Help! "gnu image manipulation program has stopped working"

Skpoliseno · **Joined:** Jun 07, 2013 **Posts:** 3

GIMP Version: 2.8.4
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: Windows 7
GIMP Experience: Basic Level

List any ERROR messages you received:
"gnu image manipulation program has stopped working"

Hi, I hope it's okay that I jump in with a help request here. I use GIMP for my job and I need to get some things done today and I've been dealing with this issue since last night!

I've been using GIMP for several years and have never had an issue with it until yesterday when it just stopped working and I got this error: "gnu image manipulation program has stopped working" - "A problem has caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available." Then nothing happens.

I googled this issue and no one seemed to know how to fix it, so I'm hoping someone here might be able to help. I realize I have Windows 7 and the GIMP website says GIMP is for Windows XP, but like I've said earlier I've been using GIMP for years and have never had a problem.

Last night I uninstalled and reinstalled several times, then did a disk cleanup and disk defrag, went to bed hoping it was just a silly problem, woke up this morning and still getting the same error.

Any advice or help is MUCH appreciated!!

he4rty · **Joined:** Aug 30, 2012 **Posts:** 2174

If you know of any new scripts or plugins installed then the first thing might be to try moving them to a new folder so gimp is not looking for them on start up.
As I don't think an uninstall of gimp would of cleared out these files.

Rod · **Joined:** May 16, 2010 **Posts:** 16173

Try these in order.
If you have recently installed a new plug-in remove it and re start Gimp again.

If that doesn't solve the issue.
Try deleting all the rc files in the UserName\.gimp-2.8 folder Then restart Gimp.Gimp will recreate them on start up.Be sure and KEEP the pspi.rc if you have one.PS files have never to my knowledge caused a start up problem.

If the problem persists still, remove your ENTIRE UserName\.gimp-2.8\plug-ins folder and restart Gimp.If Gimp starts fine after that replace each plug-in one at a time until you find the one causing the problem. If the plug-in requires DLL files re-download and install it to be sure to get the correct ones.Examples are G'MIC and MathMap.

If it still will not start update all your windows drivers. Restart your computer and restart Gimp. I know this sounds funny but i have actually had a users Gimp not start and create a gimprc file because they did not update their drivers.

IF the program still will not start you may have too many Fonts, Brushes, or Patterns in the resource folders. Try a Brush manager such as GURM or remove a few. OR remove the entire BRUSHES folder from the UserName\.gimp-2.8 \ folder and restart Gimp. If that works then try a brush manager as i suggested earlier.
Too many Patterns, Fonts, and Brushes are usually the culprits that slow Gimp start up down or stall it.

If none of these fixes the problem start Gimp -verbose in a cmd console window and paste the output here in code tags.
Also check to see if you have a gimprc file in the UserName\.gimp-2.xx folder.

Skpoliseno · **Joined:** Jun 07, 2013 **Posts:** 3

I have done everything you listed and it's still not working.

Nothing has really changed since earlier this week when I first used GIMP and yesterday. I didn't add any new fonts, brushes, plugins, etc. In fact I never use plugins or have installed plugins. I use it mostly for photography modification and very simple work.

And sorry, I'd like to share the CMD output - what do I have to type in?

Thank you!

K1TesseraEna · **Joined:** Sep 22, 2012 **Posts:** 2089 **Location:** US

It doesn't look like a GIMP problem at all. It's OS you're having issues with.
If you're installing and uninstalling a lot of other programs and applications on your PC, or uninstalling them incorrectly, or have never done
registry clean-up - that's the first reason for GIMP not launching or crashing on start-up.
Download and run CCleaner or Eusing Cleaner or likes.
Registry is an operating system's core and when not maintained it gets fragmented and messed up big time, causing all sorts of problems.
Well known issue with gimp, actually.

Rod · **Joined:** May 16, 2010 **Posts:** 16173

Skpoliseno wrote:

I have done everything you listed and it's still not working.

Nothing has really changed since earlier this week when I first used GIMP and yesterday. I didn't add any new fonts, brushes, plugins, etc. In fact I never use plugins or have installed plugins. I use it mostly for photography modification and very simple work.

And sorry, I'd like to share the CMD output - what do I have to type in?

Thank you!

Open a cmd console window and type (replace Program Files with YOUR path)

Code: Select all

cd c:\program files\gimp-2.8.4\bin

Hit ENTER KEY
THEN type

Code: Select all

gimp-2.8 --verbose

OR you can just use this bat file for windows. Just copy the code into a notepad file and save as "gimp-start-verbose.bat" Double click it just like any other execute file to start Gimp in verbose or troubleshooting mode.

Code: Select all

@echo off
REM Next command opens Gimp-2.8 verbose
start /d "c:\program files\gimp-2.8.4\bin" gimp-2.8 --verbose 
@echo off

After just left click wilbur top left of the window Edit>Select all Edit> copy
Paste into a notepad and save as txt file.

Skpoliseno · **Joined:** Jun 07, 2013 **Posts:** 3

I don't know what happened, but it's working now! Maybe it just needed time to adjust from all the changes I made earlier.

Thanks for your help!! Hopefully it doesn't do this again..

Rod · **Joined:** May 16, 2010 **Posts:** 16173

Skpoliseno wrote:

I don't know what happened, but it's working now! Maybe it just needed time to adjust from all the changes I made earlier.

Thanks for your help!! Hopefully it doesn't do this again..

Glad to hear you got it working again. :bigthup