Can't open the file as it says the file is corrupted or created by an older version

Welcome, Jun. Sorry you've run into that error!

You can upload your .story file privately to our Support team here. We'll try to open it on our end, and let you know what we find!

For now, here's how to check if there's a working version of the project in your Temp Files:

1. Open this folder in Windows Explorer: %appdata%\Articulate\Storyline
2. Scan the contents of this folder for a file that starts with the name of your project. If you find one, copy it to your desktop. If you see more than one, copy the latest version to your desktop.
3. Change the file extension of the copy on your desktop from *.tmp to *.story
4. Double-click the file to open it in Storyline. 

Pro-tip: We recommend saving directly to the C: drive from Storyline, and then backing the file up to a network or shared drive to prevent similar snags. The handy tips outlined here can also help reduce the risk of corruption!

Hi Jun,

A note for you here - Storyline 3, build 3. 3.7.20003.0 is available now for you to download and update. This update includes some help surrounding files which may have been corrupted.  If a project becomes corrupt, Storyline lets you know if there's a working version in your temp files and makes it easy for you to recover. For more details check out this article, and you can follow the link here to download and update to the latest build of Storyline 3. 

Hi everyone,

I'm facing the same issue when I try to open an articulate file I'm getting this message"Can't open the file as it says the file is corrupted or created by an older version" then I tried Opening this folder in Windows Explorer: %appdata%\Articulate\Storyline and scanned the contents but I couldn't find a single file. Then I thought of recreating whatever I have done earlier but I'm getting the same message. I am able to open some other files which I have worked but if I make a change in any of the articulate files or even I'm just opening without making any changes and saving the file and closing it if I again open the file same message coming. Looks like I cant work with articulate storyline anymore I cant figure out what the issue is please anyone help. 

Hi there,
I have the same problem - a file i worked on a few months ago needs to be published in a different way - but now i can't open it!
It is a pretty big file on which we worked for many weeks - it's not possible to rebuild it soon...

In our Backup is in the meanwhile the same curropt file safed...

Is there a chance to open it again?

Hi Oliver,

Thanks for contacting us and sharing what you are experiencing with your project file. With your permission, I'd like you to share your project file with our support engineers to investigate what's happening. You can share it privately by uploading it here. It will be deleted when troubleshooting is complete.

I am having the same difficulty uploading a file created in Storyline 2. Is it possible to have the file reviewed?

Hi Cassie,

It looks like you're working directly with Eric, so no need to upload it again. I'll close the duplicate case.

It looks like your email signature came through when you replied via email. You can remove that if needed by clicking ‘Edit’ beneath your response. Here’s a quick Peek video if you need help.

What are some of the reasons found for the above cases?  I am having so much trouble with getting this error all of a sudden with several courses.  We can't just store everything on our hard drive, we have to share files as a team/company...like most organizations.  

Hello Christine,

Outside of what you see here in the conversation, we had a support case filed, but unfortunately, their file was truly corrupt and unable to be opened.

Have you checked your Temp Files yet? There may still be a working version of your project there:

1. Open this folder in Windows Explorer: %appdata%\Articulate\Storyline
2. Scan the contents of this folder for a file that starts with the name of your project. If you find one, copy it to your desktop. If you find more than one, copy the latest version to your desktop.
3. Change the file extension of the copy on your desktop from *.tmp to *.story.
4. Double-click the file to open it in Storyline. 

We do recommend working locally on your project files:

Storyline: Create, Edit, and Publish Courses on Your Local Hard Drive

To collaborate with others or save to a network location after the project is completed, I'd recommend the following workflow:

Storyline: Recommended Workflow for Collaborative Network Environments

Has any progress been made on this issue?  I am constantly coming up against this problem and getting that message that the file cannot be opened.  This has caused quite a few scares.  It seems that making a copy of the file allows me to open the copy, but this is not a good workaround as it further uses up space on my desktop.  I am having to do this on a near daily basis and quite frankly, it is annoying as hell.  All of my working files are on my C: Drive, so this is not an issue of having the files in a shared external drive.  

What is causing this problem?  Based on the number of entries in this thread, it doesn't strike me as a one-off issue per user.  Something is corrupting the files.