alphabetical list of extensions

File extension .GIF

File description

Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) is a bitmap image format that was issued by CompuSErve in the 80s. It is popular all around the world web because of its support and portability. GIF file format supports 8 bits per pixel for each image, permitting a single image to linkage its own palette of up to 256 distinct colours selected from the 24-bit colour space.

GIF file also supports animations and permits an isolated palette of up to 256 colours for each frame. These palette restrictions do the GIF format incapable for remanufacturing colour photographs and other images with recurring colour.

Description of the problem

If you have on your computer a .GIF file that you cannot open, you are in exactly the same situation as thousands of other people who have similar problems with this or any other unknown file.

There may be several reasons why you cannot open the file with .GIF extension. Directly on this website you can find a solution of the most common problem with the .GIF file – that you do not have on your computer the appropriate program to open the file.

Solution

From the list below, select the appropriate program, install it and double click on the icon of a file that did not want to open - the problem with the .GIF file extension should be solved. However, if this does not happen, go back to the website to learn about other possible causes of the error, which have been described at the bottom of the website.

Category

Raster Image Files

Developer

N/A

Popularity

File name: Graphical Interchange Format File

Programs that will open this file:

Windows

Ability Photopaint

ACDSee

ACDSee Photo Manager

Adobe Creative Suite

Adobe Fireworks

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Premiere Pro

Artweaver

Axialis IconWorkshop

CorelDRAW

FastPictureViewer Professional

FastStone Image Viewer

FormatFactory

IrfanView

Microsoft Expression Design

Paint.NET

PaintShop Pro

PaperPort

PhotoOnWeb

SWFTools

ThunderSoft GIF to AVI Converter

Web browser

XnView

Zoner GIF Animator

Mac OS

Adobe Photoshop

Preview

Safari

Web browser

Linux

GIMP

Web browser

Remember!

The .GIF file extension can correspond to several not related file formats. If there is more than one file format with the .GIF extension, you will probably find most of them at this website. Remember that you need to download a program to support a particular file type. So first look through the entire contents of the website to select a program to support just the file you have.

Other possible reasons why your .GIF file does not want to open

In addition to the problem described above, i.e. the lack of the appropriate application to support the .GIF file, there may be several reasons that cause problems with opening and operation of the data format:

1. Incorrect version of the installed application

A quite common problem is the lack of application in the appropriate version. Even if you have an application, with the help of which you should open the .GIF file, you may have a problem with it because of its version. Perhaps in previous versions the application has not yet supported the .GIF file, so download the update and check again.

2. Incorrect .GIF file association with the program

If you have already installed the appropriate application, and it is the correct version, the file may not open correctly, because the operating system does not have information that this program supports the file. So you need to "show" which program the computer should use. To do this:

Right-click the .GIF file
Go to the "Open with" - then "Choose default program ..."
Locate the appropriate application
Click "OK"

3. The file is corrupt

It also happens that the file you want to open is corrupt and therefore there is no such possibility. In this situation, you should find its different version, or ask a person from whom you got, to send it again.