On Windows XP machine with latest FF and Flash Plug-in, I cannot access any Web sites that require Flash.
On my Windows XP machine, with FF 45.0.2 and the latest version of the Flash Player plug-in, none of the Web sites that require Flash will play. A few weeks ago I had no problem, but there have been several FF and Flash updates since then. Flash Settings Mgr (via Control Panel) says that I have downloaded the latest NPAPI Plug-in version of Flash. However, Flash doesn't appear in my FF Plug-in List. I thought maybe FF was corrupted so I uninstalled and downloaded a new copy, but that didn't make a difference. [NOTE: I *think* I uninstalled FF--I did it from the "remove programs" tool, and then used another browser to download a new copy. But when the new copy was installed, it instantly looked the same--had my FF Sync running, had my previous add-ons running, etc. So maybe I need to clear something else??] I also tried to add Flash using the Add-ons feature within FF, but it still doesn't show up in my list of plug-ins. And every Web site that requires Flash says I am missing Flash Player. NOTE: If this question looks familiar, I posted a similar one awhile back. But a solution was not forthcoming, so I'm trying again :)
Chosen solution
You may know that disabled plugins sort to the bottom of the Add-ons page, plugins section. Is Shockwave Flash down there?
If Shockwave Flash is not listed on the Add-ons page:
Check for the Physical Presence of the Plugin DLL
On 32-bit Windows XP that is here:
C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash
and the file would be named NPSWF32_21_0_0_213.dll (unless there is a newer version with something different instead of 213).
If the file is there... and exiting and starting Firefox back up does not discover it...
One possible reason for an installed plugin not to appear on the Add-ons page is if Firefox has been set NOT to scan the registry for plugins. Another is that Firefox's settings file storing plugin data has become corrupted. Here are the steps to check those possibilities:
Confirm that Firefox is scanning the registry for plugins
Firefox finds the Flash plugin from a registry entry. Some users have the scanning turned off for some reason. Here's how to check and fix that:
(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.
(2) In the filter box, type or paste scan and pause while the list is filtered
(3) If plugin.scan.plid.all is not set to its default value of true, double-click it to toggle it back to the default.
If you changed this setting, exit and restart Firefox to trigger another scan.
If you check the Add-ons page, Plugins section again, can you find "Shockwave Flash" there?
If Firefox is set to scan but still does not find Flash and list it on the Add-ons page...
Remove Firefox's plugin registry file
Sometimes the pluginreg.dat file becomes corrupted. You can remove it and have Firefox re-scan for plugins.
Open your current Firefox settings (AKA Firefox profile) folder using either
- "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Troubleshooting Information
- Help menu > Troubleshooting Information
- type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter
In the first table on the page, click the "Show Folder" button to launch a new Windows Explorer window showing your settings files.
Leaving that window open, switch back to Firefox and Exit, either:
- "3-bar" menu button > "power" button
- File menu > Exit
Pause while Firefox finishes its cleanup, then rename pluginreg.dat to something like pluginreg.old
Start Firefox back up again. (If you want to restore your previous non-private session, use History > Restore Previous Session.)
When you return to the Add-ons page, is "Shockwave Flash" finally there?
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Chosen Solution
You may know that disabled plugins sort to the bottom of the Add-ons page, plugins section. Is Shockwave Flash down there?
If Shockwave Flash is not listed on the Add-ons page:
Check for the Physical Presence of the Plugin DLL
On 32-bit Windows XP that is here:
C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash
and the file would be named NPSWF32_21_0_0_213.dll (unless there is a newer version with something different instead of 213).
If the file is there... and exiting and starting Firefox back up does not discover it...
One possible reason for an installed plugin not to appear on the Add-ons page is if Firefox has been set NOT to scan the registry for plugins. Another is that Firefox's settings file storing plugin data has become corrupted. Here are the steps to check those possibilities:
Confirm that Firefox is scanning the registry for plugins
Firefox finds the Flash plugin from a registry entry. Some users have the scanning turned off for some reason. Here's how to check and fix that:
(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.
(2) In the filter box, type or paste scan and pause while the list is filtered
(3) If plugin.scan.plid.all is not set to its default value of true, double-click it to toggle it back to the default.
If you changed this setting, exit and restart Firefox to trigger another scan.
If you check the Add-ons page, Plugins section again, can you find "Shockwave Flash" there?
If Firefox is set to scan but still does not find Flash and list it on the Add-ons page...
Remove Firefox's plugin registry file
Sometimes the pluginreg.dat file becomes corrupted. You can remove it and have Firefox re-scan for plugins.
Open your current Firefox settings (AKA Firefox profile) folder using either
- "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Troubleshooting Information
- Help menu > Troubleshooting Information
- type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter
In the first table on the page, click the "Show Folder" button to launch a new Windows Explorer window showing your settings files.
Leaving that window open, switch back to Firefox and Exit, either:
- "3-bar" menu button > "power" button
- File menu > Exit
Pause while Firefox finishes its cleanup, then rename pluginreg.dat to something like pluginreg.old
Start Firefox back up again. (If you want to restore your previous non-private session, use History > Restore Previous Session.)
When you return to the Add-ons page, is "Shockwave Flash" finally there?
First off, thank you for the detailed and clear response! Just one point of clarification: Shockwave Flash WAS listed at the bottom of the Add-ons Page. It was disabled. I simply changed it from "disabled" to "always activate" and now my Flash-required Web sites play just fine. I guess I was expecting to see something like "Flash Player NPAPI 21.0.0.213" in my list of plug-ins, rather than "Shockwave Flash 21.0 r0". Thanks again for the timely and helpful solution!