# Problem playing swf file. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-playing-swf-file/681656 "2014-02-18T21:25:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-playing-swf-file/681656/1 "2014-02-18T21:25:28Z")
Shockwave flash player is installed but certain swf files will play in one directory but nowhere else if I move them. As a note, I copied the files wholesale from a location and I cannot fine any files in the directory that has a name related in anyway to Macromedia, flash, shockwave, x-shockwave, etc. So what am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-playing-swf-file/681656/2 "2014-02-18T23:04:01Z")
Don’t know, but VLC will play anything. It’s open-source, and FREE! > **[Official download of VLC media player, the best Open Source player - VideoLAN](http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html)** > > Official download of VLC media player, the best Open Source player ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-playing-swf-file/681656/3 "2014-02-20T03:08:48Z")
I’d actually suggest opening the SWF files in your web browser. I unfortunately do not know why SWF files would only work from one folder.