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GIMP: Application failed to initialize error

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GIMP: Application failed to initialize error

I am getting the following error message when I try to run GIMP. Any idea what the problem is?

gimp-2.2.exe - Application Error
The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000142). Click on OK to terminate the application.

John T. Haller
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Full error, OS

Hmm... Is that the complete error message? What OS version? Admin, limited or guest privs?

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Kaldanzia (not verified)
Re: Full error

That's all it gave me, I even checked the Event Viewer to see if it had more details. But there's not much, but I did a full copy and paste from the Event Viewer. It's in the System subsection of the Event Viewer if that helps. I'm running on WinXP SP2 with full admin privileges.

The explaination from the Help and Support Center is "The program could not load a driver because the program user doesn't have sufficient privileges to access the driver or because the drive is missing or corrupt."

Event Type: Information
Event Source: Application Popup
Event Category: None
Event ID: 26
Date: 4/8/2006
Time: 8:45:42 PM
User: N/A
Computer: DOGPOUND
Description:
Application popup: gimp-2.2.exe - Application Error : The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000142). Click on OK to terminate the application.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

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That isn't a very helpful error

Now is it? There is no driver I can think of or anything that should cause that. Any idea if standard GIMP will run on the box? Did you try the GTK copy trick from the other thread?

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Kaldanzia (not verified)
Re: Not helpful

Yeah, I really wish it would give me more details. I tried the GTK copy trick and tried installing GTK & GIMP on my machine. It wanted to replace the following files.

C:\WINDOWS\system32\xmlparse.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\xmltok.dll

The first time I didn't replace the files, because it said it might break some other software, and standard GIMP wouldn't work. I re-ran the install and replaced the files and now both standard and portable work. I guess it needs a certain version of these files on the hard drive of the machine to work.

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But This Isn't A Solution

Replacing them works. Or deleting (or renaming) the existing ones in the Windows\System32 works as well.

That means PortableGIMP doesn't automatically use the version under "gtk\bin" but tries to use the one in Windows\System32, and if there is a version problem it crashes.

But this is a problem, since the whole idea of having GIMP portable is that you don't have to mess with the local files (and use these in computer labs and internet stations, etc.). Since we can't be going around replacing or deleting dll's in those places, another solution needs to be found for this application to be truly 'portable'.

Am I wrong?

fistandoodle
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I came across this same

I came across this same problem tonight. I musta overwrote the files with different versions, because portable gimp as well as the version I had installed on the hard drive did not run. Neither.

I moved the 2 files from windows\system32 to a different directory, and the portable gimp worked. I copied over the two dll files from portable gimp into my main gimp directory, and that version then worked as well.

But as has been stated by tuxster, if this version is to be totally portable, it should not look on the normal hard drive at all, at \windows\system32 for any operating file or system dll.

Just wanting to give another voice who had this exact same problem.

dp23
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Same problem here

I ran into the same issue today and removing the 2 xml*.dll did allow me to run the portableGimp. However, I have to agree with the parent that this is not a solution, a portable app should not require users to fiddle with .dll in the system32 directory in order to start.

I have reasons to suspect that the existing xmlparse.dll was connected to a file wddx_com.dll in "\Programme\Gemeinsame Dateien\Macromedia\bin" ((program files\shared files)) and I really dont like to break that (whatever it does, probably xml parser of director or Flash or dreamweaver) in order to run a portable app.

I would like to suggest to include this issue in the "Known Issues" Section. While it is true that 2.2.12 handles the issue much better than 2.2.11 did, temp rename of the 2 files is not a fix but a workaround at best. And there are still lots of links pointing to the .11 version on SourceForge - I only discovered the .12 while writing this post. A short notice under Issues would have helped me a lot.

dp23
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conflicting app identified

I know it's lame to reply to my own post but I did some further research and it might help someone else with a similar setup. I apparently identified the source of xmlparse.dll, xmltok.dll on my system.
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_17553
confirmed my idea about the connection to wddx_com.dll and relates all of them to Home Site (4.5 only?)
I tried to provoke an error by opening an xml file in homesite (5.5) while gimpPortable 2.2.12 was running but didn't get any.

John T. Haller
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Multiple Apps

Actually, there are multiple apps with this issue. And, unless GIMP itself is modified, the problem will persist with GIMP Portable. Though, at least GIMP Portable can work on affected PCs.

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w8aok
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The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000142)

Same error here, too.

Full dilog box image here: http://members.citynet.net/bcressler/forums/gimp_error.png

Running Microsoft Windows XP Professional 5.1.2600 (WinXP Retail)/SP2 maintained to latest MS specs.

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Will wait for next beta, as I agree with others that a portable app needs to be just that.

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Local work?

Does a local install of GIMP work on that PC? If not, the portable one won't work either. And, most likely, no GTK apps will work on it (GIMP, Gaim, Gnumeric, etc). It's usually a conflict with a DLL in the System32 directory or a conflict with Cygwin (Cygwin + GTK = bad).

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w8aok
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Local [GIMP] work? | DLL conflict

John --

First, thanks for your concise reply!

Just downloaded GIMP for local install, and when attempting installation, was informed that the GTK runtime environment was NOT installed on my machine -- kick my a$$ because I thought it was! Ha!

Downloaded the most recent GTK (2.8.18)and attempted an installation, but received a message saying I have two DLLs which may cause conflicts [xmlparse.dll and xmltok.dll], so aborted the install of GTK runtime.

I will be rebuilding another machine later this week using the XP Pro OS, and intend to try all this before installing other software -- goal is to build a machine running all "portable apps"...have been somewhat blown away recently by how much progress has been made with Portable Open Office, Thunderbird, Firefox, and others -- NVU portable knocked my socks off when it loaded a rather complex web page and it's WYSIWYG displayed it just as I had created it under Dreamweaver 8! The idea of being able to copy the contents of one directory (and subdirs) to a USB "drive" or other media and sit down at someone else's machine to get on with it is what this stuff's all about; right?!

Anyway, didn't mean to get wordy, but will try to provide some useful feedback after rebuilding the other machine.

-- Bruce

Addendum: I decided to go ahead and install the new GTK runtime and elected to rename the two conflicting DLLs. Both the full OS registered GIMP and the Portable versions work fine now. I backed out the installation of the OS registered (local) version and the portable one still works fine. Obviously, it is working as designed and I was in error about thinking I had a full GTK runtime installed.

For what it's worth, I think the xmlparse.dll that was on my machine was the result of an older Yahoo IM installation. It might be that others who are seeing the orignal error in this thread could try re-installing the GTK runtime environment - available on the download page for Portable GIMP.

Thanks for the help and sorry about the user-end SNAFU. LOL

John T. Haller
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Where?

Where were these files? Were they in system32? Or somewhere in one of the directories within the path?

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w8aok
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Both files were in

Both files were in ..\system32

From the GTK install dialog:


    Following is the list of files, which would be renamed:
    C:\WINDOWS\system32\xmlparse.dll
    C:\WINDOWS\system32\xmltok.dll
    If you choose to rename these files, their extension will be changed to .dll.off.

Just had a look at both of the orignial files with a hex-ed and both have "MZ" in the first two bytes of the file header.

If you want to have a look at the two files, I put them up here [35kb Zip]: http://w8aok.w3kwh.com/files/renamed_dlls.zip

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...

Oh dear. You have the same name as me (Bruce). This could cause some confusion, I see (I thought you were actually addressing me when you signed your last post with "Bruce"). I may have to start signing my own posts with my full name...

Anyway, regarding the "MZ" thing: that's standard across executables and is akin to saying "I saw two bunny rabbits with pointy ears." Look at any DOS or Windows executable... they all have it. What you're actually seeing is the first two bytes of the header for the DOS stub of a Windows executable. I won't get into the specifics, but suffice it to say that MZ stands for "Mark Zbikowsky"--the creator the original .exe file format. Little-known fact: DLLs are executables, too.

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w8aok
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Thanks for the

Thanks for the lesson/reminder -- I'd like to think I once knew about "Zibo's" vanity "header", but I truly don't remember. I am aware that a DLL is an executable, but the last time I did any sort of low-level software development was in the mid-80s with Microsoft's Basic & C development systems for DOS, and most of what I remember about those experiences is too ugly to revisit here -- I do remember using "CodeView", rather than a Hex editor to examine compiled elements, though.

Your "bunny rabbits with pointy ears" analog was particularity comical -- if you further consider the BFF header for Sun Sparcs and Intel x86 machines running the Solaris operating system can be "ELF", then things become even more "gray" as both bunny rabbits and elves have pointy ears! LOL

Anyway, thanks for the "heads up" on the "MZ".

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Still have em?

Do you happen to have copies of the old files? Could you email em my way? (to the site contact@ address is fine) I may try and build in the ability for the launcher to detect this issue and offer to temporarily fix it and then set it back.

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w8aok
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Files on their way

Just sent them to the contact @ address with subject line, "For John Haller - 2 DLLs (Zipped) re: Application failed to initialize error".

w8aok
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More Info

I've been away from this for a couple of days, but did some more investigating today. Here's some notes for whatever they may be worth:

First, the sequence of installtion leading to the issue:

Portable GAIM was "installed" on local HD prior to installing GTK 2.8.18 runtime and the application worked fine, having no other GAIM application installed.

Portable GIMP was "installed" on local HD and bombed with error of this discussion thread.

Made an attempt to install GIMP 2.2.12 [full OS registered, not portable], but received a message saying the GTK Runtime Environment was not installed -- I've used apps requiring the GTK in the past, so either it had become corrupted, or those other useages were prior to my last system rebuild.

While installing GTK Runtime using gtk+-2.8.18-setup-1.exe, the following information (copied directly from the installation dialog) was displayed:

Setup has found some DLL files, which may conflict with programs
that rely on GTK+ 2. To prevent such conflicts, Setup can automatically 
rename these files.
Note: Renaming these files may cause other programs to stop working. If you
encounter such program, please read the FAQ at
http://www2.arnes.si/~sopjsimo/gimp/faq.html for possible solutions.

Following is the list of files, which would be renamed:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\xmlparse.dll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\xmltok.dll
If you choose to rename these files, their extension will be changed to .dll.off.

Allowed that operation, and then installed GIMP 2.2.f2 [full OS registered, not portable] which then worked fine.

"Installed" GIMP Portable, and it worked fine.

From today's investigation:

Neither the xmlparse.dll or xmltok.dll were replaced when installing the GTK 2.8.18 runtime environment, rather they were disabled by appending a .off extension; that is, there is no active xmlparse.dll or xmltok.dll in my ../system32 directory.

Doing a simple registry scan with regedit, the only string entries I found using those file names were for dlls in an Adobe Bridge file path; and, for two files with the same names located in the \PortableGaim\gaim\ path.

That's it, although I did run through my entire Program directory, starting all my regular work applications, and had no problems as a result of those files being re-named.

I guess I could add that all Portable apps "installed" on this machine are working fine. They include:

AbiWord_Portable_2.4.5_PRERELEASE
FireFoxPortable at 1.5.0.6
PortableClamWin 0.88.2.3
PortableFileZilla 2.2.22
PortableGAIM 1.1.4.0
PortableGIMP 2.2.11
PortableNVU 1.0 (20050620)
PortableOffice 2.0.2
PortableSunbird 0.2
ThunderbirdPortable 1.5.0.5 (20060719)

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I would also like to point

I would also like to point to the fix-way I've found:
leave those DLLs in system32
the problem is most probably that gtk and gimp have those DLLs to
search whole GIMP directory for those files, if any of them is found more than once then I bet the files that have been found multiple times are diffirent in sizes and dates !! just overwrite newer one with older one and that should do the thing, you do not have to change anything in system32 this way

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Same here...

exactly the same error.
but the text is in swedish Wink
i also have full admin previliges and everything in winxp sp2

Trev
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And same here....

Same error - Application popup: gimp-2.2.exe - Application Error : The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000142). Click on OK to terminate the application.

Also have admin priviledges & XP Pro SP2

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.dll problem...

I believe that any error like this is related to a dll problem.
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Bruce Pascoe
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...

0xC0000142 is indeed a DLL-related error. Not all are, however. 0xC0000005 is an access violation (reading/writing memory outside of what you allocated yourself), for instance.

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Whatever

Stupid hex codes :P.
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Same error for me. WinXP2

Same error for me.

WinXP2 SP1, no GTK installed.

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Workarounds

Did you try the workarounds laid out? (copying GTK, etc)

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I thought GTK isn't needed

I thought GTK isn't needed for this version?

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Nope

Its not.
Personally I dont even like the GTK.
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It's included

Gaim and GIMP both use GTK. Both are included in the portable versions in different ways.

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Bruce Pascoe
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...

According to Visual Studio's exception list, 0xC0000142 is a "DLL initialization error." Sounds like that pesky GTK-related error. Have you ever had GTK installed locally that you know of? Botched local uninstallations are known to conflict with the portable versions in John's packages.

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Same error with me

I get the same error message too.

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Try the pre-release

The GIMP 2.2.12 Pre-Release automatically detects and fixes some of these errors. Give it a try.

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Could somebody clarify a few things for me please

Hi, I get the initialisation message too. Yet, upon reading the contents of this thread I realise that there are a ew things I don't know so would appreciate it if someone could help me.
1. In order to run portable Gimp from a thumb drive is it necessary to have Gimp installed on the PC you are trying to run it on?
2. Is it necessary to have GTK installed on the computer you are running it on. What is GTK?
3. Does the experimental version address the issue of missing TDK/

Thanks in advance

James

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1. No. That's the whole point of GIMP Portable (or <anything> Portable)--you can take it just about anywhere on your USB key and use it whenever you need it without installing a thing.

2. No, it doesn't need to be installed, for the same reasons outlined in #1. As for what it is, GTK is a GUI (graphical user interface) library that several open-source programs use.

3. If by "TDK", you mean GTK, then this is a non-issue. If GTK is completely MIA on the computer you're using it on, the portable copy of GTK in GIMP Portable will take over without a hiccup. The problem arises when a computer has certain incompatible GTK DLLs already installed in \WINDOWS\system32. The current pre-release has a tentative fix for the issue--I say "tentative" because the fix only has an effect if you have admin privileges on the computer you're using it on.

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Thanks Bruce

Thanks for your quick and informative response Bruce. What are the names of the 'incompatible' dlls please so I can check my machine? I have checked for xmlparse.dll and xmltok.dll and they are not present. So why is the initialisation error occurring? Should I try the experimental version instead?

James

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Try the pre-release

The GIMP 2.2.12 Pre-Release uses some slightly different setups to try to work on machines with possible conflicts. It should work better than even the old experimental version. Please give it a try and drop a note back in the pre-release topic with your results.

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Another kind of problem

Hi guys,

I have another kind of problem. I have the Gimp running and another application. The Gimp don't use these dll's files and the other app use. So, everytime I need to rename both dll's to change between the apps.

How can I solve this? I think that with the portable version I'm free of this problem, but no Sad

Thanks for any advance

Regards from Brazil

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Pre-Release

Please try the GIMP Portable pre-release:
https://portableapps.com/node/2709

If you have an issue with that, post a note in the pre-release thread.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

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