The ANI file extension often refers to an animated Windows cursor. Depending on how you wish to configure your Windows machine, you can have a spinning hourglass whenever your computer is waiting for a task to be performed, a tapping hand whenever you move your cursor over a link in a webpage, or even something more outrageous such as a flying spaceship over your normal mouse pointer.

Animated cursors can be downloaded over the Internet from a variety of websites. Search Google for "animated cursor download" or "download animated cursors". Some sample sites include (listed for informational purposes ONLY):

* Appleblossom Art's free cursors
* Dierk's list of animated cursors
* Joe's cursors

Some software that can create animated cursors (listed for informational purposes ONLY):

* Aha-Soft ArtCursors
* AniTunrer
* Axialis AX Cursors
* IconCool Editor and Studio

The process of installing an .ANI cursor file depends on your version of Windows. For example:

* Instructions for configuring mouse pointers with Windows XP.

NOTE that unless you have configured your computer with the file extension viewing tweak, it is possible that a filename that looks like it ends with ".ani", especially one attached to an e-mail message, actually has a hidden OTHER extension, meaning that if you double-click the file, it may actually run a computer virus!

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