Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your APA file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.
Convert APA to another file type
To convert your APA file to another format, you need FactoryTalk View or other Backup software.
Convert a file to APA
To convert other file formats to the "Industrial Automation Archive" file type, you need software like FactoryTalk View or a similar tool.
About APA files
The .APA file extension primarily represents an HMI Application Archive generated by Rockwell Automation software, specifically FactoryTalk View (Site Edition or Machine Edition) and legacy RSView32. These files serve as compressed backups containing the entire Human-Machine Interface project - including graphics, tag databases, alarms, and macros - used to transport projects between development stations. A significant source of friction for engineers is the strict version dependency; an .APA created in a newer version of FactoryTalk often triggers an "Invalid Archive" error when opened in older software, forcing users to seek conversion or workaround methods. Users typically need to convert these files to access the internal logic or visual assets without paying for an expensive FactoryTalk license. While direct conversion to PDF is not a native feature, the file is technically a Microsoft Compound File (OLE), meaning it can often be opened with archive tools like 7-Zip to extract internal components. Less frequently, .APA files are citation exports from the Authenticus repository, containing bibliographic data in APA style. For these, the goal is usually conversion to BIB, RIS, or TXT for import into reference managers like Zotero or EndNote.
Convert.Guru analyzes your APA file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert APA file to BIBTEX, AMA, ACS, JS, TS, PY, JAVA, CPP, C, CS, PHP or RB, you can use FactoryTalk View or similar software from the "HMI Project Archive" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SH, PY, KT, PS1, SWIFT, LUA, PL, JAVA, SCALA, JS, VBS or TS files to APA, try FactoryTalk View or another comparable tool in the "HMI Project Archive" category.
The APA Converter Story
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our APA converter.