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How can I open an old .STM or .SWR file in SewerGEMS, CivilStorm, StormCAD or SewerCAD V8i or CONNECT Edition?
StormCAD version 5.X used a .STM file format and SewerCAD 5.X used a .SWR file. These models can be opened directly from the file open dialog in the CONNECT Edition of SewerGEMS (.STM and .SWR), CivilStorm (.STM), StormCAD (.STM) and SewerCAD (.SWR).
For earlier versions such as V8i, you may not be able to open the .STM or .SWR file directly (they may not appear in the list of available file types) and you will need to upgrade to the CONNECT Edition.
Other non-Bentley applications may use the file extensions .STM or .SWR and you will not be able to open those models. You can only open .STM models from StormCAD 5.X or .SWR files from SewerCAD 5.X.
For example: Opening a WinStorm .STM file
When attempting to open the .STM or .SWR file, you may see the error "Database format not recognized or read-only. It could not be opened.".
First if the file type is not displayed in the file open dialog, type in the full path to the file in the box next to it. For example "C:\Examplefolder\exampleoldfile.swr". Alternatively, you can drag and drop the SWR/STM into the product window.
If this does not help, try opening the 32-bit version of StormCAD, CivilStorm, SewerGEMS, or SewerCAD. You can find this by going to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Bentley\StormCAD" (or \SewerCAD for SewerCAD) and double-clicking on the StormCAD.exe or SewerCAD.exe file. You can also create a shortcut by right clicking on the StormCAD.exe file in the program files folder and choosing "Send to" > Desktop.
Once this is open, go to File > Open and select the .STM or SWR file (or drag-drop the file, if the STM/SWR file extension does not show in the file open dialog). Once the model file is saved in the current format, you will be able to work on the file in either the 32-bit or the 64-bit version.
If this still does not work or if you're encountering a different error when attempting to open the file, try upgrading to a newer version or contact technical support.
When opening an old StormCAD model (.stm file) you may see the error "A non-continuable protection violation has occurred".
Here are a few things you can try to resolve this issue:1) Uninstall the old version2) Copy only the .stm file, to a new, empty folder on your local hard drive. Sometimes network communication (if stored on a network share) or supporting files such as .rpc files can interfere with the upgrade.3) Check to make sure that DEP is not enabled for StormCAD (Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance Settings)4) Try temporarily closing any third party running applications such as Antivirus, anti-malware, video card control panel, etc...
5) Upgrade to a newer version of StormCAD