hello - i am a neophyte at this...  i have a dell dimension 5100, windows xp, w/ 512MB ram.
my question is: can i use an animated picture i RECEIVED in an email as my desktop picture and, if so, how do i do it?  
thank you.You can use the picture but it wont be animated, only if you use it as a screen saver.

Go into your display settings and select the file you want to use as your desktop from the location where you stored it.I have .gif IMAGE and it pretty displays on the desktop. Convert that image into .gif  (if it's other) and TRY.
Open it and right click on it and choose Set as Desktop Background...

For exaple

peccavi and pcwizards,
thank u both.

peccavi, i'll try it.

pcwizards, please remember i'm new this.  i know where "display settings" is, but how do i get the file there?
  i'm not quite sure what i did, but i now have a desktop full of "rambo kitty"!   a kitten with it's eyes closed, mouth open firing a flaming AK-47. (rofl)So you did it.

Congratulations!

And id you have full of desktop with rambo kitties and you can have only one choosing: Right Click desktop-->Properties-->Desktop tab--> and from Position drop down list choose STRETCH if it's Tile.

Have a fun. why can't i have them ALL, peccavi?   it makes me laugh 2 c them all blasting away...  no, i'll do as u suggest w/ thanks.
have u ever heard of ada byron, countess of lovelace?
happy gobble, gobble day!No I didn't

But now know thanks to you. These kind of info really interesting for me.

Lord Byron. He is great.

Realy good info.

Thanks.