Flash 10.1 installs in Vista and XP but will not play some content

[jedpaquette]

I started this morning by thinking the problem I am experiencing with Flash Player 10.1 is a version of the problem discussed in this forum  under "Flash 10.1 not working in User account."  I now recognize that it is a different problem.

First, FP 10.1 (specifically v. 10.1.53.64) installs fine either in Vista Ultimate 64 (IE Active-X or FireFox Add-in--I use and work in an administrator account) or XP (multiboot machine).  I can confirm the installation at http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/155/tn_15507.html and the FLVs at http://www.acpmh.unimelb.edu.au/resources/resources-education.html play with no problem.

Some content, however, simply will not play.  I need badly to look at http://library.creativecow.net/articles/hansen_jaysen/growing/video-tutorial.php and it hangs and tells me I need Flash Player--both in IE and FF.  I have repeatedly uninstalled FP, rebooted, and reinstalled but that doesn't change anything.  Worse still, since I use Adobe Connect a lot, Connect hangs when I try to enter a meeting.  Exactly the same thing occurs on my laptop which runs Vista 64 Home.

I have tried everything I can think of and searched with every strategy that seems promising but I have found nothing on this problem.  Surely I can't be the only person experiencing this!. Does anyone have any idea what is going on and how to deal with this problem?

Thanks in advance!!!

[Guest]

Hi, I would use IE and go to Tools, manage add ons. Click on Toolbars & Extensions and down at the lower left the Show all add ons. Look for Shockwave Flash Object and make sure it is Enabled.

Then using FF(Firefox) find the SWF vs 10.1.53.64 plug-in and make sure it is Enabled.

I went to the CreativeCow site and I saw the notice of needing Flash Player to view the videos, but since I know I already have FP, I just ignored it. I played the "After Effects CS5 Rotobrush" and the sound was somewhat garbled. Then I watched "The Pen Tool", it was very clear and no problem with that one.

Not familiar with Adobe Connect, so couldn't check anything for you there.

If the two above add ons are Enabled, then something else is causing a problem, assuming your Flash Player files are Installed correctly.

Thanks,

eidnolb

[jedpaquette]

First, thank you very much for the prompt and thoughtful reply.

1.     Shockwave Flash Object is showing as enabled in IE Tools>manage add-ons.

2.     In Tools> Options> Applications in Foxfire, Shockwave Flash Object, version 10.1 r52 is showing—twice in fact.

3.     When you went to the CreativeCow site, were you able to view the “Growing Design Elements in After Effects” tutorial at

http://library.creativecow.net/articles/hansen_jaysen/growing/video-tutorial.php . That is the tutorial that I quite urgently need to view and cannot.

4.     For IE my installation procedure has been to use the uninstaller supplied by Adobe, manually delete the Macromed folder for good measure, and then run the (downloaded and saved) most recent FP installer file. For Foxfire I have simply clicked on the icon displayed on the material that I am trying to view telling me that I require the new version of FP.

5.     I have tried going to the Adobe site, downloading the version 9 archive, and installing the most recent version 9 release but Adobe won't let me use it, it appears. I keep getting notices that I have to update.

It seems that something is seriously wrong with this new release of FP—something that is going to cause me as a frequent user of Adobe Connect a lot of unhappiness. I have no idea what to do at this point.

Thanks again for the quick and thoughtful reply!

[Guest]

Hi, so you are ok on the SWO ActiveX in IE and the SWF in FF. We might want to take a look at your Flash files just to make sure they are correct. Go to C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash  Open Flash and post back all files listed.

The NPSWF file(s) you will need to right click on and then click on Properties to obtain the version number(s).

I did go to the site for that tutorial you mentioned but it would not play. I noticed it could be printed. Why it would not play I don't know. I have not updated to FP 10.1, still using 10.0.45.2. However I don't think that was an issue, since I could play the other tutorials.

Since you have a 64bit system, I'm sure you are using the 32bit browser to view Flash content, but thot I would mention it.

Firefox and FP10.1 are having problems. The 3.6.4 FF vs was updated to the 3.6.6 to correct in part a load time for certain websites. The FF forum reveal that the users are having issues with both of those versions and want to revert back to a previous vs of FF.

Regarding FP 10.1, a hardware acceleration feature is turned ON by default. Many users are having problems with that and turning it off. To do that if you want to see if that makes a difference, just right click on a Flash content and you should see Display Settings. UN check it. Some go to youtube and start a video and right click on it and do the same thing.

Also updating the graphic and video drivers is being recommended. Your systems sound fairly new, so you may not need to do that.

Let's check you Flash files and make sure they are correct before we consider an alternative.

Thanks,

eidnolb

[jedpaquette]

Below are images of the Flash folder and the properties for the DLL file. Interesting that you can't play the target tutorial either—that makes me particularly glad that I tracked down the webmaster although I haven't gotten even an automatic acknowledgment so far—of course, it is Sunday.

Yes, I am using 32-bit versions of the browser.

Thanks for the update on the problems with Firefox—very interesting in this context!

I tried turning off the hardware acceleration on both browsers but that didn't make any difference.

I just updated my video drivers about 10 days ago so I rather doubt that that's the problem.

Again—huge thanks!

[Guest]

Hi, thank you for the screenshots. All of your Flash files for IE and FF are correct, along with the SWO and SWF addons.

I tried again to view that Making Elements Work, no go.  Even went to Hansen's website and he does have the tutorial there also, but doesn't work. If I'm not mistaken, I think it took me to Creative Cow's site.

I think contacting Creative Cow is most likely the best option. One interesting thing while I was on the Cow site, I entered into the Search field Making Elements Grow and it could not be found. Then I entered After Effects, Making Elements Grow and nothing also. Perhaps I didn't enter the search correctly, but didn't know how else to do it.

Well, I see another poster can't view it either, so something must be wrong with that particular tutorial.

I hope you get a response from the webmaster. The only other thing is to print it out. But no visual or sound with that:-)

Thanks,

eidnolb

[Baffled_Gerry]

I have exactly the same problem as the OP, on both my desktop (Windows XP) and my laptop (Windows Vista).  Both PCs have the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Opera and IE but no browser on either PC will display video content from the BBC website bbc.co.uk/news any more.  Before the Flash Player 10.1 upgrade about 10 days ago everything worked fine.

It still works on YouTube videos and the OP's http://www.acpmh.unimelb.edu.au/resources/resources-education.html but it won't play http://library.creativecow.net/articles/hansen_jaysen/growing/video-tutorial.php that the OP wants to view.

All that happens is that the first static frame is shown, but the 'telephone dial' animated icon (circle of white dots) just keeps going around forever and everything stays frozen and there's no sound.  Except when I've uninstalled Flash, there is no error message.  I've tried going back to a System Restore point but it didn't work; perhaps it's not far back enough.

http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/ confirms that I have the latest Flash version 10.1.53.64, it says it's successfully installed and plays the rotating 'italic F' animation.  Incidentally, that's a better test page than http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/155/tn_15507.html as referenced by the OP which seems out of date and claims that 10.0 is the latest version.

I've temporarily switched off my Firewall (Windows or Zone Alarm).  I've uninstalled and re-installed Flash several times for each browser on each PC, using both the Vista Control Panel and Adobe's uninstaller, I've tried switching off the hardware acceleration but nothing has fixed the problem.

Some other points (sorry if they are red herrings, please excuse my ignorance):-

• If you uninstall Flash but find the test page still works, remember that the Chrome browser has Flash embedded within it.  See http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=108086dobe Flash?
  
  
• Is Shockwave Player the same as Adobe's Flash player?  Very confusing!

Apologies if this hasn't solved your problem, but perhaps it shows that something in Flash Player 10.1.53.64 really is broken.  If some sites never work any more but others will, it's just too much of a coincidence !

[jedpaquette]

Absolutely—it's good to know that we as end users probably don't “own” this problem.

[Baffled_Gerry]

Grrr...

Installed archive Flash version 10.0.12.36, but that didn't work either.

[Guest]

Hi BG, Since you may have similar issues as J has it seems they are somewhat different. I see a couple just by reading your post.  It would be much better for you to start a thread. It can get too confusing when more than one issue/system configurations, etc are discussed and solutions offered.

I appreciate your comments but to give you particular suggestions to solve your issues may get too involved when I may at the same time try to help J.

Just start a thread and pick any subject line you like.

Thanks,

eidnolb

[Baffled_Gerry]

Many thanks for your reply.

I've found a solution to my problem, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to help the OP.  However, I'll post it in case it helps others.

I'd unchecked the box 'Allow third-party Flash content to store data on your computer' because I don't like my PC being cluttered with cookies and such like, especially without my knowledge.

This innocent-looking checkbox needs a much better description and a strong warning that it can stop all videos playing on some sites but not others !

I wouldn't have expected BBC videos on the BBC site to be classified as third party, nor that preventing data being stored would also stop it being played.  There's not even an error message or explanation, so it's not easy to deduce.

I'll await a fix for jedpaquette's problem in case it's not just a problem with the relevant website.

[Guest]

Hi BG, thanks for understanding. I hate to have to ask users to start their own thread, especially after they have posted extensive information. Last year I tried not to do that and sometimes I had 3-4 users on one thread and Jane would do what I asked Bob to do, etc not paying attention to whom I was posting to. It really created havoc as you can imagine!

So I try not to do that anymore.

Regarding your info on the third party setting, that is interesting. So then after you allowed the third party content to be stored, the BBC site played the videos ok? Do you also have the BBCiplayer? I have a couple of threads that are having issues with the BBC site. Also I've seen others, that I am not working with at the moment.

I admit that the Global Settings are difficult to understand. It took me quite sometime to understand what each setting did. The microphone & camera settings are "always deny" for me. I have to re-read all of them every once in awhile:-)

On J's site issue, I think with she, you and myself not being able to get that tutorial to play pretty much points to the video as being the problem. We'll see, hope she gets a fast response.

Thanks for the info. In case you don't have the SP3 on your XP you have until Tues at the latest.

eidnolb

[charbottle]

Sheer genius.  That simple global setting has solved my problem  too.  I was on another thread but eidnolb pointed me here.  Such a trivial step

"Allow 3rd party flash content to store data on your computer" opens all the BBC embedded news and sports player to me.  With grateful thanks to eidnolb and to Gerry.

[jedpaquette]

Hmm—just curious, exactly where is that setting? I don't seem to see it. I doubt that it's related to my problem but stranger things have happened.

[Guest]

Hi J, here is the site: http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager02.html

I'm assuming you haven't heard from CreativeCow or you would have mentioned it.  On the settings, I have the settings that GB referred to for the BBC already allowed.

Who knows, worth a try.

Thanks,

eidnolb

[Baffled_Gerry]

Try

http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager03.html

Hope it works ! Sorry for brevity, I should be in bed !

Regards,

Gerald Gray

[jedpaquette]

I sent a third request to the webmaster this morning but still no news!

[charbottle]

The site was identified by eidnolb, I didn't repeat his message to avoid clutter. His post gave us

here is the site: http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager02.html

It's a strange site cos it looks like it's a help site with just images of screens to show you what to do but actually the screens are live and if you tick the box, your global settings are amended. I found it a different way; I right-clicked on a live video (you tube worked for me) and you are offered 3 options. The "settings" is the place to turn off the accelerator (and some other irrelevant stuff), the second is "global settings" which when you click it takes you to eidnolb's site. On that site, you need to enable the "allow third party etc...".

Is that what you were looking for?

T

[jedpaquette]

Yes--thanks--checked all the global settings but nothing helpful for my/our problem with the Hansen tutorial site.

[David_Allan_Smith]

Brilliant.  Thank you so much.  You have solved the problem for me.  Another example of Adobe sailing on with no thought to the effects on its customers.  You are a life saver,

[gesha_lovely]

i do not no how 2 install flash player at all im not very good wit computers could u walk me through

[Baffled_Gerry]

You may already have Flash installed.

Go to www.adobe.com/software/flash/about where it will tell you the number of any version you have and also what the latest version is.  If you have Flash you will see an animated letter 'F' on a red background.

If necessary you can then click on the link to the Player Download Center to get the latest update.

Regards,

Gerry

[SteffJay]

I also have the same problem. I posted a question in another part of the forum http://forums.adobe.com/thread/679407?tstart=0 I realise it was the wrong section, my appologies. Further to that; Here are some screen shots i took of the problem:  The first picture is IE8 with AFP v10.1 (latest) The second picture is of IE8 with AFP v9.0.124.0 The "Hardware acceleration" has been turned of (as suggested earlier in the forum). As you can see, the display is not as it should be. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Guest]

Hi SteffJay, With all due respect you do not have the same problem as this person has started this thread for. Even if you did, why would you ask someone that is asking for help themselves?

You have already started your own thread and that thread is on the Adobe Media Player forum.

My suggestion would be that if you think you created your thread in the wrong forum, is to start a thread in the Flash forum.

Pick your subject line that relates to the problems you are having.

Thanks,

eidnolb

[jedpaquette]

In desperation I wrote to everyone in the Creative Cow food chain from the webmaster up to the CEO this morning about this. Hopefully that will get some kind of response.