File extension SWF
| File type | ShockWave Flash, Animated Vector Format For The Internet |
| Developer | Adobe Systems |
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What is a SWF file?
Files with the .SWF extension contain animations comprised of text, vector or raster graphics, interactive content written in the Action Script programming language, as well as audio and video. It is currently used mainly for placing animated content on the internet, and so an alternative expansion of the abbreviation is Small Web Format.
SWF files are created in the Adobe Flash software and can be played by Adobe’s Flash Player or a browser with the right extension. Due to the already complied interactive content code and the compressed multimedia data it contains, is usually not an editable format.
Program(s) that can open the .SWF file
Windows
Mac OS
More information about SWF file
SWF (Small Web Format) file extension is used by Adobe Flash software for animation files. SWF files store such elements as text, graphical files (vector or raster images), and interactive applets written in ActionScript language, used mainly for basic internet applications.
SWF format was developed for efficent delivery of multimedia content (animations, videos, sounds) on the internet. The format is commonly used by browser games, for creating animated graphics or webpage menus (JavaScript steadily replaces it in this role).
The history of SWF shortcut
SWF is short for ‘Shockwave Flash’. The format was developed for Shockwave Player software, which was bought by Adobe in 2005 and renamed as Adobe Flash. Originally SWF format was limited in capabilities and supported only vector images and objects. Later developers added features such as support for audio tracks, interactive animations or movies.
Viewing SWF files
SWF file can be viewed after installing Flash plugin (available for free, courtesy of Adobe) in web browser or by exporting SWF to executable files (so called projectors).
No animation editing function
SWF files cannot be edited because they use compiled ActionScript code and compressed media data. In order to modify the animation file one must edit the original FLA file.
How to open SWF files
If you cannot open the SWF file on your computer - there may be several reasons. The first and most important reason (the most common) is the lack of a suitable software that supports SWF among those that are installed on your device.
A very simple way to solve this problem is to find and download the appropriate application. The first part of the task has already been done – the software supporting the SWF file can be found in the table. Now just download and install the appropriate application.
Possible problems with the SWF format files
The inability to open and operate the SWF file does not necessarily mean that you do not have an appropriate software installed on your computer. There may be other problems that also block our ability to operate the ShockWave Flash, Animated Vector Format For The Internet file. Below is a list of possible problems.
- Corruption of a SWF file which is being opened
- Incorrect links to the SWF file in registry entries.
- Accidental deletion of the description of the SWF from the Windows registry
- Incomplete installation of an application that supports the SWF format
- The SWF file which is being opened is infected with an undesirable malware.
- The computer does not have enough hardware resources to cope with the opening of the SWF file.
- Drivers of equipment used by the computer to open a SWF file are out of date.
If you are sure that all of these reasons do not exist in your case (or have already been eliminated), the SWF file should operate with your programs without any problem. If the problem with the SWF file has not been solved, it may be due to the fact that in this case there is also another rare problem with the SWF file. In this case, the only you can do is to ask for assistance of a professional staff.
Similar extensions
| .aaf | Advanced Authoring Format Multimedia Format |
| .aec | DataCAD Drawing Format |
| .aep | Adobe After Effects Project Format |
| .aepx | Adobe After Effects XML Project Format |
| .aet | Adobe After Effects Template Format |
| .aetx | Adobe After Effects Format |
| .ajp | AJP Player Video Format |
| .ale | Avid Log File Format |
How to associate the file with an installed software?
If you want to associate a file with a new program (e.g. my-file.SWF) you have two ways to do it. The first and the easiest one is to right-click on the selected SWF file. From the drop-down menu select "Choose default program", then click "Browse" and find the desired program. The whole operation must be confirmed by clicking OK. The second and more difficult to do is associate the SWF file extension to the corresponding software in the Windows Registry.
Is there one way to open unknown files?
Many files contain only simple text data. It is possible that while opening unknown files (e.g. SWF) with a simple text editor like Windows Notepad will allow us to see some of the data encoded in the file. This method allows you to preview the contents of many files, but probably not in such a structure as a program dedicated to support them.