Can't open any .fla's anymore.

[asymmetrical programmer]

After moving my .fla files to an USB drive most of said .fla's no longer open on my PC. I get the message 'An error occurred opening file...' when trying to open them using Animate 2023. Some details:

• I can open the files normally when using Adobe Animate 2021 and 2022 (but not 2023)
  I can work with 21 and 22 but those versions are very unstable for me, crashing every ~30 minutes or so, I'd prefer using ver. 2023 if possible.
• .fla's that are downloaded from third sources ALSO get me this error. I downloaded custom sprites from a website and every single .fla received the same message, 'An error occured opening file...' upon opening.
  
  I've tried:
• Reinstalling Animate (didn't fix)
• Trying to repair .fla's with Winrar (Winrar refuses to open the rar/zip file, stating it's either corrupted or an unknown format - didn't fix)
  
  Any possible fix besides clean OS reinstall? I'm simply stumped.

[kglad]

reset your animate 2023 preferences:

uninstall animate 2023 including preferences per https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-remove-app.html

reinstall animate 2023

[asymmetrical programmer]

Apologies for the delay.
I did as you said, but I still can't open the files and Animate gives me the same 'An error occured opening file...' notification when I do so.

[kglad]

upload one of the problematic fla's to a file share or server and post a link

[asymmetrical programmer]

Here you go.
https://file.io/7TtRmz2Yyy4F

[kglad]

that's corrupt for me, too.  though i am able to extract the file.

[asymmetrical programmer]

Do you know how to fix this?

[kglad]

no, i don't.  all i can say is, based on the info you've given, retrieval from your usb yields a corrupt file.

there might be some clues. eg, why is that linked file exactly 50mb?  do all the flas have suspicious storage amounts?

[asymmetrical programmer]

It's a large sprite pack. I have smaller files that also yield this error. I just don't understand one thing, why the corrupted file is still corrupted after re-downloading it. Not only that, some .fla's that I've never had on my hard drive ALSO refuse to open and drop this error message. Files that shouldn't be corrupted.

[kglad]

is there a file i can download that's not passed through your system but appears corrupt when you download?

[asymmetrical programmer]

Download Weapon Set #1, should be at the top of the list - this file doesn't work for me (yields the same error as every other file)
https://neztech.org/madness-combat-resources

[kglad]

ok.  got it.

with that last link, i saw the same problem as the first file you linked.  then i noticed that online link was from 2011.  so, i tried opening it in flash cs6 and had no problem. 

then i went back to your first link and tried opening that in cs6 and had no problem.  ie, these files are as2 files. 

i also opened them both with cc 2019.  i haven't keep any other animate versions other than cs6, cc 2019 and the current.

[asymmetrical programmer]

I was suffering from the glitch Mario_CR mentioned, thanks for help though.

[kglad]

@asymmetrical programmer 

you're welcome.

[Mario_CR · Accepted solution]

Opening files from older versions gives an error in v. 23.0.2. The bug has been reported and devs are working on a fix for the same.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/animate-discussions/bug-aa-23-0-2-cannot-open-flash-8-cs3-and-cs4-fla...

[asymmetrical programmer]

I went back to v. 23.0.0 and all my .fla's work correctly, even the old ones. Thanks for bringing the thread up.

[kglad]

@Mario_CR 

i don't think that's the full story.  with v23.0.2 fla's, winrar can open, extract and repair.  with the op's files, it could do none of those things.

[Mario_CR]

Maybe not, but if so they wouldn't open in v.23.0.0.

[kglad]

"if so" meaning what?

my only assertion is that there's more to it than the current animate version showing an error when opening a fla created in an older version.  

ie, i don't know what is causing that (winrar failure), but it's not caused by using winrar on a fla created in an older animate version.

[asymmetrical programmer]

I don't know what's causing that but I've just tried turning an .fla into a .rar file by changing it's filename extension (the same way you change the file's name) and I can't open it with WinRAR. Either way, I can at least access all my old work and sprite packs so that's a huge win already.

[kglad]

understood; your problem was solved when i saw the fla's could be opened in the only older animate versions i had installed.

it's an, as yet unexplained, side issue that those fla's can't be handled by winrar. (though they can be extracted by 7-zip).

[Mario_CR]

Sorry, "if so" meaning the file isn't corrupted beyond repair, I thought that's what you were going with.

Anyway it looks like the problem is solved for now.

[Ash Collins]

how do you do that using winrar?

[kglad]

@Ash Collins 

how do you do what?

[Ash Collins]

sorry it didnt show which comment i was replying too! "with v23.0.2 fla's, winrar can open, extract and repair." << that! that sounds useful lol