Extract text from Swap and macro files (SWP)
To convert SWP Swap files to another format, you need Vim or SolidWorks or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "Editor Swap Recovery File" file type, you need software like Vim or SolidWorks or a similar tool.
.SWP files typically serve two distinct purposes. Most commonly, they are hidden swap or recovery files created by text editors like Vim or nano to temporarily store unsaved document data in case of a crash. Alternatively, they function as VBA macro files used by SolidWorks to automate complex CAD design tasks.
Vim generates these files automatically, typically prefixing them with a dot (e.g., .filename.swp). SolidWorks macros, on the other hand, rely on the Microsoft Compound File format to store scripts and user interface components.
The main disadvantage of a .SWP Vim swap file is that it is a proprietary binary state file. It is not meant to be opened directly as a standard text document. SolidWorks macro files are proprietary code containers that require the SolidWorks environment or a dedicated Microsoft VBA editor to run or extract code.
Extracting plain text (TXT) from a Vim swap file requires using Vim's built-in recovery command. SolidWorks macros can sometimes have their underlying code extracted to plain text or VBA script files.
Because these formats are heavily specialized or act as closed binary containers, standard online converters often fail to process them. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or extraction may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SWP file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted TEX, HWP, TXT, SWF, ZIP, WEBP, PDF, DOCX, SPW, JAM, EXE, TSX and DS_STORE files.
If you want to convert SWP file to SYS, DLL, EXE, DRV, VXD, 386, COM, BAT, CMD, SCR, PIF or LNK, you can use Vim or SolidWorks or similar software from the "Text Recovery or CAD Macro" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MSI, EXE, REG, MST, LNK, CAB, CAT, DRV, INF, SYS, MSU or DLL files to SWP, try Vim or SolidWorks or another comparable tool in the "Text Recovery or CAD Macro" category.
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 SWP converter.