be in another folder in the path. This is the case for ALL DLLs in Windows.

I got as far as step #7 and used the rt. arrow to get to the end then I typed in c:\New\ but I don't know what I am supposed to type in for the path.??

#7 Click on the field next to "Variable Value" and using the right arrow "--->" on the keyboard, reach to the end of the string. Then type ";c:\new\path." Note: "c:\new\path" is any path you wish to add.

Molly
just reinstall gmic (or just delete its files, if you are not using it)

BTW set that path may not help, because that dll is not really needed by Gimp but by a gimp extra plugin..so even if gimp will find the new path it is not certain that gmic will do the same when called
No need to complicate your life just reinstall GMIC taking care to install not only the exe but everything is inside the zip
(and to make things easier and cleaner , put everything in a new dedicated folder, and link the folder from Gimp/edit/Preferences/folder plugin..do always in this way to install plugin that do not consist in a single exe files but that have several exe or dll )

okay thanks PC.
I think I will do that. I don't even know what Gmic is so I will find it and delete.
Actually, I don't know how I got it in the first place.

I will report back if I have luck.......

if you don't know what is it almost for sure you try to install it by adding the exe inside a gimp plugin folder...so just look there for something as gmic-gimp.exe

then again in the plugin folder you may have put some gmic dll:
libffw3-3
pthreadG2
zlib1

just delete all...and if you want use it (it is a very cool plugin) download the new version and install how i suggested
(with my method you do not risk to forgot orphan dll behind)

thank you so much PC, you just saved my sanity. I rebooted gimp twice and it was still there so I rebooted the pc and it was still there and there was also one call GIMC prefetch. I deleted that and now when I open GIMP the dll error is gone.

I would like to get it back and put it in the way you mentioned. Where do I get it. Didn't come up in Google.

Thanks 2U2 GnuTux...... for being patient.....

Thank you so much. I got it installed and it has so much in there. Piece of cake when you follow directions....

Glad to see you've solved your problem!