You know the reasons for installing and requiring addons but it is normally wrong to have two versions of a plugin installed, and you may well find you actually have no real need for the Director ones at all. You could probably consider actually removing and uninstalling the Director plugins. Ask yourself when and where do you use them ?

Using ask to activate has the advantage that the plugin does not run unecessarily, e.g. just displaying adverts or video that you do not wish to watch anyway. So it may be appropriate to set Shockwave Flash as always ask.

You really shouldn't use anything but the latest Flash player. If any older versions exist, uninstall them.

Rather than use Adobe's "download manager," where what you download from their main "get Flash player" site, is not the full software package - it's small sized "manager" file, that once executed, then downloads the flash player & installs it.

But not before gathering & phoning home info about your system. But running Flash player makes available, more about the users' system than they'd ever imagine to the sites where you play content.

I prefer d/l the entire installer package (contains only Flash player & installer) from https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html

Use HTML5 whenever possible - you can "sign up" on youtube to use it when available (just search youtube for "use HTML5). Also, many free, open source, popular players will play many flash vids.

VLC does very well on many flash vids. I use it all the time for Flash content. To play Flash files, Copy the URL, then paste into VLC (simple key strokes: Ctrl + N, then Ctrl + V... then Enter; that's it). SMPlayer also does well. Both are very fast (on my system) & AFAIK, don't phone home info about what you download or play.

Some readers of this thread you may be interested in Shumay, but it is experimental and at the moment only really intended for testing by the more advanced users amongst us rather than day to day use.

• http://www.areweflashyet.com/shumway/

P.S. Note the official Mozilla site does include addons related to VLC use

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/search/?q=vlc

As I said, my computer knowledge is limited so I think I will be most comfortable trying the 'ask to activate' option you've suggested first. If that doesn't bring favorable results I will attempt the uninstall option. Thank you very much for your help.

John99, that's true - VLC has a plugin. https://wiki.videolan.org/Windows/#VLC_Plugin_for_Firefox_.28Mozilla.29

Not sure how easy it is / how well it works.

But, it may not be necessary. I haven't used it, because it's so simple to copy / paste video URLs into it. Some might object to those few keystrokes. But it avoids one more plugin / addon, to cause problems in Fx.

Two separate Programs with separate plugins for Firefox / Netscape type browsers. (IE needs a different plugin type)

Shockwave Flash 13.0.0.214

Two plugins for the same Program / plugin Shockwave for Director 12.1.0.150 Shockwave for Director 12.0.9.149

Shockwave for Director is rarely used these days. My advice is to uninstall it altogether and if you find you need it, re-install the latest version - only.

Shockwave Flash is one plugin and the Shockwave for Director plugin is an entirely different plugin. You do however only need one Shockwave for Director plugin and that should be the latest Shockwave for Director version.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Using+the+Shockwave+plugin+with+Firefox

Latest Flash players can be found here:

• http://www.adobe.com/special/products/flashplayer/fp_distribution3.html