This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

do I need the following plugins?

  • 9 replies
  • 12 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by D2.5.

more options

I have always only had the Shockwave Flash, Adobe Acrobat and Silvelight Plug-In plugins installed on my firefox browser but I just noticed all these extra plugins installed on my browser which I did not install and have no idea what they are there for. Could someone please tell me what they are for and if I need them? Thanks a lot.

The following are the Plugins I would like to ask about

Primetime Content Decryption Module provided by Adobe Systems, Incorporated

Widevine Content Decryption Module provided by Google Inc.

Intel Identity Protection Technology Intel web components for Intel identity Protection Technology

Intel Identity Protection Technology Intel web components updater-installs and updates the Intel web components

OpenH264 Video Codes provided by Cisco Systems, Inc

I have always only had the Shockwave Flash, Adobe Acrobat and Silvelight Plug-In plugins installed on my firefox browser but I just noticed all these extra plugins installed on my browser which I did not install and have no idea what they are there for. Could someone please tell me what they are for and if I need them? Thanks a lot. The following are the Plugins I would like to ask about Primetime Content Decryption Module provided by Adobe Systems, Incorporated Widevine Content Decryption Module provided by Google Inc. Intel Identity Protection Technology Intel web components for Intel identity Protection Technology Intel Identity Protection Technology Intel web components updater-installs and updates the Intel web components OpenH264 Video Codes provided by Cisco Systems, Inc

Chosen solution

Plugins are not installed in Firefox like Extensions and complete Themes are. Plugins are on system and Firefox has scanned and is making use of them. This is why Plugins does not have a Uninstall/Remove like Extensions and Themes do and only Activate/Deactivate options.

To see where the Plugins are located on your system type about:plugins in the Location (address) bar.

FredMcD said

Extensions are options you install into Firefox, They can be removed at will. Plugins are from programs that Firefox finds already on your system. The only way to remove a plugin is to remove its program from your system.

<strike>OpenH264 Video Codes provided by Cisco Systems, Inc is needed for HTML5 clips like on YouTube.</strike>

To be more accurate on what this OpenH264 Plugin is used for. https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2013/10/30/video-interoperability-on-the-web-gets-a-boost-from-ciscos-h-264-codec/

Plugins are installed from Programs is true for Windows, not so true for Mac OSX and Linux users.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (9)

more options

Extensions are options you install into Firefox, They can be removed at will. Plugins are from programs that Firefox finds already on your system. The only way to remove a plugin is to remove its program from your system.


OpenH264 Video Codes provided by Cisco Systems, Inc is needed for HTML5 clips like on YouTube.

more options

The internet is changing!

Where plugins like Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, Silverlight (only recently) and Java have been used for playing multimedia files for the last 15-20 years, the trend now is to play multimedia "natively" now - directly in the browser using new technology like HTML5 audio and video.

But publishers who own the "media" still want control over where and how their property is used - hence these new DRM plugins. Digital Rights Management https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management

Primetime Content Decryption Module provided by Adobe Systems, Incorporated and Widevine Content Decryption Module provided by Google Inc.

more options

Chosen Solution

Plugins are not installed in Firefox like Extensions and complete Themes are. Plugins are on system and Firefox has scanned and is making use of them. This is why Plugins does not have a Uninstall/Remove like Extensions and Themes do and only Activate/Deactivate options.

To see where the Plugins are located on your system type about:plugins in the Location (address) bar.

FredMcD said

Extensions are options you install into Firefox, They can be removed at will. Plugins are from programs that Firefox finds already on your system. The only way to remove a plugin is to remove its program from your system.

<strike>OpenH264 Video Codes provided by Cisco Systems, Inc is needed for HTML5 clips like on YouTube.</strike>

To be more accurate on what this OpenH264 Plugin is used for. https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2013/10/30/video-interoperability-on-the-web-gets-a-boost-from-ciscos-h-264-codec/

Plugins are installed from Programs is true for Windows, not so true for Mac OSX and Linux users.

more options

Thank you, James.

more options

Thanks everyone for the replies. So in other words I now need all of these Plugins to watch youtube videos and view PDF files and I should keep them?

more options

Only the programs that you need. To remove a plugin, you have to remove its program from your system. However, you can always set that plugin to Never.

more options

So my question was do I need these Plugins or should I uninstall or deactivate them?

more options

Deactivate them. If at some point you should discover that you need one or another, you can always turn it back on.

more options

Thank You FredMcD