Tips to open ANI file

Can't open the ANI file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open ANI files as well as a list of programs that support ANI files.

ANI file extension

File Name Animated Cursor
File Developer Microsoft
File Category System Files

The ANI file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the ANI files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the ANI file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 7
  • 1
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is ANI file?

The ANI file has been categorized as System Files. It was designed by Microsoft. In addition to this file, the System Files category includes 323 related files. Animated Cursor is supported by 3 operating systems. These systems consist of Linux, Mac OS, Windows, although it may occasionally be found on another system, it will be non-functional. The Inkscape application is recommended to open the file. It was released by The Inkscape Project. This file type can also be opened by 8 other programs. CursorWorkshop, RealWorld Cursor Editor, ArtCursors, IcoFX will apply when it is not possible to use Inkscape.

How to open ANI file?

The main problem with Animated Cursor is that the ANI file is incorrectly associated with programs. This is manifested by the fact that ANI files open in unusual applications or do not have an assigned program. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the ANI file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Inkscape

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Inkscape is installed on the computer. To do this, enter the name Inkscape into the system search engine. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Later in this article you will find a list of programs that can open ANI files.

Step 2. Create association of Inkscape with ANI files

However, it may happen that the application itself does not cause the ANI file to open in the Inkscape application, but you can set it manually. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. The window will show, among other things, the type of the file and the information by which the program is used to launch the file. Using the "Change" button we can set the program to handle this type. The program should be visible in the window, otherwise it should be selected manually using the "Browse" button and the program installation directory should be indicated. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Inkscape application as the default for handling the ANI file.

Step 3. Update Inkscape to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Inkscape program with the Animated Cursor file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. This can be done using the application (if it provides such options) or from the The Inkscape Project website and install the latest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the ANI file

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. Usually this applies to ANI files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. Perform a virus scan using available and up-to-date anti-virus software. Some antivirus vendors also provide free online scanners. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file ANI or the program directory. However, remember that not every infected ANI file can be recovered, so it is important to take care of regular backups.
Older version of ANI file may not always be supported by the latest software version. Help should be sought from the software developer, as they usually recommend using free file converters or installing an older version of the program.
The file may be corrupted in a number of ways. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Some programs offer the ability to automatically repair ANI file corruption. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact Microsoft
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted ANI files can be used by the device on which they were encrypted, on any other device it is required to have the appropriate cryptographic key and decrypt the file before its recovery.
Some of the system directories are excluded from modification. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. Copying the ANI file to another location will fix the problem.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. Some file types can only be opened in one program at a time. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. Sometimes it is necessary to wait a while before referencing the ANI file again. Antivirus programs or a backup being made may lock the file for a while without the user's knowledge. If this does not work either, restart the device.