# .swf files: why so hard to open?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swf-files-why-so-hard-to-open/225877>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 24, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swf-files-why-so-hard-to-open/225877 "2004-01-24T20:10:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swf-files-why-so-hard-to-open/225877/1 "2004-01-24T20:10:17Z")

</div>

I can open nearly any file, but this one eludes me. I click on the link sent to me, get an hourglass, sit there for a while…then give up.

Any info?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swf-files-why-so-hard-to-open/225877/2 "2004-01-24T20:13:56Z")

</div>

You need the flash player. You can get it from [Macromedia](http://www.macromedia.com/). It might already be in your browser as a plug-in… try using a browser to open the files.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swf-files-why-so-hard-to-open/225877/3 "2004-01-24T22:19:56Z")

</div>

Also, how are you trying to open it? If you’re going around the link (trying to copy it to your computer) you may have some problems because a lot of web designers try to make it hard to download the flash files directly. Mainly, they don’t want their work, or copyrighed work stolen and modifed without credit. There are many ways around this though. But yeah, check and see if you have the flash plugin mentioned above.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swf-files-why-so-hard-to-open/225877/4 "2004-01-24T23:26:28Z")

</div>

Thank you; got the Flash Player. I’ll see what I can do.

I have also tried copying and pasting the links but that never worked either.