GIMP 2.8 Win 11 Script-Fu filter Smart App Control Issue

Wallace · **Posted:** Sun Oct 25, 2026 5:51 pm **(#1)**

I've been running GIMP 2.8 for quite a while without this problem.
Following a recent Windows 11 update (26H2, build 26300.9711),
I found that Smart App Control was blocking script-fu.exe (version 2.8.11.0) in my user plug-ins folder,
causing Script-Fu filters to disappear from their menus.

I'm not sure why that older version was in my user folder,
but it had always worked until recently.
My GIMP 2.8.18 installation has its own script-fu.exe (version 2.8.18.0) in the program's installation folder.

Renaming the older file to script-fu.exe.bak as a test.
Allowed GIMP to use the matching version and all the filters reappeared.

I can't say for certain what triggered the change.
I'm documenting this in case others encounter the same problem with GIMP 2.8 on Windows 11.

rich2005 · **Joined:** Mar 04, 2011 **Posts:** 2627

Guessing the blocked script-fu.exe is the hacked version that adds scroll bars to those long filters that were common in those days.

Maybe a solution here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... -questions

Wallace · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2026 3:31 pm **(#3)**

rich2005 wrote:

Guessing the blocked script-fu.exe is the hacked version that adds scroll bars to those long filters that were common in those days.

Maybe a solution here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... -questions

Thanks, rich.

I have the Scrolling Interface Mod V1.1 for GIMP V2.8 by GnuTux installed.
Script-Fu Scrolling Interface V1.1 by GnuTux
It seems to provide the scrollbar functionality within larger dialogs.

I'm guessing that's where the original script-fu.exe came from,
the one that's currently being blocked by Windows.

Things seem to be running as usual using GIMP 2.8.18's own script-fu.exe in place of the one I originally installed,
which I believe wasn't necessary.

I'm simply happy things are back as they were and that it didn't require anything drastic.