# Error reading cell array offset header
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-reading-cell-array-offset-header/5629
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [October 22, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-reading-cell-array-offset-header/5629 "2020-10-22T15:12:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JanPara](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/JanPara)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-reading-cell-array-offset-header/5629/1 "2020-10-22T15:12:53Z")
Hey there!
I’m new at Paraview and I have a problem. I tried to open the following .vtk file, but there comes out the error: Reading cell array offset header. Tried to fix but it actually doesn’t works and i have no further ideas how to change. I’d be pleased about your help!
Best regards[Koerper1.vtk](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/rk8M3nQ0PJHhXgbtC3v9jkoQBHY.vtk) (134.1 KB)
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### Author:  [@JanPara](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/JanPara)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2020, 3:15pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-reading-cell-array-offset-header/5629/2 "2020-10-22T15:15:25Z")
sorry, wrong version: here with cell types [Koerper1.vtk](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/2mWnPOEhCr4rd4yQ5JwwR9uyPlT.vtk) (140.3 KB)
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### Author:  [@Kenneth\_Moreland](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenneth_Moreland)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-reading-cell-array-offset-header/5629/3 "2020-10-22T15:24:37Z")
I don’t know what’s new with the 5.1 version of the legacy VTK file format, but your file seems to be missing the `CELL_TYPES` section. I think at the bottom of your file you need something like this.
```auto
CELL_TYPES 2117
8
8
8
8
```
Where `8` is repeated 2117 times.
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### Author:  [@Andrei](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Andrei)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2020, 3:31pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-reading-cell-array-offset-header/5629/4 "2020-10-22T15:31:46Z")
This section is present in the new version of the file that @JanPara uploaded above in the discussion
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### Author:  [@Kenneth\_Moreland](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenneth_Moreland)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-reading-cell-array-offset-header/5629/5 "2020-10-22T15:40:59Z")
I thought I was looking at the new one, but apparently I was not.
The problem might be that the file declares the wrong version. If you change the first line to
```auto
# vtk DataFile Version 4.2
```
then ParaView can read it. Here is the changed file: [Koerper1-changed.vtk](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/g7HYX2VQuUGSaBHTMe6xz0FMJkx.vtk) (140.3 KB)
I don’t know how Version 5.X of the legacy VTK files work as I have not seen the documentation, but there appears to be some new offset stuff added to it that this file does not have.
There is probably still something else wrong with the file. When I load this file into ParaView the cells look very wrong.
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### Author:  [@JanPara](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/JanPara)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-reading-cell-array-offset-header/5629/6 "2020-10-22T16:04:23Z")
Thanks a lot ! seems that something with the mesh/connectivity is wrong
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### Author:  [@Andrei](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Andrei)
#### Post date: [October 22, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/error-reading-cell-array-offset-header/5629/7 "2020-10-22T16:29:24Z")
It’s funny that this text file VTK format officially called legacy. In fact, this is the main way to import data from third-party unsupported programs into Paraview