FlashFrom MozillaZine Knowledge Base(Difference between revisions)
Revision as of 10:40, 30 October 2009Adobe 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. Testing FlashYou 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. Starting in Firefox 3 and SeaMonkey 2, you can disable and enable the Flash plugin in the Add-ons manager. If Flash is not being detected, go to "Tools -> Add-ons (Add-on Manager) -> Plugins", look for an entry for "Shockwave Flash" and, if found, make sure it is enabled (as shown here). InstallationTo 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. If your system can't run the latest Flash Player (see the system requirements) you can download an updated version of Flash 9 for Windows, Linux or Mac OS X here. (Windows users should download the "Netscape" installer for Firefox and other Mozilla browsers.) Archived Flash versions can be downloaded here. After downloading the installer, completely close your Mozilla application and then run the setup file to install the Flash plugin. See PluginDoc's Flash FAQs for more information. Note: If you see a yellow warning bar saying that Firefox (or SeaMonkey) prevented the site from asking you to install software on your computer, click the "Allow" button to start the Software Installation process. If you have problems or don't want to use the Software Installation method, look for a "click here to download" link (on the "Thank You" page with the yellow warning bar), save the download to your Desktop or other location, and then completely close your Mozilla application and run the installer. [1] (screenshot) Installing Flash on WindowsThere 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 r159 installed, you should see:
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 a different 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 plugins 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). [2] 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:
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 [3] Windows installation issues
For other installation issues, see the Adobe Support TechNote, Troubleshoot Adobe Flash Player installation for Windows. Uninstalling FlashWindows and MacAn uninstaller can be downloaded from Adobe.com 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 uninstallThe Flash uninstaller from Adobe.com also removes the Flash ActiveX control needed in Internet Explorer and AOL. 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. [7]. 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:
Flash 9.0 r45 and above: You can also uninstall Flash for Mozilla-based browsers using the "Adobe Flash Player Plugin" entry in the Windows Control Panel list of installed programs ("Add or Remove Programs") [8]. If you also installed Flash for Internet Explorer, you will see a second entry, "Adobe Flash Player ActiveX" which is for the Flash ActiveX control needed 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. To remove Flash from Mozilla browsers only, delete the Flash plugin files shown above from all locations. [9] Linux and SolarisIf 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) Flash Settings ManagerYou can adjust your Flash settings in the Flash Player Settings Manager. Some settings can be accessed from the context (right-click) menu of a Flash object during playback. Other settings, such as global settings for privacy, storage, security, and automatic notification of Flash Player updates, are accessible via links in the Adobe support document, Flash Player Help - Settings Manager TroubleshootingIf your problem isn't listed below:
Warning: Installing an older version of Flash may be suggested as a workaround for some Flash issues; however, doing so will make your system vulnerable to security exploits that have been addressed in the latest Flash version. [10] Websites ask you to install or update Flash when Flash 10 is installedSome websites will ask you to install or update Flash when you already have the Flash 10 plugin installed. This is not a problem with your Mozilla browser or your Flash plugin, but with certain websites that misidentify Flash 10.0 as Flash 0 due to a faulty detection scheme (one digit before the decimal point). Contact the website and ask them to correct the problem or, on Windows, you can try the site in Internet Explorer, since the Flash ActiveX detection may work even though the plugin detection does not. As a last resort you can uninstall Flash 10 and install Flash 9. [11] [12] Flash player not working on certain websitesIf Flash video or other Flash content plays on some websites but not others, the website may be experiencing heavy traffic or having other problems. Try clearing the cache and reloading the video (read this article for other solutions). For issues specific to YouTube Flash videos, visit the YouTube Help Center. Flash content may also fail to load on certain websites if you use a "spoofed" user agent (UA). For example, if you go to the Firefox menu and click "Help -> About Mozilla Firefox" and it shows No audio when Flash video originates from an external siteA Flash video originating from an external website may be embedded on a web page, such as a blog that embeds a video from YouTube. If the audio fails to play, open the Flash Player Settings Manager and select the Global Storage Settings Panel. An Adobe Flash Player Settings Manager applet will load as a Flash object. Check the box, “Allow third-party Flash content to store data on your computer” then try the video again. [14] Flash videos stop after 2-3 secondsYouTube or other Flash videos may initially load but stop playing after 2 or 3 seconds. This is a bug in the Flash plugin which should be fixed in Flash 10. [15] As a workaround, restart the browser or look through bug 436686 for other solutions, such as using the Flashblock extension to select those videos you wish to play while blocking out other Flash content [16] or, in Firefox 3 and SeaMonkey 2, by disabling and re-enabling the Flash plugin in the Add-ons manager and then reloading the webpage with the Flash content. [17] Read the forum topics here and here and this Firefox Support article for more information. Flash audio not working - WindowsFirst check your Windows Volume Control to make sure the sound isn't muted or turned down. On Windows Vista, open a web page in your Mozilla application that should have sound, then click the volume icon in the Windows task bar, click on "Mixer" and check the Volume Mixer per-application settings. [18] Flash audio can also fail in Internet Explorer as well as Firefox and other Mozilla browsers if your Windows audio driver is outdated, if the default device for sound playback does not match the installed audio card, or if the registry key Flash audio may also fail or may only play while you are rolling over the play buttons, if you have too many Flash audio players loaded (the limit seems to be around 15). Note that this is a bug in the Flash plugin for Firefox and other Mozilla browsers that should be fixed in Flash 10; it does not affect Internet Explorer, which uses the Flash ActiveX control. If updating to Flash 10 does not resolve the issue, try the same workarounds given above (restart the browser; disable and re-enable the Flash plugin; use the Flashblock extension to selectively load Flash content). [20] [21] Excessive CPU use with G-MailWhen 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 Firefox 3. [22] [23] Quicktime plugin takes over FlashIf you see a Quicktime symbol with a question mark where the Flash content should be, it means that Quicktime has taken over Flash content; in particular, the application/x-shockwave-flash MIME type for Flash media (.swf extension). Note: For security reasons, the Flash media handler is disabled starting in Quicktime 7.3.1 so this should not be an issue in current Quicktime versions. [24] (To see which plugins are being detected and the MIME types handled, enter about:plugins in your Mozilla browser Location Bar.) To fix this:
If the problem persists, remove the file "pluginreg.dat" from the "Firefox" or "Mozilla" folder in the profile folder location. Important: On Windows, also open the Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey or Firefox <installation directory>\plugins folder (e.g., C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins) and remove all "npqtplugin.*.dll" files found. Your browser will then detect the Quicktime plugins based on the MIME types selected in your Quicktime Preferences. [26] Extension issuesProblematic extensions can interfere with Flash content. You can selectively disable your extensions to see if one of them is causing the issue (Firefox Safe Mode will disable all extensions). You can also test the problem site using a newly-created profile. User Agent SwitcherThe User Agent Switcher extension allows you to spoof your user agent so that websites may think that you are using a different browser or operating system. This can can cause problems on websites that depend on that information to activate the Flash plugin. [27] Select the "Default" entry in the User Agent Switcher list to restore your correct user agent. NoScriptThe NoScript extension can block Flash content on untrusted sites, even content from trusted sites (e.g. YouTube.com) if embedded on an untrusted site. [28] You can temporarily allow JavaScript globally, which will also permit Flash and other blocked content [29]. Adblock conflictFlash 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. [30]. Amazing Media BrowserFlash 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 conflictIf you're using Flash Player 8 and the Flashblock extension, you need Flashblock 1.3.3 or higher. [31]. 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"); }
ActiveX plugin conflictThe Mozilla ActiveX plugin can conflict with the Flash plugin and cause errors when visiting sites with Flash content, including:
In Firefox 3 (or SeaMonkey 2), you can disable the ActiveX plugin via "Tools -> Add-ons (or Add-on Manager) -> Plugins"; otherwise, exit the browser and 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. Delay or hang waking from standbyYou may experience excessive delay waking the computer from hibernation or standby mode, such that the browser may appear to "hang". High CPU usage may also be observed. This issue has been reported with Flash 8. On Windows, updating to Flash Player 9 should resolve the issue. [34] This page will tell you what Flash version is installed. 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 UseThe 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. [35] 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. CrashesMany crashes are caused by older versions of Flash, or even by recent versions. [36] 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. The Adobe's implementation of the browser plugin is notorious for crashing Firefox. Fortunately there are alternatives, notably gnash (GPL license) and swfdec (LGPL license). Flash files do not play
Illegal Operation in Plugin errorAn Illegal Operation in Plugin error referring to "Shockwave Flash" can result from an ActiveX plugin conflict (see above) or for other reasons, including malware, as described in bug 328474 and this forum topic. [39] Not detected due to disabled plugin scan for PLIDs - WindowsPlugin scanning explains how to prevent your Mozilla browser from detecting plugins installed in directories specified in the Windows registry for PLIDs by setting the plugin.scan.plid.all preference to false. The problem with disabling the PLID plugin scan is that it disables all plugins that are detected this way, including Flash. A workaround is to copy NPSWF32.dll and flashplayer.xpt from C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Macromed\Flash to the installation directory plugins folder. [40] . An alternative solution is to re-enable plugin scanning for PLIDs and disable the unwanted plugins using the Add-on Manager instead. See here for more information. External links
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