Cannot Read Contents of Folder error - FIXED!

[GeneralProductsHull]

Hi all,

When I try to open or save files in GIMP 2.8.20 (and earlier versions) I get a popup that says "Cannot Read Contents of Folder"

I get this trying to open/save from/to different folders and I can't figure out how to fix it. Could someone help me please?

I'm not really new to GIMP, so I'm able to navigate around pretty well. Any help would be a huge boost. Thanks!

Mike
L.A.


   

[Ofnuts]

Where does the "Documents" part of the name comes from? I don' thing anything name such in the file list? Otherwise it seems it is trying to load a directory as an image....

[GeneralProductsHull]

(05-11-2017, 12:01 AM)Ofnuts Wrote: Where does the "Documents" part of the name comes from? I don' thing anything name such in the file list? Otherwise it seems it is trying to load a directory as an image....

I don't know. There isn't a "Documents" folder in my User\IAEHoldings Folder. There is a folder called "My Documents" but I'm not saving work there. I don't know why GIMP is looking for a folder that doesn't even exist.

GIMP is installed (or that's where the system folders are) on my "C" drive. But I've located GIMP image files in my IAEHoldings folder which is located in the Desktop Folder (though not in my Libraries folders).

I'd like to install GIMP high on the heirarchy (like "C") for speed of access and keep all my GIMP work in folders there. But it seems GIMP doesn't like accessing folders there. I think... I've gotten confused over time about where to store my work because of having problems not being able to access folders through GIMP's file management windows.

Thanks for helping out. I really appreciate it.

Mike

edit: I notice when I "openfile" there's a list of my drives. When I click on IAEHoldings, I get the error, when I click on "C" drive, I get the error - out of several drives, I get the error on about 5 of them. "Cannot read the contents"

[Ofnuts]

The "depth" of files i the hierarchy has no influence whatsoever on the access speed. What counts is how "fragmented" the file is on the disk. Using the standard install location is fine.

In fact this looks like some other software is interfering with Gimp. Are you running some security software (antivirus, firewall...)? Can you disable it temporarily to see if this fixes things? Or use its settings to add an exception for Gimp?

[GeneralProductsHull]

(05-11-2017, 07:06 AM)Ofnuts Wrote: The "depth" of files i the hierarchy has no influence whatsoever on the access speed. What counts is how "fragmented" the file is on the disk. Using the standard install location is fine.

In fact this looks like some other software is interfering with Gimp. Are you running some security software (antivirus, firewall...)? Can you disable it temporarily to see if this fixes things? Or use its settings to add an exception for Gimp?

Ok, here's where I've gotten to. In the GIMP File Management Window (opened when I select Export As, or Open) I tried to create a folder called GIMP. When I confirmed the selection, for some reason, it renamed the folder GIMP 2. Fine by me. I saved a few files to the folder and now, when I select Export As or Open, the default folder is GIMP 2. Again, fine by me. It appears that somehow, GIMP is now able to recognize it's own system folder, which before, it did not do. Now, it opens the new folder (which is in the GIMP 2 system folder where all the other GIMP folders reside.) The day is saved.

For some reason, GIMP couldn't recognize either image or .xcf files which are in my main User folder or the GIMP 2 system folder which is installed on my C:\ drive. But it seems to be fixed.

Thank you for taking the time to help me sort this out. I can now GIMP along on my merry way.

Mike

edit: I did add the GIMP2.exe to Trend Micro's Exception list, but still got the same error - so, still don't know what the hiccup was.

[Kevin]

C:\Users\username\Documents is the default location on Windows that GIMP uses for opening and saving files.

To find out if you have this folder, you cannot use the Windows file explorer as that "helpfully" re-names it to "My Documents".

From a Windows command prompt: cd \Users\username and run the dir command. You should see the Documents folder listed.

I suspect you have either a non-standard windows installation, or unhelpful security settings (is this a corporate PC? IAE Holdings doesn't sound like a personal installation)

[Ofnuts]

(05-11-2017, 08:14 AM)Kevin Wrote: C:\Users\username\Documents is the default location on Windows that GIMP uses for opening and saving files.

To find out if you have this folder, you cannot use the Windows file explorer as that "helpfully" re-names it to "My Documents".

From a Windows command prompt: cd \Users\username  and run the dir command. You should see the Documents folder listed.

I suspect you have either a non-standard windows installation, or unhelpful security settings (is this a corporate PC? IAE Holdings doesn't sound like a personal installation)

Actually I suspect Gimp uses the directory pointed to by some $USERDIR environment variable (or $HOME, or whatever) because in corporate settings the user directory can be on some server to allow roaming users. The tests above are still good to clear a few things.

[Kevin]

(05-11-2017, 12:25 PM)Ofnuts Wrote:

(05-11-2017, 08:14 AM)Kevin Wrote: C:\Users\username\Documents is the default location on Windows that GIMP uses for opening and saving files.

To find out if you have this folder, you cannot use the Windows file explorer as that "helpfully" re-names it to "My Documents".

From a Windows command prompt: cd \Users\username  and run the dir command. You should see the Documents folder listed.

I suspect you have either a non-standard windows installation, or unhelpful security settings (is this a corporate PC? IAE Holdings doesn't sound like a personal installation)

Actually I suspect Gimp uses the directory pointed to by some $USERDIR environment variable (or $HOME, or whatever) because in corporate settings the user directory can be on some server to allow roaming users. The tests above are still good to clear a few things.

Very probably, as %USERPROFILE% is pointing to C:\Users\username for me.

I think that's going to change with GIMP 2.10 to using %APPDATA% or something along those lines.