Firefox has two different menu options:

• classic menu bar - probably still used on Windows XP by default
• orange Firefox button - used on Windows Vista and newer by default

This article describes how to switch if you like: Display the Firefox button menu instead of the menu toolbar.

Regarding videos, Adobe has a separate Flash Player plugin for Internet Explorer and for other browsers. You can install the Firefox version from here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Make sure to uncheck any unwanted tag-along software.

After installation, "Shockwave Flash" should appear on the Add-ons page in the Plugins category.

orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons > on the left side click Plugins

If it doesn't you may need to exit Firefox and start it up again to get Firefox to find it (Firefox finds it using a registry scan).

Oops, I forgot: Welcome to Firefox!

Please note that JavaScript is enabled by default. If some sites told you it wasn't, this may have been due to the missing Flash Player, so try those again after getting Flash set up and see whether that problem is solved.

The check boxes to enable/disable JavaScript and load images automatically have been removed from "Options > Content".

• http://limi.net/checkboxes-that-kill

Some extensions that you can look at:

• SettingSanity: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/settingsanity/
• QuickJava: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/quickjava/

If you use extensions (Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) that can block content (e.g. Adblock Plus, NoScript, Flash Block, Ghostery) then make sure that such extensions aren't blocking content.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions (Firefox/Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance).

• Do NOT click the Reset button on the Safe Mode start window.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

i found the firefox button, so that is handled. i downloaded and installed flash player and it shows as an add-on in the add-ons screen (with a button to disable it). but i can't get any videos and some photos dont show. the "enable java script" box in content menu is checked. i should add that i am using the Tor browser, which seems to call up Firefox. thanx for your help.

It seems the Tor Browser is a customized version of Firefox "ESR" that is different enough that it's no longer called Firefox. I really have no idea why these very basic functions aren't working on some sites.

Does Flash work on at least some pages? Sites where you log in may not work as well when connecting through the Tor network because in order to prevent session hijacking, many sites cross reference your cookie and your IP address, and if the address changes (due to the randomness of Tor routing), your request is considered suspicious and you may be forced to sign in again, answer lots of security questions, or get locked out for a time. But for sites where you don't sign in, that probably isn't as big an issue.