Understanding SWF Issues
Troubles Opening SWF Files
Adobe Animate CC 2017 Disappeared
If you attempt to load your SWF file, you experience a message such as "Can't Open SWF Files". When this happens, it is commonly due to Adobe Animate CC 2017 missing in %%os%%. Your operating system cannot associate your SWF with Adobe Animate CC 2017, so double-clicking the file won't work.
Tip: When you have another program installed that you know will open your SWF, you can select it from the other programs listed (see "Show Apps").
Wrong Version of Adobe Animate CC 2017 is Installed
It is possible that your version of Adobe Animate CC 2017 isn't able to open your Shockwave Flash Movie file due to incompatibility. Installing the latest version of Adobe Animate CC 2017 from Adobe Systems Incorporated is recommended. The primary cause of this problem is that your Shockwave Flash Movie file was created by a different (newer) version of Adobe Animate CC 2017 than what's installed.
Tip: Right-clicking on your SWF, then clicking "Properties" (Windows) or "Get Info" (Mac), can provide clues about your file version.
Conclusion: The majority of SWF file opening issues are due to not having the correct Adobe Animate CC 2017 version installed.
Other SWF File Opening Causes
You can still experience errors opening SWF files even with the latest version of Adobe Animate CC 2017 installed on your PC. If you're still experiencing problems opening SWF files, there could be other computer problems. These issues include:
- Corrupt Windows Registry file path references for SWF
- Accidental deletion of the description of the SWF file in the Windows registry
- Invalid installation of a SWF-associated program (eg. Adobe Animate CC 2017)
- Something has caused file corruption of your SWF
- The SWF is infected with a virus
- SWF-related hardware has device drivers that obsolete
- Your computer does not have the adequate system resources to open the Shockwave Flash Movie format
Quiz: Which file extension is not a type of document?
That's Correct!
ODS files are an OpenDocument Spreadsheet based on XML formatting. Although they are related to productivity, these are spreadsheets, not documents. :)
Close, but not quite...
ODS files are an OpenDocument Spreadsheet based on XML formatting. Although they are related to productivity, these are spreadsheets, not documents. :)
Poll: How often do you encounter a file extension that you don't recognize?