GIMP Not Opening or Won't Start

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Update to the latest 3.2.x

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   1. Download the installer for your system from gimp.org/downloads (3.2.8 at time of writing)
   2. Windows needs 10 version 1903 or newer, macOS needs 11 Big Sur or newer
   3. On Apple Silicon use the Apple Silicon DMG, not the Intel one
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Reset your GIMP profile folder

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   1. Close GIMP, then rename your GIMP 3.0 profile folder: Windows %APPDATA%\GIMP\3.0, macOS ~/Library/Application Support/GIMP/3.0, Linux ~/.config/GIMP/3.0 (Flatpak: ~/.var/app/org.gimp.GIMP/config/GIMP/3.0)
   2. Start GIMP; it creates a fresh profile
   3. If it works, move back brushes, fonts or plug-ins one at a time to find the culprit
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Start with fonts or plug-ins out of the way

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   1. Run gimp-3 --no-fonts from a terminal or Command Prompt to test whether font scanning is the crash (the text tool will not work in this mode)
   2. Temporarily move third-party plug-ins and custom brushes out of the profile folder
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. 4. Collect a log for a bug report

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   1. Run gimp --verbose in a terminal to see where startup stops
   2. On Windows check Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application for the faulting module
   3. Report it on the GIMP GitLab tracker or gimp-forum.net
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

GIMP icon bounces or the splash screen appears and vanishes, or nothing happens at all after double-clicking.

Why it happens

• Corrupt user profile or a bad custom brush/plug-in
• Crash while scanning fonts
• Damaged or wrong-architecture install (Intel build on Apple Silicon)
• Outdated version with a known launch bug

This guide also covers

• gimp not opening
• gimp won't start
• gimp not launching windows 11
• gimp 3 failed to launch

The same problem in other apps

All crashes, freezes & blank screens guides →

• Affinity Photo Crashing (Affinity Photo)
• Photoshop Keeps Crashing or Won't Open (Adobe Photoshop)
• Pixelmator Pro Keeps Crashing or Quitting Unexpectedly (Pixelmator Pro)

Other GIMP errors

• GIMP Keeps Crashing or Freezing
• GIMP Brush or Paintbrush Not Working
• GIMP Text Tool Not Working or Font Resets
• GIMP Fonts Not Showing Up
• GIMP 3 Plugins Not Working or Missing
• How to Export as PNG or JPG in GIMP (Save Not Working)
• Why Is GIMP So Slow or Laggy?
• GIMP Can't Open HEIC, WebP or RAW Files