Safari downloads gifs instead of displaying them.

I had a similar problem. Much searching showed various posts with this problem but no solutions apart from a vaguely hopeful 'try reinstalling your OS'. So, I did that; the problem has gone away.

To do that:

- Go to the Apple menu, then hit Restart.

- While restarting, hold down Cmd-R to boot to recovery mode.

- Click to reinstall the OS. If you do it without reformatting your disk, all your documents and settings are kept - you're just replacing system files.

I spoke too soon. It fixed it temporarily but the problem has come back again. Which is a shame.

I suspect its another plist or preference file that I haven't found.

To test that theory log into another user account on your Mac and test Safari there.

Opps. Missed that originally. Here's a way to test the preference files in your account:

Trouble Shooting Preferences

NOTE: In Lion and Mountain Lion the Home/Library folder is now invisible. To make it permanently visible enter the following in the Terminal application window: chflags nohidden ~/Library and press the Return key - 10.7: Un-hide the User Library folder.

If you're running Mavericks, 10.9, go to your Home folder and use the View ➙ Show View Options menu to bring the this window:

1 - close all applications.

2 - open your Home/Library folder and Option-drag (copy) the Preferences folder to the Desktop.

3 - select the contents of your Home/Library/Preferences folder and drag them into the Trash bin in the Dock. You will be asked to provide your Admin password.

4 - reboot. Be sure to know your account's username and password as you will be asked to log in with it.

5 - run the application again and determine if the problem(s) is fixed.

6 - If the problem is fixed:

A - open the working Home/Library/Preferences folder.

B - Open the Preferences folder on the Desktop, select all of the contents and drag them into the working Home/Library/Preferences folder.

C - When the Copy window pops up check the "Apply to All" check box and then click on the Don't Replace or Skip button.

D - reboot.

7 - If the problem is NOT fixed, drag the contents of the Preference folder on the Desktop into the Home/Library/Preference folder and replace the entire contents that were created by clicking on Replace.

8 - reboot and you're back as square one.

Note: keep the Preference folder on the desktop until you're sure all registration info for your apps are working. If not you can copy the required files from the desktop pref folder to the working one.

Removing the prefs as you describe has sadly not fixed the problem.

I read your posts, because I have the same problem, without any solution so far.

Have you found a solution meanwhile?

To see if the problem is system wide or limited to your user account log into another user account on your Mac and try from there.

Unfortunately it happens with all of my users.

I read that these gifs are may be used as a tracking pixel...

Do you have any idea?

Have you tried checking this checkbox in Safari's Privacy preference pane?

To make it short: yes. On and off.

Do you know the file in the safari library, with

• the downloading preferences / settings or
• preference / settings for gif´s?