Hi JLB805, this looks like your first post, so I don't have any background on what's gone wrong with the Flash player plugin on your system previously.

Can you describe it in more detail?

Most of your available browsers for Windows 10 -- Edge, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox -- use a separate Flash executable, so they should all work independently of one another. Even if for some reason Flash isn't working in Firefox, it should be fine in another browser.

Firefox does not include Flash, assuming you install an official release and you didn't download one of those bundlers that shoves a bunch of unwanted software onto your system.

Regarding how Flash works in recent versions of Firefox, please also see: Why do I have to click to activate plugins?

Additional information about Firefox and Adobe Flash that I think is important for all web browser users to know:

Adobe Flash has its own update feature that is separate from Firefox updates and from all other application updates, which is "supposed to" keep Flash automatically up-to-date for all users. The problem, as I see it, is that Adobe has never changed the frequency of checking for updates from once a month, as may have been acceptable 10 -15 years ago, but totally unacceptable in this day and age on the internet. BTW, every version of Firefox checks for the availability for a Firefox update every day upon first launch of Firefox for at least the last 7 or 8 years now.

In recent years Adobe has updated Flash as often as 3 times a month, which makes a monthly check for Flash updates nonsensical in this day and age of increased awareness and importance of security on the internet.

And once Flash is updated by Adobe and announced to the world, the previous Flash version gets a "soft block" by Mozilla that allows the user to continue using it by "allowing" it manually per page or per Flash presentation - very inconvenient for the user, but keeping them "safe". Then when the user is two versions behind the latest version of Flash, Mozilla usually disables the older version of Flash with a "hard block" and it can't be enabled. That is to protect all users from being exploited by "known exploits" that may have been fixed in the latest 2 versions of Flash.

It's like Mozilla cares more about their users security than Adobe who owns Flash cares about their shared users. Security is something that Mozilla cares deeply about; seemingly to the detriment of Mozilla by causing frustration over something that Mozilla has little control over short of allowing an exploitable version of Flash to run unfettered on the users computer and doing nothing about it.

No worries once Flash is dead, completely. Currently Flash is nearing its final "death throes" as many websites are switching their audio / video files over to HTML5 playback. Adobe wants Flash to be dead, as do the developers of all the web browsers out there; and currently it is the only Plugin using application left. Mozilla killed of Plugin support for all other Plugins awhile ago, followed quickly by Google Chrome and just about all the other WebKit based web browsers like Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi.

the-edmeister said

And once Flash is updated by Adobe and announced to the world, the previous Flash version gets a "soft block" by Mozilla that allows the user to continue using it by "allowing" it manually per page or per Flash presentation - very inconvenient for the user, but keeping them "safe". Then when the user is two versions behind the latest version of Flash, Mozilla usually disables the older version of Flash with a "hard block" and it can't be enabled. That is to protect all users from being exploited by "known exploits" that may have been fixed in the latest 2 versions of Flash. No worries once Flash is dead, completely. Currently Flash is nearing its final "death throes" as many websites are switching their audio / video files over to HTML5 playback. Adobe wants Flash to be dead, as do the developers of all the web browsers out there; and currently it is the only Plugin using application left. Mozilla killed of Plugin support for all other Plugins awhile ago, followed quickly by Google Chrome and just about all the other WebKit based web browsers like Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi.

Well not every single previous version of Flash Player was put on blocklist. The majority of the versions blocked were considered Critical by Adobe.

27.0.0.159 was soft blocked while I would not be surprised if the previous version 27.0.0.187 is not soft blocked due to being more moderate.

Mozilla plans to support Flash Player Plugin up till 2020 at latest with increasing restrictions and will be harder to use Flash from in second half of 2018 on. By that point HTML5 will probably be the norm in being used for a lot of things compared to Flash Player. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Plugins/Roadmap

Noticed for a while now on https://addons.mozilla.org/blocked/ that most of the many previous Flash Player blocks between March 2013 and present have been removed. They would be blocked by the current block anyways. The so called "Flash Player (Malware)" mentions is not related to the Flash Player Plugin from Adobe.

jscher2000 said

Hi JLB805, this looks like your first post, so I don't have any background on what's gone wrong with the Flash player plugin on your system previously. Can you describe it in more detail? Most of your available browsers for Windows 10 -- Edge, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox -- use a separate Flash executable, so they should all work independently of one another. Even if for some reason Flash isn't working in Firefox, it should be fine in another browser. Firefox does not include Flash, assuming you install an official release and you didn't download one of those bundlers that shoves a bunch of unwanted software onto your system. Regarding how Flash works in recent versions of Firefox, please also see: Why do I have to click to activate plugins?

JLB805 said

I had to switch to google, your updates screw up flash player every time. And not a simple fix as your directions say. I have to go to my remote repair service and it takes like 4 hours, at which time I have no computer to use. 2 or 3 years this went on. It's the only thing I use my subscription for. So when it runs out I will have to pay for this. Not doing it. If firefox can't update without screwing up other programs, especially the very necessary adobe flash player, then it isn't possible to use it.

jscher2000 said

Hi JLB805, this looks like your first post, so I don't have any background on what's gone wrong with the Flash player plugin on your system previously. Can you describe it in more detail? Most of your available browsers for Windows 10 -- Edge, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox -- use a separate Flash executable, so they should all work independently of one another. Even if for some reason Flash isn't working in Firefox, it should be fine in another browser. Firefox does not include Flash, assuming you install an official release and you didn't download one of those bundlers that shoves a bunch of unwanted software onto your system. Regarding how Flash works in recent versions of Firefox, please also see: Why do I have to click to activate plugins?

I downloaded adobe all by iteslf a long tim ago, and it's enabled and up to date, still every Mozilla update says it is not up to date and after a couple of those messages it blocks it completely. It is up to date, I check every time. I have even downloaded it again just to try and make Fire Fox happy, but nope. smh

Hi JLB805, could you check the following internal page: type or paste

about:plugins

in the address bar and press enter to load the page.

This should list all the plugins Firefox is aware of and cares about. Do you find multiple Flash plugins of different versions?

JLB805 said

I downloaded adobe all by iteslf a long tim ago, and it's enabled and up to date, still every Mozilla update says it is not up to date and after a couple of those messages it blocks it completely. It is up to date, I check every time. I have even downloaded it again just to try and make Fire Fox happy, but nope. smh

As you can see on https://addons.mozilla.org/blocked/ the most current version being soft blocked is 27.0.0.159 and older when there has been 27.0.0.187 and the current 28.0.0.126 since that are not on blocklist.

Note if Firefox was still running when you installed current Flash Player (NPAPI version and not ActiveX or PPAPI) from Adobe then either restart Firefox or type about:plugins in the Location (address) bar so Firefox will do a Plugin scan of system.

I agree it is possible you may actually have two or more versions installed and Firefox can be making use of the older version (on Windows). If this is the case then well this is not the fault of Mozilla or the Firefox browser in having multiple versions of Flash on system.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/keep-flash-up-to-date-and-troubleshoot-problems

the-edmeister said

Additional information about Firefox and Adobe Flash that I think is important for all web browser users to know: Adobe Flash has its own update feature that is separate from Firefox updates and from all other application updates, which is "supposed to" keep Flash automatically up-to-date for all users. The problem, as I see it, is that Adobe has never changed the frequency of checking for updates from once a month, as may have been acceptable 10 -15 years ago, but totally unacceptable in this day and age on the internet. BTW, every version of Firefox checks for the availability for a Firefox update every day upon first launch of Firefox for at least the last 7 or 8 years now. In recent years Adobe has updated Flash as often as 3 times a month, which makes a monthly check for Flash updates nonsensical in this day and age of increased awareness and importance of security on the internet. And once Flash is updated by Adobe and announced to the world, the previous Flash version gets a "soft block" by Mozilla that allows the user to continue using it by "allowing" it manually per page or per Flash presentation - very inconvenient for the user, but keeping them "safe". Then when the user is two versions behind the latest version of Flash, Mozilla usually disables the older version of Flash with a "hard block" and it can't be enabled. That is to protect all users from being exploited by "known exploits" that may have been fixed in the latest 2 versions of Flash. It's like Mozilla cares more about their users security than Adobe who owns Flash cares about their shared users. Security is something that Mozilla cares deeply about; seemingly to the detriment of Mozilla by causing frustration over something that Mozilla has little control over short of allowing an exploitable version of Flash to run unfettered on the users computer and doing nothing about it. No worries once Flash is dead, completely. Currently Flash is nearing its final "death throes" as many websites are switching their audio / video files over to HTML5 playback. Adobe wants Flash to be dead, as do the developers of all the web browsers out there; and currently it is the only Plugin using application left. Mozilla killed of Plugin support for all other Plugins awhile ago, followed quickly by Google Chrome and just about all the other WebKit based web browsers like Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi.

So will Mozzilla work with HTML5? If not, I'm just sticking with google until Mozilla fixes this. It's not worth my time to keep following directions to no avail just to run Mozzilla or Adobe. .

Please use this : https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html if running more than 1 it will uninstall them or it. If the Flash is corrupted is a good reason also. If did not install properly, If it has been years of update after updates is a good reason also.

Yes Firefox supports HTML5 https://html5test.com/index.html

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

JLB805 said

the-edmeister said

.... No worries once Flash is dead, completely. Currently Flash is nearing its final "death throes" as many websites are switching their audio / video files over to HTML5 playback. Adobe wants Flash to be dead, as do the developers of all the web browsers out there; and currently it is the only Plugin using application left. Mozilla killed of Plugin support for all other Plugins awhile ago, followed quickly by Google Chrome and just about all the other WebKit based web browsers like Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi.

So will Mozzilla work with HTML5? If not, I'm just sticking with google until Mozilla fixes this. It's not worth my time to keep following directions to no avail just to run Mozzilla or Adobe. .

Yes, Firefox works with HTML5 content, and has worked with HTML5 content for quite a few years now, to one extent or another.

The websites that deliver audio / video content to their users / viewers are the determining factor with which "player" is needed.

FLA, FLV, and SWF files need the Flash Player. If that is what the website supplies to their viewers / users, you need to have the Flash Player installed.

This page shows the HTML5 media formats that Firefox supports natively; IOW no Plugin or external application is needed for playing these file types. Everything needed is built right into Firefox. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Supported_media_formats