Flash: Difference between revisions

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There are two Flash players offered for Windows users: the Flash ActiveX control for Internet Explorer/AOL and the Flash plugin for Firefox/Mozilla/Netscape/Opera browsers.  Each must be installed separately, since the Flash plugin installer does not add the ActiveX control and vice versa.  In other words, it's possible to have the Flash 8 plugin installed for Mozilla browsers and the Flash 9 ActiveX control installed for Internet Explorer, and both will work.   
There are two Flash players offered for Windows users: the Flash ActiveX control for Internet Explorer/AOL and the Flash plugin for Firefox/Mozilla/Netscape/Opera browsers.  Each must be installed separately, since the Flash plugin installer does not add the ActiveX control and vice versa.  In other words, it's possible to have the Flash 8 plugin installed for Mozilla browsers and the Flash 9 ActiveX control installed for Internet Explorer, and both will work.   


You can see what version of the Flash plugin is installed by entering  [[about:plugins]]  in the Location Bar and finding the entry for "Shockwave Flash".  For example, on Windows XP with Flash 9.0 r115 installed,  you should see:
You can see what version of the Flash plugin is installed by entering  [[about:plugins]]  in the Location Bar of your Mozilla browser and finding the entry for "Shockwave Flash".  For example, on Windows XP with Flash 9.0 r115 installed,  you should see:
*'''Shockwave Flash'''
*'''Shockwave Flash'''
:File name: C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF32.dll   
:File name: C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF32.dll   
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Note:  To see the full path to the plugin file NPSWF32.dll as shown above, instead of just the file name, use [[about:config]] to change the value of  ''plugin.expose_full_path'' to "true".
Note:  To see the full path to the plugin file NPSWF32.dll as shown above, instead of just the file name, use [[about:config]] to change the value of  ''plugin.expose_full_path'' to "true".


'''Starting with Flash 9.0.r45''' the Flash plugin installer for Firefox and other Mozilla-based browsers does not copy any files to the browser plugins folder.   Instead,  the files "NPSWF32.dll""flashplayer.xpt" and related files are placed in the <tt>C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Macromed\Flash</tt> folder and the installer removes any copies found in the installation directory of detected browsers. A Windows registry entry is created enabling each Mozilla browser to detect Flash via [[plugin scanning]] (PLID scan)[http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=540895]
If you see two versions of Shockwave Flash listed in [[about:plugins]], this can occur if the Flash plugin file "NPSWF32.dll" is located in the  Mozilla browser's [[installation directory]] plugins folder and another copy is detected in another location, e.g.,  the <tt>C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Macromed\Flash</tt> folder on Windows XP.  In such cases, the copy in the browser plugins folder takes precedence.  The installation of Flash 9.0 r45 or later should detect and remove the Flash plugin from the plugin folder of detected browsersIf it doesn't,  manually delete the "NPSWF32.dll" file from the browser plugins folder so that the newer version can be used.


'''Flash 9.0.r28 and earlier''' versions of the Flash installer copied these two files to the Mozilla browser's [[installation directory]]:  
'''Starting with Flash 9.0.r45''' the Flash plugin installer for Firefox and other Mozilla-based browsers does not copy any files to the browser plugins folder.  Instead,  the files "NPSWF32.dll",  "flashplayer.xpt" and related files are placed in the Macromed\Flash folder located in the Windows System directory (e.g., <tt>C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Macromed\Flash</tt>) and the installer removes any copies found in the installation directory of  detected browsers.  A Windows registry entry is created enabling each Mozilla browser to detect Flash via [[plugin scanning]] (PLID scan).  [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=540895]
 
'''Flash 9.0.r28 and earlier''' versions of the Flash plugin installer copied these two files to the [[installation directory]] of Firefox and other detected Mozilla browsers:  
* '''NPSWF32.dll'''  to the  ''plugins'' folder  
* '''NPSWF32.dll'''  to the  ''plugins'' folder  
* '''flashplayer.xpt'''  to  the ''components'' folder or the ''plugins'' folder (for [http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/faqs/flash.html#win-scripting  scripting support]).   
* '''flashplayer.xpt'''  to  the ''components'' folder or the ''plugins'' folder (for [http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/faqs/flash.html#win-scripting  scripting support]).   
It is possible to copy these two files to the plugins folder of undetected browsers (e.g., zip builds).  Note that an XPI package that was available for Flash 9.0.r28 and earlier using the "Install" link at [http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/windows.html#Flash PluginDoc] also copied the Flash plugin files to the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Macromed\Flash folder and added a registry entry so that all Mozilla browsers could find the files through [[plugin scanning]], using a Windows registry [http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/notes.html#scan-plid PLID scan] [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=2175271#2175271].
You would then have needed to copy these two files to the plugins folder of undetected browsers (e.g., zip builds).  Note that an XPI package that was available for Flash 9.0.r28 and earlier using the "Install" link at [http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/windows.html#Flash PluginDoc] also copied the Flash plugin files to the Windows System directory's Macromed\Flash folder and added a registry entry so that all Mozilla browsers could find the files through [[plugin scanning]], using a Windows registry [http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/notes.html#scan-plid PLID scan] [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=2175271#2175271]
 
In some cases, you may find more than one version of Shockwave Flash listed in [[about:plugins]].  This will happen if you placed the the Flash plugin "NPSWF32.dll" in the browser plugins folder and it is also being detected via plugin scanning in the  <tt>C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Macromed\Flash</tt> folder.  You should delete the "NPSWF32.dll" file in the browser plugins folder; otherwise,  your Mozilla browser will always use the copy in the plugins folder instead of the Flash 9.0.r45 and newer versions that you install  from the  [http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer Adobe Flash download page].


===Flash 9.0 on Linux===
===Flash 9.0 on Linux===

Revision as of 14:55, 4 February 2008

Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) or simply "Flash", refers to the Flash Player and browser plugin needed to handle SWF web page animations and interactive content. Even though the Flash plugin is referred to as "Shockwave Flash", it should not be confused with the Shockwave plugin that handles "Shockwave for Director" content.

Installation

You can check to see what version, if any, of the Flash plugin is being detected in your Mozilla browser via about:plugins. You can also test your Flash plugin here.

To install Flash (or to upgrade to a higher version) download the Flash installer from the Adobe Flash Player Download Center or from PluginDoc. If you cannot find a Flash Player download for your OS, find it manually on this page. See PluginDoc's Flash FAQs for details on installation.

Windows and Mac

If your system can't run Flash 8 or Flash 9 (see the system requirements) you can download an updated version of Flash 7 here (Windows users should download the "Netscape" installer for Firefox and other Mozilla browsers).

Installing Flash on Windows

There are two Flash players offered for Windows users: the Flash ActiveX control for Internet Explorer/AOL and the Flash plugin for Firefox/Mozilla/Netscape/Opera browsers. Each must be installed separately, since the Flash plugin installer does not add the ActiveX control and vice versa. In other words, it's possible to have the Flash 8 plugin installed for Mozilla browsers and the Flash 9 ActiveX control installed for Internet Explorer, and both will work.

You can see what version of the Flash plugin is installed by entering about:plugins in the Location Bar of your Mozilla browser and finding the entry for "Shockwave Flash". For example, on Windows XP with Flash 9.0 r115 installed, you should see:

  • Shockwave Flash
File name: C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF32.dll
Shockwave Flash 9.0 r115

Note: To see the full path to the plugin file NPSWF32.dll as shown above, instead of just the file name, use about:config to change the value of plugin.expose_full_path to "true".

If you see two versions of Shockwave Flash listed in about:plugins, this can occur if the Flash plugin file "NPSWF32.dll" is located in the Mozilla browser's installation directory plugins folder and another copy is detected in another location, e.g., the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Macromed\Flash folder on Windows XP. In such cases, the copy in the browser plugins folder takes precedence. The installation of Flash 9.0 r45 or later should detect and remove the Flash plugin from the plugin folder of detected browsers. If it doesn't, manually delete the "NPSWF32.dll" file from the browser plugins folder so that the newer version can be used.

Starting with Flash 9.0.r45 the Flash plugin installer for Firefox and other Mozilla-based browsers does not copy any files to the browser plugins folder. Instead, the files "NPSWF32.dll", "flashplayer.xpt" and related files are placed in the Macromed\Flash folder located in the Windows System directory (e.g., C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Macromed\Flash) and the installer removes any copies found in the installation directory of detected browsers. A Windows registry entry is created enabling each Mozilla browser to detect Flash via plugin scanning (PLID scan). [1]

Flash 9.0.r28 and earlier versions of the Flash plugin installer copied these two files to the installation directory of Firefox and other detected Mozilla browsers:

  • NPSWF32.dll to the plugins folder
  • flashplayer.xpt to the components folder or the plugins folder (for scripting support).

You would then have needed to copy these two files to the plugins folder of undetected browsers (e.g., zip builds). Note that an XPI package that was available for Flash 9.0.r28 and earlier using the "Install" link at PluginDoc also copied the Flash plugin files to the Windows System directory's Macromed\Flash folder and added a registry entry so that all Mozilla browsers could find the files through plugin scanning, using a Windows registry PLID scan [2]

Flash 9.0 on Linux

A Flash Player 9 for Linux is now available. Extract libflashplayer.so to your plugins directory to install it.

Uninstalling Flash

Windows and Mac

An uninstaller can be downloaded to remove Flash from your system. See the Flash Player TechNote, How to uninstall the Adobe Flash Player plug-in and ActiveX control. After downloading, make sure you completely exit your Mozilla application or other Internet browser before you run the uninstaller.

Windows uninstall

Flash 9.0 r45 and above: You can uninstall Flash for Mozilla-based browsers using the "Adobe Flash Player Plugin" entry in the Windows Control Panel Add/Remove Programs list [3]. Note: If you also installed Flash for Internet Explorer, you will see a second entry, "Adobe Flash Player ActiveX" which removes the Flash ActiveX control for Internet Explorer and the AOL browser.

Flash 9.0 r28 and below: Windows Add/Remove Programs may have an entry for "Adobe Flash Player ActiveX" but this will only remove Flash for Internet Explorer and AOL. To completely remove Flash from your system, download the uninstaller from Adobe.com. On Windows systems, the Flash uninstaller may hang at 93% completion. To finish the uninstall, open the Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete), click the "Processes" tab, select "killbrowser.exe", click <End Process> and say "yes" to the resulting dialog box [4].

Important: The uninstaller downloaded from Adobe.com also removes the Flash ActiveX control needed in Internet Explorer and AOL. If you are only having problems with Flash in Firefox or Mozilla Suite, you could simply remove the files "NPSWF32.dll" and "flashplayer.xpt" from all locations, instead of running the uninstaller [5].

The Flash uninstaller may not remove all Flash plugin files from all locations so you should search for and delete the following files, if found:

  • NPSWF32.dll
  • flashplayer.xpt
  • GetFlash.exe
  • GetFlash.exe.manifest
  • NPSWF32_FlashUtil.exe

Linux and Solaris

If you installed via Adobe installation routine, follow the uninstall instructions in the Flash Player ReadMe for your system, linked below:

If you installled via apt-get/aptitude (Debian/Ubuntu): sudo apt-get remove flashplugin-nonfree

If the uninstall don't work: 1. type about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Find the option plugin.expose_full_path and change the value to "true" (double-clicking the preference name will toggle the setting). 2. type about:plugins and locate the flash plugin. Remove the plugin files (both .so and .xpt)

Troubleshooting

If your problem isn't listed below, read PluginDoc and Adobe's Flash Player Support FAQ. You can also search for answers or post a question to Adobe's Macromedia Flash Player forum.

Excessive CPU use with G-Mail

When used with G-Mail, Flash can cause Firefox to repaint the screen constantly, resulting in near 100% CPU use. This problem is fixed in trunk builds of Firefox, and will be fixed in version 3.[6]

Quicktime plugin takes over Flash

If you see a Quicktime symbol with a question mark where the Flash content should be, it means that Quicktime has taken over handling of Flash files. On Windows, open Quicktime Preferences (accessible from the Windows Control Panel), select the Browser tab (or the "Browser Plug-in" drop-down menu option in Quicktime 6 or earlier) and select the "MIME settings" button. Uncheck "Flash media" or "Flash file" under "Miscellaneous" and "FlashPix" under "Images", then restart your browser. On Mac OS, go to the Quicktime System Preferences and deselect the corresponding MIME types, which are found by going to the Advanced tab in recent OS X versions [7]).

If the problem persists, remove the file "pluginreg.dat" from the "Firefox" or "Mozilla" folder in the profile folder location. Additionally, remove any "npqt*.dll" files found in the Mozilla Suite or Firefox installation directory's plugins folder. [8].

ActiveX plugin conflict

If the Mozilla ActiveX plugin is installed and is either misconfigured or the wrong version for your browser it can interfere with Flash content. Exit the browser, then look for the file "npmozax.dll" in the installation directory plugins folder. If found, rename the file "Xnpmozax.dll" to disable the ActiveX plugin. If Flash content plays correctly afterwards, remove the ActiveX plugin if you don't need it or install the correct version for your browser.

Illegal Operation In Plug-In

If certain web pages cause "Illegal Operation In Plug-In" errors that refer to "Shockwave Flash" and contain the message,
The plugin performed an illegal operation. You are strongly advised to restart Navigator (or Firefox):

  • The Mozilla ActiveX plugin can cause this error [9]. Removing the file "npmozax.dll" from the Firefox or Mozilla Suite installation directory plugins folder (see above) may stop the error.
  • Removing the files "GetFlash.exe" and "GetFlash.exe.manifest" from the Firefox or Mozilla Suite installation directory plugins folder and from the C:\WINDOWS\System32\Macromed\Flash folder (if found) may stop the errors [10]
  • The problem is often resolved [11] by uninstalling Flash 8 or 9 and installing Flash 7 (on Windows, use the Netscape installer for Firefox and Mozilla Suite - see above).
  • This problem may be caused by a rootkit type virus. Scanning your hard drive using a program like F-secure Blacklight(trial version) and having it rename the offending files has been reported to solve the problem for some.

Extension issues

Problematic extensions may interfere with Flash content. If Flash isn't working, try the problem site using a newly-created profile or run Firefox in Safe Mode, where all extensions are disabled.

NoScript

The NoScript extension can block Flash content on untrusted sites, even content from trusted sites (e.g. YouTube.com) if embedded on an untrusted site. [12]. You can temporarily allow JavaScript globally, which will also permit Flash and other blocked content [13].

Adblock conflict

Flash content may not display if the Adblock extension is installed and OBJ-TABS are enabled. Disable OBJ-TABS in Adblock's options or try updating to the latest version of Adblock, or uninstall Adblock and install Adblock Plus. [14].

Amazing Media Browser

Flash content will not display if the Amazing Media Browser extension is installed, if the "Block all embedded objects" preference is set to "Yes". Change the preference setting to "No" to allow embedded media such as Flash to display.

Flashblock conflict

If you're using Flash Player 8 and the Flashblock extension, you need Flashblock 1.3.3 or higher. [15].

If you've removed Flashblock you need to take the following code out of userChrome.css or userContent.css:

object[classid$=":D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"],
object[codebase*="swflash.cab"]
{ -moz-binding: url("chrome://flashblock/content/flash.xml#obj"); }

Delay or hang waking from standby

In Windows the problem will, in some cases, be resolved by installing the latest Flash Player 9. (flash/about shows what version you have installed) Symptoms in Firefox and Mozilla Suite are excessive delay waking the computer from hibernation or standby mode, such that the browser may appear to "hang" (bug 265172). High CPU usage may also be observed. As a workaround, close the browser before placing the computer in standby/hibernation. Note: Flash is not the only cause of problems after waking from hibernate or standby.

Memory Use

The Flashblock extension will help reduce memory usage by giving you control over the loading of flash images. Also, version 8.0.24.0 of Flash plugin can continually consume memory while you are on a web page that includes Flash content. [16] Workarounds are to remove the Flash plugin, block Flash content, or manually navigate away from pages with Flash. This problem is supposedly fixed in the latest Flash Player 9.

Crashes

Many crashes are caused by older versions of Flash, or even by recent versions.[17] If the crash still occurs with the latest version, follow Adobe's troubleshooting advice. If this advice does not help, please report a bug to Adobe.

Flash files do not play

Some users find that Flash files will not run automatically when opened directly in the browser, but instead will cause the File Download dialog box to be displayed, asking them to choose whether to save the file or open it in a suitable application. See the Opening files using plugins article.

Flash files that were created with SwishMAX will not play with Flash Player 9. [18] For a user the only workaround is to install Flash Player 8. A zipped archive of Flash Player 8 installers is available here.

For web masters a patch for SwishMax is available here.

External links