Captivate causing Firefox 3.6 to crash

[jasonmstone]

Is no one else encountering an issue where recording software demonstrations in Firefox with Captivate causes Firefox to crash? I can't get more than a few screens into ANYTHING before Firefox totally shutting down. I've been having to use IE, which unfortunately, I hate.

I've experienced this on TWO different computers now, yet I see absolutely no mention of this on the forums. Yes, I have the latest version of Captivate installed, totally up-to-date.

Anyone else?

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Are you using any FireFox add-ins? If so, perhaps it's one of the add-ins. Try disabling them and see if things improve.

Additionally, it could also be related to the site you have open when you are recording. What happens if you try displaying something simple? Such as Google?

Cheers... Rick

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[Captiv8r]

Hello again

I looked at my FireFox and saw it was at 3.5. So moments ago I upgraded it to 3.6 and tested recording a demonstration. I stopped at 15 slides and it seemed to record just fine for me here on my own PC.

Cheers... Rick

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[timmornyelloweyes]

I have also no chance to record with captivate my firefox.

Firefox 3.6.2 with no addons

Adobe Captivate 4.0.1 Build 1658

Windows Vista Home Basic

First Firefox crashed every 5-10 Klicks when i was recording. Now Firefox crashes when i make the first Klick into the window after i started recording.

It happens no matter which side is loaded.

The error only happens when not recording with full motion.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Your post piqued my curiosity so I upgraded my Firefox to the version you are having issues with. Unfortunately, I'm unable to re-create the issue, so I have to conclude that it isn't the Firefox version causing the issue. I just recorded 68 slides over about a fifteen minute time span and Firefox never crashed on me.

Possilby it has something to do with the page you are viewing when trying to record?

Cheers... Rick

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[timmornyelloweyes]

Hello and thanks for your attention.

No, like i wrote, it has nothing to do with the page. I tried on completely different pages and every times the same result.

You tried the automatic mode? Like i said it don't happens with full motion.

Perhaps you can try to klick / create the slides in faster series?

What windows version do you have? Perhaps this has also something to do with windows? Because it is a windows error which appears.

Thanks

Timmorn

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

No, no full motion. I did the automatic recording with both rapid and slow clicks. I'm using Windows XP Professional.

Cheers... Rick

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[EricN_]

I also experience this problem every time I try to use captivate - firefox crashes (both 3.5 and 3.6), and I need to stop the capture, restart firefox, start a new capture, and then fix in post production.

Are there any log files or debug steps I might follow to submit some kind of bug report?

[jasonmstone]

The problem persists a month and a half later. At this point, I'm assuming it's because I'm running Windows on a MacBook Pro. The Firefox crashes happen both in my Boot Camp installation of Windows as well as when running Windows as a virtual machine via Fusion.

Why on earth is there no Mac version of Captivate?!? I would ask the same of Articulate and their entire suite of products. It just seems stupid.

I am stuck using Windows for Articulate (which at least works), but I have found myself using Captivate MUCH less often as a result of this persistent crashing in Firefox, choosing to use Screenflow (Mac) to demo software. I lose the interactive capabilities, but it's become my only option.

I get the strong sense that Captivate isn't really a priority for Adobe. So... whatever.

[timmornyelloweyes]

I am using using Captivate on a normal PC.... same problem. It should not be the Mac. I generated a Bug report before 2 Month and nothing happened until now. Please also generate Bug reports! Perhaps they want to do something if more people have this problem.

I love this... I need Firefox for my work and now i payed a lot of money for Captivate and it don't works with firefox... It's useless in the moment for me!

[Captiv8r]

Hi Jason

I assure you Captivate *IS* a priority for Adobe. But keep in mind that Adobe has more than 80 products!

Additionally, the next version of Captivate will be Mac compatible. Just a total guess on my part, but you might see it in the next couple of months.

Cheers... Rick

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[EricN_]

I just submitted a bug.

I had some success using Portable Ubuntu to run the firefox window being captured. The end result is not as polished, but the result is still better than the Full Motion Video mode capture proposed previously.

[timmornyelloweyes]

For Full motion i must not buy Captivate... This is no solution in my eyes.

[Guest]

I have also had problems with Firefox crashing when using Capitivate, although only when doing particular actions and it seems to be isolated to a particular website.

I only have problems when entering text or double clicking and it only occurs when using Moodle (an open source learning management system).  I have used 3 different instances of Moodle all hosted in different places and I get the same result.  However, if I do the exact same recording using IE i have no problems.

I am runnign firefox 3.6.3 using Captivate 4 on Windows 7 Professional.

My solution is to use IE rather than firefox if I need to capture anything with Captivate.  So far IE has not crashed using Captivate!

[timmornyelloweyes]

Interesting this effect... no, like i said for me firefox crashes on _every_ website from Google to Amazon. Sometimes after one Klick, sometimes after 10 klicks.

Your solution to use IE is nice for Microsoft (have they something to do with this bug?... we will never know), but it is no solution for me, because i need Captivate to make a documentation about a software which runs only in Firefox.

[Captiv8r]

Hi folks

I'm seeing refereces to Vista as well as Windows 7. For those of you having issues, are you running Captivate as an Administrator?

Additionally, I mentioned earlier in this thread when it was started by another poster that Firefox add ins can play a role here. Have you tried ensuring no add ins are enabled?

Cheers... Rick

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[timmornyelloweyes]

I'm seeing refereces to Vista as well as Windows 7. For those of you having issues, are you running Captivate as an Administrator?

Yes, it also crashes as Admin.

Additionally, I mentioned earlier in this thread when it was started by another poster that Firefox add ins can play a role here. Have you tried ensuring no add ins are enabled?

Yes, like i wrote: I completely deinstalled firefox and tryed it with a completely new installation and without any plugin.

What i also tryed was running firefox and also captivate with emulation of older windows versions (xp). You can set this in the software settings... also the same result.

I also checked my system load. It crashes also with lots of free RAM.

[Guest]

I am running Captivate as an administrator and in compatibility mode on Windows 7.  I have no Firefox addins installed.

As I said for me this is only happening when using Moodle through Firefox.

It is rather frustrating!

[EricN_]

I have had some sucess using Google Chrome instead of firefox - unlike MS IE, which can not handle the javascript of the web app I am trying to demo, Google Chrome can. So, it is a work-around.

Back to troubleshooting the issue:

I have tried many combinations of "compatibility mode" configuration for Captivate and Firefox, with and without "Administrator" access for each application. I have tried using a new profile without any add-ins/plug-ins installed by me, and all of the stealth add-ins disabled. I have tried using Safe-mode for Firefox. I always get the unexpected close without any crash file from Firefox.

I would really like to be able to tell either Adobe or Mozilla what Captivate is doing to Firefox right before Captivate causes Firefox to close. It would be really helpful to have a debug mode or a process log file, even a cryptic one, that I could send to some support group so that they have a chance of figuring out the problem.

Please, are there any log files? Is there a way to get Captivate to create some kind of log of what it is doing to its environment?

[timmornyelloweyes]

I must record a Firefox plugin software, so Chrome is no solution for me. For protocol: Firefox crashes also without installed zotero on _every_ webpage for me (sometimes after one, sometimes after some fast left-klicks)!

Yes, i support the suggestion from ericjln. This would be the most thinkable solution which brings us forward. Because a big Problem seems to be, that the error is not very reproducable. So we should have some logs!

[pcapademic]

Probably can close this out - Captivate 5 has been working great WRT the Firefox 3.6 crashing.

Been using it for a few weeks, and no crash. So far, with the new features too boot, has been worth the price.