Why won't Flash files (SWFs) open in Firefox?

April 6, 2008 8:05 AM

Why doesn't Flash work properly in Firefox (WinXP)? When flash is embedded in a webpage Firefox handles it with no difficulty. But when I just want to view the applet itself, without it being embedded I get a message from the program asking me what I want to do with the file and then I get into a loop because it opens another instance of Firefox to handle it!

I'm sure the problem is something to do with the way Firefox handles the data type. In the 'Applications' submenu of the 'Options' dialogue it reads

'Shockwave Flash Object - Always Ask'

The option to 'Use Shockwave Flash (in Firefox)' isn't available as it is for SPL and SWF files.

My Google-fu has totally failed me (looks like there are just too many problems with the Flash player). I've tried uninstalling/reinstalling Flash/Shockwave/Firefox and in different orders and I've even trawled through the registry but it's all been in vain.

posted by alby to computers & internet (4 comments total)

You should completely uninstall flash, and remove that handler from the "File Types" thing in preferences, and reinstall from scratch, with an executable installer from the adobe website.
posted by Mach5 at 8:49 AM on April 6

If Im reading this correctly youre trying to run the .swf files. Well, firefox wont do that. The plugin only detects swf if it is in an embed object on a webpage.

So if you want to run it you could write a webpage with an embed tag pointing to your local disk.

Or you can install one of many free swf players like this one.
posted by damn dirty ape at 1:29 PM on April 6

As a data point, my Firefox will play .swf files just fine.
posted by rhapsodie at 1:34 PM on April 6

Mach5, Firefox doesn't seem to have a way to remove file type handlers. Even when Flash was uninstalled the 'Shockwave Flash Object' remained in the list.

And Firefox used to play Flash files just fine, but for some mystical reason it stopped being able to and started giving me this problem.
posted by alby at 3:16 PM on April 6