- 1). Download VirtualDub from VirtualDub.org or SourceForge. Double-click the installer file on your hard drive and complete the installation process, selecting an appropriate folder to store the application. Navigate to the application's executable file and double-click it to launch the software.
- 2). Click the "File" menu in the top left corner and select "Open." Alternately, press "Control" and "O" Use the the dialog that appears to navigate to the file you wish to convert, highlight it and click "Open."
- 3). Click the sliding brackets at either end of the video timeline to reposition the start and end points of the video file, cropping off the material outside of them. Position the brackets on either side of the clip you wish to convert to a GIF. Bear in mind that the animated GIF should be less than six to eight seconds long.
- 4). Click the "File" menu in the upper left corner of the screen and select "Export." From the list of file types that appears, select "Animated GIF." A sub menu will appear as you select this option, regarding looping. Choose from "Play once," "Play X number of times," or "Loop infinitely." Select "Loop infinitely," then click "OK." Allow the video to process.
- 5). Open the newly-created GIF in your web browser to check it has processed satisfactorily.