Hi, I am new to KiCad, I have downloaded and installed Version 6.0.11, and have so far successfully produced a schematic, however I want to install SPST and SPDT basic switches, these do not appear in the choose symbol drop down. I have downloaded a switch symbol library, however when I put a tick in the box next to it, and click OK, I get an error message “KiCad was unable to open file because it was created with a more recent version than the one you are running”
Don
What do you see when: Schematic Editor / Place / Add symbol and then type: “spst”? I get:
And this is from KiCad V6.0.10 with (as far as I know) the default libraries.
Hi Paul
It comes up with “Relay” and various symbols for them.
Initially when I went into Preferences - Manage Symbol libraries - Global Libraries, there was no nickname “Switch” there, I have managed to download library “switch”, but I get the error message when I try to make it active.
It would appear that it was not loaded by the initial set up of KiCad.
Don
If you do not have those in your standard libraries, then my first guess is there is some kind of error with your library setup.
All global schematic libraries are listed in the sym-lib-table file from your KiCad configuration. On my linux box this file is in:
~/.config/kicad/6.0/sym-lib-table
and it’s 29kB in size, here a copy of my version:
sym-lib-table (29.1 KB)
Hi Paul
I am running windows 10, so not sure where to find that configuration file.
I decided to do a fresh install of KiCad, when I tried putting “SPST” in the choose symbol box, it again gave me “Relays”, so I went into “manage symbol libraries” and “Switch” was there but not enabled, so I put a tick in box, and OKed it, and tried “choose symbol” again, the switch symbols have now appeared!
So it looks like I am sorted, thanks very much for your help.
Don
But a complete re-install is indeed also an option.
It’s often simpler and quicker than hunting for the real cause. 
For general symbols, always check the “Device” library first, it contains 95% of what you need… Then you can start installing custom libraries.
But switches are in those other 5%. They may have been in the device library in some previous KiCad version though…
Go back to 6.0.10 and install that instead (or wait a week or two).
6.0.11 is apparently not 100% complete yet.
In your \kicad\symbol library folder you should have 200+ libraries, including “Switch”.
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