In previous article, I mentioned How To Disable Widgets In Windows 11 but in this article, I have mentioned how to open or play swf files without using flash player in Windows or Mac.
ShockWave Flash (SWF) is an audio, video, and interactive content format first developed by Macromedia and then Adobe. When they were still prominent, the best way to open them was with Adobe Flash Player.
However, Flash became unreliable, and Adobe Flash Player - the browser plugin for Flash files - had security vulnerabilities. The end of Adobe Flash Player came when its developers began to advise users to uninstall it.
This article will teach you how to open an SWF file without Flash Player. Read on!
How To Play SWF Files Without Flash Player
We will discuss how to open SWF files on Windows, Mac, and a web browser.
How To Open SWF Files On Windows
You can open SWF files on Windows with a third-party app - SWF File Player - as follows:
Step 1: Download SWF File Player
Click here to download SWF File Player, a software that lets you play SWF files and games. Click the "Download Now" button on the left side of your screen, and the web will take you to the download page.
Wait for the download to start automatically. If it doesn’t, click on the ‘click here’ button on the page to download it manually.
Double-click the SWF File Player Download button on the next page, and the download should begin. Wait for the download to complete; it is not a large file, so you do not need to wait for long.
Step 2: Install the File
After the download is complete, install it with the following steps:
- Double-click the "swffileplayer_setup.exe" file in the download folder.
- Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt to give access to the file to make changes to the system.
- Click on the Next button in the SWF File Player setup wizard.
- Click the radio option next to "I accept the agreement" on the License Agreement page and click on the Next button.
- Click Browse to select a destination location, and click "OK."
- Click Next to proceed.
- Click Browse to select a Start Menu folder, or you can leave the default folder and click "Next" to continue.
- Check the box next to "Create desktop icon" to create an icon on the desktop after the installation, and click "Next."
- Now, the app is ready to install; click on Install, then Finish on the next page.
Step 3: Play the SWF File
- Open the installed SWF File Player by clicking the icon on the desktop.
- Click the File tab at the top left corner of the SWF File Player window and click on Open from the drop-down menu.
- Open the folder where the SWF file is stored, and select the SWF file you want to open.
- Click "Play" at the bottom of the window, below your SWF file's attributes.
How To Open SWF Files On Mac
First, download the Elmedia Video Player, a free app on the Apple App Store, as follows:
- Open the Apple App Store.
- Search "Elmedia Video Player" in the search bar.
- Click "Get" below the Elmedia Video Player.
- Click "Install App" below the Elmedia Video Player.
- Enter your Apple ID password and hit the "Enter" button.
When the installation is complete, follow the steps below to open the SWF file:
- Click the magnifying glass icon at the top right corner of your screen.
- Type "Elmedia Video Player."
- Open the Elmedia Video Player app suggested by your Mac.
- Next, click "Continue in free mode" to use the free version of Elmedia Video Player.
- Click "File" in the menu bar at the top of your screen. It will bring a drop-down menu.
- Click "Open…" in the drop-down menu to open a finder window.
- Go to the SWF file's folder and select the file you want to play.
- Click "Open" at the bottom left corner of your screen.
Elmedia Video Player does not open all SWF files. If the SWF file you select does not open on Elmedia Video Player, it probably can't play on Mac.
How To Open SWF Files In Chrome Browser
You can open SWF files in your browser, but it comes with a risk. These days, browsers block Flash by default because it makes computers prone to viruses and hacking. So if you want to open SWF files using a browser, be aware of its risks.
This section will discuss how to open SWF files in Chrome, but you can use other browsers, too, though the steps differ for different browsers.
You can enable Flash to play SWF files if you use an old version of Chrome or follow these steps to view SWF files if you use a newer version.
- Open the Chrome browser on your computer.
- Copy the link below and paste it into your address bar.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flashplayer-swf-to-html/nodnmpgjlnclahkmgjiinfjklgbbgecg
- Hit the "Enter" key.
- Install the extension.
- Wait for the icon to appear at the top right corner of your screen.
- Use the extension to open any SWF file.
Conclusion
If you still have Adobe Flash Player, you can use it to play SWF files at your own risk. To avoid the problems associated with opening SWF files with Flash Player, you should try opening them with other methods.
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