Move Tool always moves entire layer, cannot move selection without cutting and pasting.

Whenever I try to select something with any selection tool or option enabled, GIMP does not move the selection, period. Instead, when I attempt to move the selection, the entire image is moved, as if the image is selected and has priority over all other selections. I have tried the following solutions that I found online:

  • Select > None
  • Ensure that Move is set to Move the Active Layer
  • Ensure that none of the channels (Pixels, Position and Size, Alpha Channel) are locked
  • Change preferences of tool options to Set Layer or Path as Active
  • Reset saved tool options
  • Added an Alpha Channel
  • Set the Alpha to the Selection
  • Create a duplicate layer and delete the original
  • Create a layer from the visible and delete the original
  • Create a new project
  • Restart GIMP

I'm somewhat losing my mind here- this was working with no issues the previous night until I finished an image, saved it, and reopened the program to work on something else. I don't know what setting I possibly could have changed or option I hit, but I'm completely stumped on how to fix this. Any ideas?

Posted Aug 5, 2025, 10:03 PM UTC

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