Firefox freezes with Flash addon enabled; doesn't freeze with Flash addon disabled.
Running Windows 8, Firefox 18.0.1, plugin Shockwave Flash 11.5.502.146 (current version, according to Firefox plugin check).
Firefox freezes every time when loading a page with Flash content when the Flash plugin is enabled. Firefox does not freeze when the Flash plugin is disabled. Repeatable, tested and confirmed multiple times - freezes consistently with Flash plugin enabled, loads pages perfectly when Flash plugin is disabled (though without Flash content).
When in this frozen state, Firefox is completely unresponsive - displays a blank page, can't type anything, can't click on or move/minimize the window. Must be force-quit via task manager.
Other browsers (e.g. Chrome) do not have this issue with Flash. Have noticed several similar problems reported with Firefox and Flash, but the only solution I have seen offered is to downgrade Flash (and introduce potential security issues). Surely there must be a better option? This is a massive issue for me - Firefox is my preferred browser but I cannot use it while it has this allergic reaction to the Flash plugin.
Wszystkie odpowiedzi (20)
Problem wit Flash 11, please downgrade to flash 10.3
How do you downgrade the plugin? I can uninstall Flash 11 and install Flash 10.3, but the plugin is missing at that point. When I click to install the plugin, the only option is Flash 11.6.
Remove the flash and instal the flash 10.3
Let me restate my last post - Uninstall Flash 11 - Install Flash 10.3 - The plugin is missing from Firefox - When I click to install the plugin, the only option is Flash 11.6.
Note that I did say:
"...the only solution I have seen offered is to downgrade Flash (and introduce potential security issues). Surely there must be a better option?"
I do not want to downgrade Flash. I would sooner use another browser than introduce potential security issues by downgrading a plugin.
I repeat - is there any way to fix this without downgrading Flash? Surely there must be an alternative! Why does Firefox have this fatal compatibility issue with Flash while other browsers do not?
This issue is interesting. I have 1 PC where Firefox does not hangs, another PC where Firefox hangs. Both PCs have the same version of Firefox and Flash.
On the problem PC I have tried disabling every plugin except Flash and it still hangs. Only disabling Flash resolves the issue.
Hey Mozilla, any input from your developers would be appreciated.
Thank you iamjayakumars. The file you attached installed Flash 10.3 along with the Netscape plugin.
Apparently the download I used on the Adobe site only installed Flash 10.3, but not the Netscape plugin.
Problem resolved
hello Chameleon89, maybe it's an issue with the protected mode in the flash plugin. which security related programs are running on your system? please make sure that they aren't blocking/sandboxing/filtering traffic by firefox.exe, plugin-container.exe or flashplayerplugin*.exe in any way - you could also try if disabling protected mode makes a difference.
I have the exact same issue. Surely there must be something that can be done. I would assume it has something to do with Flash being integrated into Windows 8 and a conflict with Flash being installed as an add-on to Firefox.
My issue was on Window's 7. In fact we and several Win 7 PCs with the problem. See post dated2/5/13 11:47 AM for our resolution.
Hopefully in a few weeks there will be a newer version of Adobe Flash which will fix the issue found in the current version
To madperson: I am running avast! Free Antivirus with most of the default settings. This does provide some level of sandboxing/blocking/filtering in Firefox; however these settings are also applied to IE and Chrome, and the Flash issue is only with Firefox. I'd rather not disable protected mode in Flash, or disable security features in avast! - again, I would sooner use another browser where I do not have to compromise on security just to use Flash.
To me, the symptoms seem to indicate a specific Firefox-Flash incompatibility issue. I never had any problems with Firefox and Flash on my old Windows 7 laptop (used through to December last year) - I'll get it out again when I get a chance, update Firefox/Flash and test whether it encounters the problem or not.
In the meantime I'd still be glad to hear of a solution or update that fixes the Firefox-Flash issue without potentially compromising security.
adobe has introduced the protected mode only for its plugin for firefox, this might explain why you don't have this issues with other browsers.
even if you don't want to switch off protected mode generally, please try disabling it temporarily in order to find out if it is indeed at the root of the problem. in case you'd then like to troubleshoot the issue further, it would be best to contact adobe's support & file a bug report at bugbase.adobe.com (choose "Adobe Flash Player" as the product & "Browser Integration" as the product area), since they will have a better understanding of the internals of flash protected mode & are the only ones that can provide fixes for the plugin.
YES! finally some progress. The ProtectedMode=0 entry has solved the hang. However, my concerns are raised with my now non-protected state. I'm a bit surprised that this is still ongoing. I first found this more than 6 months ago, and I found other users then that were having the same problem. There have been many upgrades to Firefox and Flash since then with no resolution. I have had this Firefox Flash hang on several 32 bit Window 7 machines, but not on the 64 bit machines. Hope this helps find a code fix. Thanks
hello tony, thanks for reporting your findings - as i've stated in my prior answer please report the issue to adobe to raise their awareness (include as many details about your system as available - flash version, firefox version, security software, etc.). they are the ones who can work on fixing bugs related to the protected mode...
It started happening about a week ago here. I actually tried downgrading but it didn't help. It sometimes started working again when I installed/uninstalled versions and turned off/turned on the computer. But after a restart it starts freezing again.
I had to stop using Firefox over a year ago because it was freezing on Gmail, Facebook and all the other sites I use frequently. I've periodically tried again, with completely clean installs, but still got the same issue. Taking the view that a freshly-installed browser should be able to browse without my having to labour through its plugins, I gave up.
It was sheer luck that I found this thread tonight - and the solution works! Hurrah ... but Mozilla shouldn't be releasing a browser that can't work with a ubiquitous plugin. I've submitted feedback to Adobe but feel the responsibility for this really lies with Firefox. (What does the plugin-container do, anyway? Can we live without it?)
I'm on 64-bit Windows 7, now with Firefox 19.0.2 and Flash 12.0.0.112. But this information is irrelevant - the problem has persisted for more than a year, through many versions.
It's apparently "flash player's fault" as always. Never mind that hangs only happen with firefox and none of the other browsers...
Downgrading Flash is not a solution. This problem seems to be intractable. It will be the end of Mozilla if they cannot address this issue (or even acknowledge the problem). Firefox needs to play nice with current versions of Flash.
I disabled the Trueblock Block extention in Firefox. It helped a lot :)