Why can't i no longer remove a background?

[hammsman]

I have been removing backgrounds on gimp for a couple years..it's old hat. You open an image, apply alpha channel, use free select tool, go around image till ants march, go to select, scroll down to path/invert...back ground is GONE...but now I can't get it to remove the background anymore. I had some old images I wanted to bring the color up on. Saved them to JPG, and today I was going to remove background...but GIMP won't remove the background...."any" idea's! Thanks

---

Actually, I found out what is wrong. I have pictures that I used Microsoft Publisher to put a quick dark border around each one, then saved it as a jpg image. If I try to remove the image from "inside the" border, the background , including the border will be eliminated. If I try to include the border "with" the picture, "nothing' happens, the background does not get removed...anyone know why? Seems strange!! I went through microsoft publisher to apply a border, cause it is a whole lot quicker than gimp, to place a border around an object.

[Ofnuts]

There is no "path/invert/"

Can you post a sample picture?

[rich2005]

As well as a typical image, can you describe your workflow. Somewhere along the line you will be missing a step.

EDIT: Well you did describe your workflow. It is going to be selection mode issue. A couple of questions. Is it a 'fancy' border? Very easy to add a plain border using Gimp, even if you erased it. More complicated borders and there are scripts available. With that in mind I will add a FWIW to the following.

As an example, usual background type procedure. lots of screenshots so not in-line

I make a selection, and then invert http://i.imgur.com/vQSsc7V.jpg
Cutting, removes the background including the border. Was a jpeg, no transparency unless you add it. http://i.imgur.com/Xv8Rtdc.jpg

So I try and use the rectangular selection tool to include the border.  http://i.imgur.com/L7jF1vz.jpg
The selection mode is default replace and does this  http://i.imgur.com/LfdQLkm.jpg

What I can do is put the rectangular selection in intersect mode http://i.imgur.com/aYPpLZS.jpg
Which then gives this: http://i.imgur.com/iw1QoeW.jpg

Gimp being Gimp has more than one way of getting to an end result. Layer mask is good. Quick mask for painting in a selection is possible as well, or a mixture of different methods.

[sallyanne]

Can also add a border with a brush. Fancy even, if the brush is fancy. Make your selection where you want the border to go. Select to path and stroke after you select the brush, colour and dynamics.

[lumqarz]

Layer > transparency > Add alpha channel

I think it's a bug