Should I reinstall

[Grimpo]

I've got 3.2.4 on a new comp, but I'm finding that GIMP is not playing well since I installed it. All sorts of funny things are happening. Sometimes the Healing tool behaves like a Clone tool, sometimes drawing processes crawl along at a snail's pace, you can see it creeping along, sometimes the file type for exporting is different than the regualr type even though I'm exporting the same type of image, etc etc.

Before I go to all the trouble of giving the comp some diagnostic surgery, I'm wondering, will it help to uninstall and reinstall GIMP? Or is that pointless?

Thanks.

[sallyanne]

Unless you downloaded it from somewhere other than the official site https://www.gimp.org/ I wouldn't. There is a folder you can rename and gimp creates it again when you next start-up.


Or it could be that some of the settings have changed in the new installation too. Make sure your healing tool isn't 100% opacity but around 65%.

Often times restarting your computer. Or turning it off altogether and back on after letting all the power drain out. At least 20 minutes, should fix problems.

[rich2005]

(08-28-2026, 09:44 AM)Grimpo Wrote: ---snip---
Before I go to all the trouble of giving the comp some diagnostic surgery, I'm wondering, will it help to uninstall and reinstall GIMP? Or is that pointless?  

Unless, you actually messed about with the Gimp 3.2.4 system files, pointless. It makes no difference, all your settings are stored in your User Profile which remains between installations.

One thing you can look at is if you came from using Gimp 2.10 and still have a Gimp 2.10 User profile. Look for something like (1).  Gimp does try and migrate some settings from an existing User Profile.  Rename the GIMP folder, start Gimp and it makes a new GIMP folder with a default (clean) Gimp 3.2 User Profile (2)

   

[Grimpo]

(08-28-2026, 10:03 AM)sallyanne Wrote: Unless you downloaded it from somewhere other than the official site https://www.gimp.org/ I wouldn't. There is a folder you can rename and gimp creates it again when you next start-up.


Or it could be that some of the settings have changed in the new installation too. Make sure your healing tool isn't 100% opacity but around 65%.

Often times restarting your computer. Or turning it off altogether and back on after letting all the power drain out. At least 20 minutes, should fix problems.

No, I downloaded it from the official site. I didn't know about the opacity of that tool. Wonder why it's meant to be 65%?

I'll try changing the gimp folder and see what happens.

Thanlks.

---

(08-28-2026, 10:19 AM)rich2005 Wrote:

(08-28-2026, 09:44 AM)Grimpo Wrote: ---snip---
Before I go to all the trouble of giving the comp some diagnostic surgery, I'm wondering, will it help to uninstall and reinstall GIMP? Or is that pointless?  

Unless, you actually messed about with the Gimp 3.2.4 system files, pointless. It makes no difference, all your settings are stored in your User Profile which remains between installations.

One thing you can look at is if you came from using Gimp 2.10 and still have a Gimp 2.10 User profile. Look for something like (1).  Gimp does try and migrate some settings from an existing User Profile.  Rename the GIMP folder, start Gimp and it makes a new GIMP folder with a default (clean) Gimp 3.2 User Profile (2)

It's a brand new comp and this is the first time I've downloaded Gimp 3.2.4 to it. I have an old version on a seperate laptop but they're not linked in any way.

I'll rename that folder and see what happens.

Thanks.

[sallyanne]

@ Grimpo
Don't remember now if it was when 3 first came out or with vs 3.2.4 that I found my opacity levels for my healing brush tool was different. I hadn't ever changed it either.
If your healing tool is at 100% opacity it will work almost the same as the clone tool. 65% is just a round about number, you might like it to be less.
Maybe it could be more but I have found it to be better at 65%

Anyway - https://docs.gimp.org/3.2/en_GB/

[rich2005]

(08-28-2026, 09:44 AM)Grimpo Wrote: I've got 3.2.4 on a new comp, but I'm finding that GIMP is not playing well since I installed it. All sorts of funny things are happening.

I overlooked the "on a new comp" so you settings should be default (unless you changed anything)

Quote:Sometimes the Healing tool behaves like a Clone tool, sometimes drawing processes crawl along at a snail's pace, you can see it creeping along,

I have to confess, I never use the Heal tool.  A "slow" rendering brush is often due to using a very large brush size.  Can you give details ?
This an easy comparison.  You have to be flexible, If the heal tool (2) does not work then try clone (1). For my work I often use the resynthesizer plugin (3)  

   

Quote:Sometimes the file type for exporting is different than the regualr type even though I'm exporting the same type of image, etc etc.  

In Edit -> Preferences -> Image Import & Export -> The default Export Image Type = PNG Image (you can change that)  However, that is for a new image, o|pen a jpeg, edit and Export (or Export  As) and it is exported as a jpg.  For any file type when you use File -> Export  add an extension  to the name and that is what you get. There are other ways, a drop down of file types bottom of the Export dialogue but that is another subject.

[Grimpo]

(08-29-2026, 08:18 AM)rich2005 Wrote:

(08-28-2026, 09:44 AM)Grimpo Wrote: I've got 3.2.4 on a new comp, but I'm finding that GIMP is not playing well since I installed it. All sorts of funny things are happening.

I overlooked the "on a new comp" so you settings should be default (unless you changed anything)

Quote:Sometimes the Healing tool behaves like a Clone tool, sometimes drawing processes crawl along at a snail's pace, you can see it creeping along,

I have to confess, I never use the Heal tool.  A "slow" rendering brush is often due to using a very large brush size.  Can you give details ?
This an easy comparison.  You have to be flexible, If the heal tool (2) does not work then try clone (1). For my work I often use the resynthesizer plugin (3)  

Quote:Sometimes the file type for exporting is different than the regualr type even though I'm exporting the same type of image, etc etc.  

In Edit -> Preferences -> Image Import & Export -> The default Export Image Type = PNG Image (you can change that)  However, that is for a new image, o|pen a jpeg, edit and Export (or Export  As) and it is exported as a jpg.  For any file type when you use File -> Export  add an extension  to the name and that is what you get. There are other ways, a drop down of file types bottom of the Export dialogue but that is another subject.

No I haven't changed any defaults, so I suppose what I'm getting is what I'm supposed to get. It's just that I've used earlier versions of Gimp for a few years now and I never had any little problems like these. But I suppose I'll get used to it.

Thanks for all the tips, Rich. 
Cheers.