Adobe Flash constant crashing
Hi. On my laptop adobe flash CONSTANTLY crashes. Whether I am on Facebook, YouTube, or any other website.I have the most recent version of Adobe Flash, Adobe Shockwave, FireFox. I have no add-ons (like an ad-blocker, persona, or optional third-party independent extensions). Yeah, I have an older version of Java, but that's not causing it. This has been on going with this laptop for almost a year. I've gotten so fed up I've actually used Chrome or even...*shiver* Internet Explorer.
I've refreshed Firefox. Uninstalled it, and then cleared out all the remaining folders and files (even the ones in hidden locations in User\AppData).
I've tried changing the graphics processor FIrefox uses, from the regular Intel HD to my Nvidia GeForce GT 745M, and it still crashes. I've disabled hardware acceleration. I have the most up to date video drivers, BIOS, system updates, etc. I've ran Firefox as an Administrator. I've installed it as an administrator. I've cleared out all my history, cache, cookies, even after resting firefox to default. I've tried it in safe mode. I've created a new Firefox Profile. I've ran it in safe mode with the add-ons disabled. Everything I can think of I've done. CCleaner. Sent crash reports. I'm just fed up and tired of it now. I've been browsing the solutions that have been posted thus far and nothing has tried. Seriously. I've uninstalled Firefox, Adobe Flash, Adobe Shockwave, etc, and reinstalled Firefox and then the addons. If it works, it'll work for maybe a day or two and then constant crashing again.
I have ran SFC (system file checker), Memtest+ 86, ran system repair to see if anything was messed up with windows installation. Everything works. Except flash on FireFox. Can't browse Facebook. At least I can use Youtube with the HTML5 player, but there are tons of sites out there that still use flash content, like Facebook, and I constantly have the notice that Flash Player crashed.
All Replies (3)
It sounds as though you have covered most of the bases. Here is what I consider the "standard guidance" for Flash problems:
(1) Disable Firefox from using hardware acceleration by un-checking the box here:
"3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Options > Advanced > General > "Use hardware acceleration when available"
That takes effect the next time you exit and start Firefox up again.
(2) If possible, disable Flash from using hardware acceleration by right-clicking the Flash media and choosing Settings, then the first mini-tab and uncheck the box to use hardware acceleration. More information in this support article from Adobe: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/video-playback-issues.html#main_Solve_video_playback_issues
(3) Disable protected mode (Windows Vista and higher)
The protected mode feature of the Flash player plugin has security benefits, but seems to have compatibility issues on some systems. There is a new hidden setting for this:
(A) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.
(B) In the search box above the list, type or paste flash and pause while the list is filtered
(C) Double-click the dom.ipc.plugins.flash.disable-protected-mode preference to switch its value from false to true.
This might not take effect until all Flash has been unloaded for a few minutes, or you close Firefox.
Before that preference was added, the way to disable protected mode was by creating or editing a settings file. The following pages/posts provide different approaches for that if it turns out to be necessary (if Flash EXE processes continue to show up in the Windows Task Manager, Processes tab, even after changing the Firefox preference):
- Adobe support article under the heading "Last Resort": Adobe Forums: How do I troubleshoot Flash Player's protected mode for Firefox?
- Batch file to automate the manual steps: https://support.mozilla.org/questions/982093#answer-518078 (alternate version of Carm's batch file with a few changes by me: https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=f7d304d92388737d&id=F7D304D9238...)
Flash needs to completely unload from memory (exiting and starting Firefox up again might help) before this takes effect.
Any improvement?
Thank you. It seems to have resolved the problem. I have not had this issue recur since I disabled that setting. Can I ask what caused this? Why is this setting only impacting my laptop? Is it a hardware issue with the configuration? Software issue? It's unusual that Flash works in Chrome, IE, and Opera without a change to the protected mode, but in Firefox it doesn't. And it's only on my laptop, neither of my desktops have this issue.
Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to the "why" question. On some of my Windows 7 systems I have been able to use protected mode and on others I haven't. I think this feature was released in June 2013 and if it was easy to fix, I'm sure Adobe would have done it by now. Well, I would hope they would have fixed it by now...