Gimp doesn't work on my computer. Help! [Solved]

[Pananacakes]

For some reason neither Gimp nor Inkscape won't work on my computer. I'm using Windows 7 x64. The basic problem seems to be that the menu fonts are too big and the menu font spacing is huge, making the interface unusable. The bits of the menus that get displayed don't accept mouse clicks either. At first I assumed it was because I have my monitor set to a very high resolution, but lowering that and (cleanly) reinstalling Gimp didn't help.

Has anyone seen this before and/or know a solution?

[johnvanvliet]

it has been many many years since i really used MS windows
but

What version of gimp is this ?
the current grabbed from the gimp website ?
-- 2.8.18
http://www.gimp.org/
-- direct link --
http://download.gimp.org/mirror/pub/...8.18-setup.exe

and did you use the DEFAULT install location ?
c:\Program files \????
or install it some other place ?


or did you download some random exe file from someplace ?

next what is the hardware ?
is this a desktop ? laptop? tablet ?

can you click on "edit / preferences " in the main window ?

[Pananacakes]

The computer in question is a windows 7 pro 64 bit desktop.

It is the latest Gimp and the installer is from the torrent offered by the Gimp people for downloading. I've tried with the direct download installer too. No soap. The result was the same.

It's installed to "D:\Program Files 2\GIMP 2" but that shouldn't matter, though I will give it a try in the default place because why not.

I cannot click on edit / preferences or even see it. Just a random looking collection of letters with a couple inches of space between them all that are unclickable. I can however get to all the rc and conf files, both my own and the globals.

Anyway, brb while I try installing into "C:\Program Files\GIMP 2".

[Pananacakes]

Reinstalling with everything default didn't help unfortunately. I deleted the .gimp-2.8 folder in my home folder before reinstalling.

Here's a screenshot of what I get when I open Gimp, with the new doc dialog opened by pressing Ctrl+n. That keyboard shortcut works. Menu shortcuts of the Alt+ variety don't so I can't get to edit/prefs that way.

[johnvanvliet]

-- nothing to do with fonts --

that just looks like the GUI windows are to big
you do know you can resize them just like any other gui window

hover the mouse over the edge or corner and click and drag
just like every other program on windows

i am guessing you have windows set to AUTO open EVERYTHING full screen


this is nothing new
been around since the windows 3 days back in the early 90's

[Pananacakes]

I wish it were that simple, but it won't let me resize the window by draging the edges or corners. It will maximize like my ss shows or else "contract" to a bizarre size of about 500px high and I'm guessing about 9000px wide. 9000 is not a typo. Those are my only two size options and both have the messed up menus.

Inkscape does the same thing. What do Gimp and Inkscape have in common? Gtk?

[Azélor]

Just out of curiosity, what screen resolution are you using?
Also, do other software have this problem as well?

[Redrobes]

If I recall... you can open explorer, find the exe, right click once on it and create a short cut.

Then right click on the short cut and there may be a tab called compatibility. On that tab is some options like run in 640x480 and disable high dpi scaling or something. Do any of those options work ?

You could always install a virtual machine like VirtualBox, install linux and run the linux version.

Some ideas... but your desktop seems unusually high res. 9000 pixel desktop ???

[Pananacakes]

No not 9000 hehe. That goes way off the screen. Normally my res is at 3200. I set it to 1080 and reinstalled Gimp but it didn't help which really surprised me. I'll try your compatibility suggestions when I get a chance. I'd love to go Linux or BSD and use Gimp there but my main app is Photoshop and I don't want the struggle of getting that to work on Linux. I just want Gimp for a few features, some filters PS doesn't have or where I like Gimp's options better.


Azelor, Inkscape does the same. Just Gimp and Inkscape.

[johnvanvliet]

Normally my res is at 3200.

that still makes no sense

resolution is in pixles per inch ( or cm )
a everyday 22 in 1080 lcd will be 96 dpi

1080 = 1920 x 1080

or if you really have the cash a 4k monitor

this is windows desktop
so what graphics card ?
AMD/ ati ?
nvidia?
intel "chip" on the mobo -- no real card

for 9000 that will be 2, $3000 nvidia cards with a cross over cable in a $20,000 computer