How to fix error video-tdr-failure in GIMP

Solution Steps

1. 1 Restart GIMP completely. Close it, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find any remaining GIMP processes, right-click → End Task. Background processes from previous sessions are the most common cause of startup crashes.
2. 2 Update GIMP to the latest version. Open the app, go to Help → Check for Updates (or download the latest installer from the official website). Updates fix known bugs and compatibility issues.
3. 3 Reset GIMP settings. Navigate to %APPDATA%\GIMP and rename the settings folder to add '.old'. This forces GIMP to create fresh settings — corrupted config files cause crashes.
4. 4 Run GIMP as Administrator. Right-click the shortcut → Properties → Compatibility → check 'Run as Administrator'. Some features of GIMP require elevated permissions.
5. 5 Check if GIMP conflicts with your antivirus. Temporarily disable real-time protection and test. Add GIMP installation folder to antivirus exclusions.
6. 6 Clear GIMP cache. Navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA%\GIMP\Cache and delete all files. Corrupted cache data causes rendering and processing errors.
7. 7 Repair GIMP installation. Windows Settings → Apps → GIMP → Modify → Repair. This replaces damaged program files while preserving your data.
8. 8 If GIMP still won't work: uninstall from Settings → Apps, restart, reinstall from official website. A clean install is the nuclear option but fixes almost everything.