Tips to open SWA file

Can't open the SWA file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open SWA files as well as a list of programs that support SWA files.

SWA file extension

File Name Shockwave Audio
File Developer Adobe Systems
File Category Audio Files

The SWA file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the SWA files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the SWA file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 2
  • 1
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is SWA file?

The file with the extension SWA is the Audio Files file type. The author of this format is Adobe Systems. Additionally, the Audio Files category contains 771 of other files. Shockwave Audio appears on 3 operating systems as a functional file. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Linux, Mac OS, Windows. It is recommended to use Adobe Director to handle this file. This is a program created by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Alternatively, you can use 3 other programs. You can use Web browser, Adobe Shockwave Player in case Adobe Director cannot be used.

How to open SWA file?

The main problem with Shockwave Audio is that the SWA file is incorrectly associated with programs. This causes the file SWA to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the SWA file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Adobe Director

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Adobe Director is installed on the computer. To do this, enter the name Adobe Director into the system search engine. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file SWA with Adobe Director. Below is a list of programs that support the file SWA.

Step 2. Create association of Adobe Director with SWA files

However, it may happen that the application itself does not cause the SWA file to open in the Adobe Director application, but you can set it manually. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. The displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Using the "Change" button we can set the program to handle this type. If there is no software on the list, simply select "Browse" and manually select the directory where the application is installed. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Adobe Director application as the default for handling the SWA file.

Step 3. Update Adobe Director to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Adobe Director program with the Shockwave Audio file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. Some applications allow you to update from the program level, and for others you need to download the installer from the Adobe Systems Incorporated page and install.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the SWA file

The problem may also be with the file itself if the above steps don't work. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

The SWA file may be unusually small compared to the original file. Usually this applies to SWA files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The operating system may be infected with a computer virus. A virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should fix the problem. If this is not possible, you can use the online scanner. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file SWA or the program directory. Sometimes virus-infected SWA files cannot be recovered, so make a backup in advance.
A typical compatibility error - the program does not support the older version of the SWA file. Help should be sought from the software developer, as they usually recommend using free file converters or installing an older version of the program.
There can be many reasons for this. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular SWA file corruption. You can restore the file from a backup or use Adobe Systems help.
When reading, a message appears that the file was encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted SWA files cannot be played on other computers than the one on which they were encrypted, they must be decrypted before using on another device.
The operating system protects files in some locations (e.g. the root of the system partition) against unauthorized access. While there is usually no problem reading such a file, it may not be possible to save it. Copying the SWA file to another location will fix the problem.
This problem usually affects more complex files. You may find that another program you are using is preventing you from working with the file. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. However, some background programs may block the SWA file while scanning. If nothing helps, please reset the device.