# .gif file animations: any way to slow them down? Pause them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614 "2002-12-05T03:13:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614/1 "2002-12-05T03:13:19Z")
Whenever I download a .gif animation to my computer it runs so fast that I can hardly tell whats going on. Is there any way to fix this? Is there any way to pause one? ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614/2 "2002-12-05T03:17:35Z")
If you have some kind of program that lets you work with animated GIF files, you can set your own speed. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614/3 "2002-12-05T04:10:48Z")
[Irfanview](http://www.irfanview.com) is a free image program that will allow you to pause animated .gifs and extract all frames. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614/4 "2002-12-05T19:31:25Z")
Thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614/5 "2002-12-05T19:58:35Z")
Hit the ESCAPE key on your keyboard and .gifs should freeze in their tracks. ---
**Author:** ![me\_again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@me\_again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/me_again)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614/6 "2002-12-05T22:18:19Z")
Paint Shop Pro Animator is a fine program to use. Get it for free evaluation for a month, off the net. Change speed, size and image placement. Otherwise, no. Can’t change speeds without a program. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614/7 "2002-12-05T22:54:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Boscibo \* > \*\*[Irfanview](http://www.irfanview.com) is a free image program that will allow you to pause animated .gifs and extract all frames. \*\* How do you do it with Irfaview? ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614/8 "2002-12-05T23:22:24Z")
You can download Microsoft GIF Animator, it’s free and really easy to use. You can also use it to make your own GIF’s. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gif-file-animations-any-way-to-slow-them-down-pause-them/140614/9 "2002-12-06T00:09:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*How do you do it with Irfaview? \*\* Open .gif in Irfanview, go to ‘options’, about halfway down there are 2 choices : **Stop Animation** and **Extract All Frames**.