How do I remove unwanted gif files that are stored en masse on my laptop? How did they get there in the first place?

Select a couple and Option+Drag them to the Desktop. Then put them in your next reply in this topic. Also include the file names. That way we have a better idea of what they might be for and where they came from.

Just to let you know I have d682 gif files in my applications folder, 80 in the System folder, 2,277 files in the HD/Library folder and 408 in my Home/Library folder. This is normal.

Do not try to delete any of them. If you succeed you could cripple applications or even the system.

Overall on my boot drive there are a total of 6,242 gif images.

Remember we do not know you and can not see you - obviously nothing is on your computer that you or some software you ran did not put there - there is nothing in the Mac OS that randomly adds GIFs anyplace

As to safely removing them no one but you knows since no one but you can see them or know anything about them - in general the worst that could happen by deleting a GIF would be that some program that needs it would be a problem

And removing them is exactly like removing any other file - drag it to trash - it that is not working then again we can not see you so you need to provide details as that does work and is the correct way

as to how they got them and how o prevent them see the first line of this post - we can not tell you as we have no way of knowing

And of course this does not involve the Photos for Mac application where you posted in any way - you might get better answers in the forum for your OS but I doubt it since no one in any forum know any thing except what you tell them

LN

As mentioned, there's no way for us to know why they are there or what is putting them there.

Perhaps if you provide more details about them.

How are you finding these gifs?

Where on your laptop do they show up in? A folder? The Desktop?

What file name or names do they have?

Gif are images, so the most that would happen is the application that would be using them, may not be able to find them, and show whatever the gif has to show.

Unless they are in a location you are not supposed to have access to, deleting them by dragging them to the trash should be the way to do it,

If its not working, tell us why, what happens when you try? If you get an error, tell us what it is.

If you were to post the threaded path from your desktop to the archive of .gif image files,

that could help us identify their purpose; likely they are included as parts of the macOS.

You could use the 'Go To Folder' under 'Go' in the Finder menu bar, or if you are viewing

these items as Icons, List, Columns, etc -- the expanded view of their containing folders

should be evident without moving any of them to the desktop. Depending on the 'view'

settings more detail could be learned. However I believe your answer was posted already.

Although you might not want those .gif images, the Mac likely would need them eventually.

Good luck & happy trails! 🙂

Are you seeing the unwanted gifts, when you are searching for allPhotos on your Mac?

there are thousands of gifs or JPEGs on every Mac as part of the installed applications or the system. That you cannot drag the gifts to the Trash is indicating that you are trying to remove protected resources that are needed.