# ParaView crash when opening XML based vtk file
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-crash-when-opening-xml-based-vtk-file/15434
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Tags:** vtk
**Created:** [September 24, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-crash-when-opening-xml-based-vtk-file/15434 "2024-09-24T18:46:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jeff21](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/jeff21)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-crash-when-opening-xml-based-vtk-file/15434/1 "2024-09-24T18:46:55Z")
Hi all
I am having an issue when opening a .vtk file containing some thermal data from a simulator tool I built. The output .vtk file is generated from a library function ([dolfinx.io](http://dolfinx.io) VTKFile) and when opening it in Notepad++ it seems that it is written in XML format. When attempting to open this .vtk file in ParaView, it prompts me to select a Reader. Each reader I select leads to ParaView crashing when clicking on the “Apply” button.
Any help? I have included all relevant files here.
[heat\_solution\_1000000.pvtu](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/x1eX1Q20YxR1lgyXTHAHzpZoCWI.pvtu) (602 Bytes)
[heat\_solution\_1000001.pvtu](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/acxeqjQ5A1hVTX5cijkIbaxyVLo.pvtu) (670 Bytes)
[heat\_solution\_1.vtk](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/2w9UkFfDZeFNTrYP4xR4I3nwpRH.vtk) (253 Bytes)
[heat\_solution\_1\_p0\_000000.vtu](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/recoNs4lTx0NjYWIP7iIGHGGvHN.vtu) (410.8 KB)
[heat\_solution\_1\_p0\_000001.vtu](https://discourse.paraview.org/uploads/short-url/lVH0f7GaatCsALmUHWmIelB7XuZ.vtu) (572.6 KB)
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2024, 8:47am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-crash-when-opening-xml-based-vtk-file/15434/2 "2024-09-25T08:47:51Z")
Your .vtk file is not a file in VTK file format. It looks like a VKT partitioned dataset collection file but still seems incorrect.
What are these files supposed to contain ?
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### Author:  [@jeff21](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/jeff21)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2024, 12:14pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-crash-when-opening-xml-based-vtk-file/15434/3 "2024-09-25T12:14:58Z")
I’m building an IC Transient thermal analysis tool. Essentially, the tool reads in the geometry of an IC layout and where the resistors are (only looking at 2D for now) and then calculates the heat dissipation from those resistors using FEM. So the output file should contain the temperatures at every point on the mesh for different time steps. As an example of very basic output, I have attached a screenshot from an example file (aka not a file currently created through my tool).
What I am unsure about is why ParaView crashes when opening a .vtk file.
From what I gather (the following is a ChatGPT response):
- The `.pvtu` file\*\* serves as a wrapper that collects the data from multiple `.vtu` files. It allows ParaView to reconstruct the full simulation result from data written by different processors.
- The `.vtu` files store the data for individual partitions of the mesh (in parallel processing). Each `.vtu` file contains data such as mesh coordinates, temperature values, and other fields for a subset of the computational domain.
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-crash-when-opening-xml-based-vtk-file/15434/4 "2024-09-25T14:13:08Z")
Ok, however you created a .vtk file with an xml syntax as well, what are you trying to achiveve with it ?
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### Author:  [@jeff21](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/jeff21)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2024, 6:16pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-crash-when-opening-xml-based-vtk-file/15434/5 "2024-09-25T18:16:08Z")
I managed to switch it to output in legacy .`vtk` format which works much better. It now stores the output temperature in a format that matches the example one shown earlier. Assuming ParaView crashes because of the `.vtk` file being in `XML` syntax not being supported?
Thanks for your help nevertheless!
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2024, 9:35am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/paraview-crash-when-opening-xml-based-vtk-file/15434/6 "2024-09-26T09:35:10Z")
> [@jeff21](#):
>
> because of the `.vtk` file being in `XML` syntax not being supported?
The VTK file format is not an XML format indeed.