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How can I restore video functionality to FF ESR 52.9 (32 bit) on machine running XP Pro?

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  • Last reply by Hopefultoo

Hopefultoo
Hopefultoo
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I have been running XP Pro on 2 old Dells since 2005 linked by the Synergy Pro programme and using the Firefox browser.

For some time now there has been no video functionality on the host machine and only occasional functionality on the client machine.

Both machines have Shockwave Flash, which I have uninstalled/re-installed several times with no effect, and OpenH264 (see attached screenshots for details). I also have YouTube™ Flash HTML extension which is active. YouTube check suggests that these are operative, but if I try to view a video I just get a black screen with the error message that the browser does not support any of the available formats.

Does anyone know what the "about:config" settings should be?

I have been running XP Pro on 2 old Dells since 2005 linked by the Synergy Pro programme and using the Firefox browser. For some time now there has been no video functionality on the host machine and only occasional functionality on the client machine. Both machines have Shockwave Flash, which I have uninstalled/re-installed several times with no effect, and OpenH264 (see attached screenshots for details). I also have YouTube™ Flash HTML extension which is active. YouTube check suggests that these are operative, but if I try to view a video I just get a black screen with the error message that the browser does not support any of the available formats. Does anyone know what the "about:config" settings should be?
Attached screenshots

Chosen solution

The issue of not being able to use HTML5 players is not due to 52.9.0esr but due to Windows XP.

Microsoft only supported Vista and later with the media feature packs which added things like the codecs needed for HTML5 players.

With some work you may be able to support HTML5 players better in Firefox 52.9.0 ESR on WinXP. https://msfn.org/board/topic/175591-enable-mp4-h264-aac-html5-video-in-firefox-on-windows-xp-without-flash/

Another option is to dual boot with a light 32-bit Linux distro with a lighter desktop like LXQt or XFCE. Have to make sure you have packages like FFmpeg installed.

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All Replies (3)

Random121
Random121
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I don't that Windows xp is supported anymore.

James
James
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Chosen Solution

The issue of not being able to use HTML5 players is not due to 52.9.0esr but due to Windows XP.

Microsoft only supported Vista and later with the media feature packs which added things like the codecs needed for HTML5 players.

With some work you may be able to support HTML5 players better in Firefox 52.9.0 ESR on WinXP. https://msfn.org/board/topic/175591-enable-mp4-h264-aac-html5-video-in-firefox-on-windows-xp-without-flash/

Another option is to dual boot with a light 32-bit Linux distro with a lighter desktop like LXQt or XFCE. Have to make sure you have packages like FFmpeg installed.

Hopefultoo
Hopefultoo Question owner
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Thanks for responding.

The link containing the necessary about:config entries held the clue.

Somehow (?) FF had managed to delete "media.gmp.decoder.enabled (boolean; true)" on the host machine, but it doesn't explain why the client machine occasionally has no video functionality.

If I eventually work this one out I will post the result to assist any of the tens (if not 100s) of millions of us still using XP (the least bad of all the MS opsys).