Learn what exactly are .SWF extension files, what they are used for, and how to effectively open in on Windows 10 or macOS.
This Article Covers:
About SWF File Extension
SWF is short for Small Web Format. These files are usually created by Adobe programs but can also be produced by other programs as well. An .SWF file is a file that contains graphics and animations.
These files are usually used for online games. SWF files contain audio/video or graphics, but still these files are not very large, so that they can be shared easily, that is why these files are called small web format.
SWF files can be opened in various ways. In this guide, we have covered a few ways through which you can access SWF files.
Opening SWF File in Internet Explorer
Adobe Flash is a must have prerequisite for opening SWF files. Follow these steps in order to enable Flash in Internet Explorer:
- Open Internet Explorer and click on the ‘Settings’ icon, located at the top right corner of the screen.
- From the drop-down menu, select the ‘Manage add-ons’ option.
- Select the ‘Toolbars and Extensions’ from the left tab of the newly opened window.
- Scroll down to the section that says, ‘Microsoft Windows Third Party Application Component’.
- Right-click the ‘Shockwave Flash Object’ from this section and ‘Enable’ it.
- Close the Internet Explorer and right-click the SWF file. Select the ‘Open With’ option.
- When it asks you about how you want to open this file and tells you to go ‘Apps Store’, click on the ‘more apps’ option.
- Choose Internet Explorer and proceed.
Opening SWF file on MacOS
On Mac, you can use Chrome or VLC to open SWF file. Here’s how:
Opening SWF file on Mac using VLC
- Head over to VLC’s official website and download its latest version.
- Once the downloading is complete, run VLC.
- Drag the SWF file and drop it into the VLC.
Using Web Browser
On Mac, you should not install the Adobe Flash plugin in the Safari browser. For this purpose, you should use other browsers like Chrome or Firefox. Follow these steps for enabling Adobe Flash on Chrome:
- Open Chrome and type this:
- chrome://settings/content
- Look for ‘Flash’ in this window.
- Disable the option ‘Block sites from running Flash’.
- Now you should see ‘Ask First’ option with the Flash. This means that you will be asked before Flash is being used by the browser.
Opening SWF Files Without Browsers
Flash Player content debugger is a flash layer that can be used to open SWF files without browsers. This flash player is available for Windows and Mac.
- Head over to Adobe’s website and go to the ‘Debug Downloads’ page.
- Click the ‘Download the Flash Player projector content debugger’.
- Download and run this executable (.exe) file.
- Now, you just have to drag and drop the SWF file into this window to make it run.
- In order to tweak the settings of this player, just right-click the flash object.
SWF File Conversion
SWF file can be converted into MP3, MP4, AVI or MOV etc. formats. Adobe After Effects, SWF Tools and some other apps lets you do so.
Using Adobe After Effects for Converting SWF to MP4/MOV
- Download Adobe After Effects from the developer’s website.
- Once its downloaded, open it and go to ‘File menu’.
- Go to ‘Import’ and then to ‘Import files’ and then select the SWF file.
- Drag the file to the render queue.
- In the render queue, set the settings in the output module. Set the output for the file’s destination for saving.
Modifying SWF Files
FLA files can be edited in order to edit SWF files. The FLA files are created by Adobe Animate. The FLA files are compiled to create SWF files. Flash Decompiler is used for this purpose. Simply search the Google for ‘Flash Decompiler’ and download it.
These were the methods that you can use in order to access SWF Files on Windows and MacOS. We hope that this guide is useful to you.
