Are ICONS actually GIFs?

[BigDaveinNJ]

I hope this isn't off-topic, but I have downloaded some icons lately and after I download them some of the icons are in ICO format and some say GIF. Are the two interchangeable?

Do the GIFs need to be converted somehow to ICO to become functional as an icon?

Just curious

DAVID

 

[LONGHAIR]

I think they are actually .bmps

 

[Rhettman5.1]

Regardless, Irfanview will convert most image formats to ICO so you can use them for your desktop, just "save as" ICO
http://www.irfanview.com/ in case you don't have it yet ...Rhett