Diagnosing Missing or Hidden Tools in GIMP Toolbox and Tool Options

Recognizable Condition

When GIMP starts and you cannot see the Toolbox column of icons or the Tool Options dock where brush size opacity and mode are shown the editing workflow stops. The symptom may appear as a blank sidebar a single empty window or a tool icon that does not change when clicked.

Cause/Diagnostic Table

Observable symptom	Likely cause
Toolbox window absent from screen	Window closed detached or moved off‑screen
Only one icon visible for a tool (e.g. Brush icon shows no sub‑tools)	Tool is grouped; sub‑tools hidden behind a right‑click menu
Tool Options dock missing or empty	Dockable dialog detached hidden or minimized
All panels appear in a single large window but tools are not selectable	Single‑Window Mode enabled with layout reset

Ordered Checks

1. Verify the Toolbox visibility – From the menu bar choose Windows → Toolbox. If a checkmark appears the toolbox should re‑appear; if not click the menu entry to show it.
2. Look for grouped tools – Position the cursor over any tool icon in the Toolbox (e.g. the Brush icon). Right‑click (or long‑press on touch) and observe whether a small menu with sub‑tool names appears.
3. Check the Tool Options dock – Choose Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Tool Options. If the dialog is listed without a checkmark select it to make it visible.
4. Inspect window layout mode – Choose Windows → Single‑Window Mode. Toggle the setting and note whether the Toolbox and Tool Options appear as separate floating windows or as docked panels inside the main window.
5. Search for off‑screen panels – With GIMP focused press Alt+Space then M (Windows) or use the window manager’s move command to drag any hidden panel back onto the screen. On Linux you can also run gimp --display=:0 from a terminal to ensure it uses the primary monitor.

Fixes Tied to Findings

• If the Toolbox was hidden via the menu selecting Windows → Toolbox restores it immediately.
• If a tool appears grouped right‑click the icon and choose the desired sub‑tool; the parent icon will update to reflect the selection.
• If the Tool Options dock is detached selecting Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Tool Options re‑attaches it; you can then drag it to the desired sidebar.
• If Single‑Window Mode caused the panels to be stacked incorrectly toggle the mode off then back on after rearranging the docks to your preference.
• If a panel was moved off‑screen use the move operation described in Check 5 to bring it back into view; on multi‑monitor setups verify that the monitor coordinates are within the active display area.

Escalation Criteria

Proceed to the following steps only if the checks above do not restore the missing UI:

1. Reset the workspace to factory defaults: Edit → Preferences → Window Management → Reset Saved Window Positions to Default Values then restart GIMP.
2. If the problem persists rename or delete the GIMP configuration directory (often ~/.config/GIMP/2.10 on Linux %APPDATA%\GIMP\2.10 on Windows or ~/Library/Application Support/GIMP/2.10 on macOS). This will remove all custom shortcuts brushes and preset tool options—back up the folder first if you wish to keep them.
3. After removing the config start GIMP again; the default Toolbox and Tool Options should appear. Re‑apply any personal preferences manually.

Note: Resetting the configuration erases user‑made customizations. Only perform this step after confirming that the issue is not caused by a temporary UI glitch.