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

Firefox crashes when Flash enabled

  • 14 replies
  • 7 have this problem
  • 20 views
  • Last reply by petef

more options

The fix of 30th Dec https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1038039 got Flash working again, but there is another issue. When trying to play a video that will run without Flash, Flash tries to run, and Fx crashes every time. This happens every time if Flash is set to "enabled" or "tap to play" in Settings. To play these videos, Flash has to be "disabled" in Settings.

An example site is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04yf8lw/spiral-series-5-episode-1

This happens in Fx v33.1 and v34.0.1, so maybe an issue that has been around for some time.

Tablet, Android 4.2

The fix of 30th Dec https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1038039 got Flash working again, but there is another issue. When trying to play a video that will run without Flash, Flash tries to run, and Fx crashes every time. This happens every time if Flash is set to "enabled" or "tap to play" in Settings. To play these videos, Flash has to be "disabled" in Settings. An example site is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04yf8lw/spiral-series-5-episode-1 This happens in Fx v33.1 and v34.0.1, so maybe an issue that has been around for some time. Tablet, Android 4.2

Chosen solution

This problem seems to have been resolved by Fx v 35.0.1. Working so far! Petef

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (14)

more options

hi petef:

which tablet are you using?

i'll check it out later with my tablet from home but knowing your exact tablet model would be great

cheers!

...Roland

Modified by Roland Tanglao

more options

Hi Roland My tablet is a 7" HUDL (I think only available in UK). Model/device: HUDL ht7s3 Board: rd30sdk Cores: 4 Max clock 1608MHz Running pretty much stock Android 4.2.2

The problem seems to occur when trying to open video that will run without Flash, when the Flash plugin is enabled or tap-to-play.

I hope this helps! Pete

more options

hi petef:

here's what I tried on Firefox 35 running on a Google Nexus 7 tablet running Google Android Lollipop aka Android 5.0 since I am located in Vancouver, Canada and iPlayer doesn't work outside of the UK:

  • a) set the flash player to click to activate
  • b) surfed to youtube and then tapped Firefox Menu -> "Request Desktop Site" and then "Tap here to activate plugin"
  • c) Firefox for Android successfully played the video without crashing

however

  • d) I don't think I tested "When trying to play a video that will run without Flash, Flash tries to run, and Fx crashes every time"

Some more questions:

  1. Have you tried Firefox for Android 35 released yesterday 13 January 2015?
  2. Can you reproduce the crash on another site that's available in Canada and not just the UK like BBC? Please let me know if you have so I can debug this further!

Cheers!

...Roland

Modified by Roland Tanglao

more options

I haven't updated to 35 yet, but I suspect it will be the same as 33 & 34. Here's another URL which demonstrates this problem:

https://m.youtube.com/?reload=7&rdm=1dvq0j43l#/watch?v=RsuMplCGeaY

If Flash is disabled in Settings/Display, the video will play. If Flash is enabled or tap-to-play Firefox crashes.

Pete

more options

Hi Roland I forgot to mention that pages that require Flash in order to run, eg http://www.nci-frowardpoint.org.uk/weather.htm play fine with Flash enabled or tap-to-play, (they wouldn't run without it).

The problem is only with video that doesn't require Flash in order to run.

Cheers, Pete

more options

hi petef:

the video at: https://m.youtube.com/?reload=7&rdm=1dvq0j43l#/watch?v=RsuMplCGeaY

plays fine on my samsung 10 inch tablet using android jellybean 4.4.2 and my nexus 7 tablet using lollipop and firefox 35

no idea, perhaps your chipset?

i will look for bugs with your tablet's chipset

more options

hi again petef:

by "plays fine" i mean it opens the youtube app and the video plays fine (if Flash is disabled in Settings/Display, or it plays in flash it also plays in the youtube app if it is tap to play)

Modified by Roland Tanglao

more options

hi yet again :) petef

could the problem be that you don't have a youtube app? or the youtube app is corrupted somehow?

other than a graphics chipset bug that's the only thing i can think of at the moment.

more options

Hi Roland I don't have the YouTube app installed, but other videos play OK without it, both with and without Flash.

What happens is that if a video can play without Flash, it won't play if Plugins are enabled or tap-to-play. If the video will only play through Flash, then it will play OK with plugins enabled or tap-to-play. Is this behaviour consistent with not having the YouTube app installed? I'm having difficulty understanding, as some videos aren't on YouTube.

If this is the issue, then I'm stuck with it, as I don't want to install the YouTube app. As for the graphics chipset, I can't find that info.

Thanks for all your work on this, I could probably just leave plugins "disabled" in Settings, then on the rare occasion I need Flash I'll enable plugins again. A bit of a chore, but it would work.

Cheers, Pete

more options

hi pete:

you wrote: "I don't have the YouTube app installed, but other videos play OK without it, both with and without Flash. "

Silly question :-) follows:

Doesn't the YouTube app come installed with the Tesco tablet?

If this link is correct, then YouTube does come bundled: http://www.handsetdetection.com/properties/vendormodel/Tesco/Hudl%20HT7S3

Did you uninstall the YouTube app?

more options

From http://www.linuxlinks.com/article/20131019035640948/TescoHudl-Introduction.html

I see that the chipset is a: Rockchip RK3188

I don't see any obvious bugs related to that but there is one for another Rockchip chipset:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=806294

Finally, to rule out YouTube please give provide the URLs of videos that don't work that aren't iPlayer or YouTube.

Thanks!

..Roland


So it could be a Rockchip bug, I'll ask around.

I'll ask around and see if we need to file a bug.

more options

Hi Roland Your information is correct, YouTube does come bundled, but I didn't want it!

To eliminate the absence of YouTube as the problem, I temporarily re-enabled YouTube, this has made no difference to the symptoms, Firefox continues to crash if trying to run video when plugins are tap-to-play or enabled in Settings/Display. If I can find any non YouTube video I'll let you know! Cheers, Pete

more options

hi pete:

let me guess as a parent, you removed youtube app because of your kids?

or maybe to save bandwidth?

it's not important but please let me know if you want!

What's important is to find a non YouTube video where you can reproduce the problem. If i can't reproduce your problem on a non you tube video then I think it's a Rockchip bug and I will a bug report on your behalf (if you are technical feel free to file a bug at bugzilla.mozilla.org)

I have many Android tablets and phones and none of them crash when plugins are tap to play or enabled which is why I am leaning towards the hypothesis of a Rockhip bug.

more options

Chosen Solution

This problem seems to have been resolved by Fx v 35.0.1. Working so far! Petef