Eidnolb, FF 2 and Flash 9 crash in YouTube.

Question

Eidnolb, I'm very impressed with the way you work.
Is there any more insight you can give me about Flash 9 and FF 2 not  working on YouTube?  Pat worked with me at http://forums.adobe.com/thread/673763?tstart=60 ,  and all the issues are discussed there.  It's not too long, and I'd really  appreciate it if you could take a look -- when you have some time (no rush here)  -- so I could maybe get some fresh insight.
If you don't want to deal with this, that's OK.  I don't want to waste your time.
Many thanks,
larryb123456 

Answer 1

GREAT to  hear,eidnolb, that you were just getting started and not giving up.
To give some insight into why FP 8 works and FP 9  doesn't, I'll post the info about FP 8 first since it is already installed and  working everywhere, and then I'll install FP 9 (which has never worked on  YouTube and has had only partial success on other sites with Flash content) and  post the info so maybe by comparing the two cases you can gain some insight.
I'll only install FP 9 on "Netscape" type  browsers and not on IE.  (I don't want to run the risk of messing it up -- it's  my favorite on YouTube.  Also, I've read -- if I understood it correctly -- that  if you install a higher version of the ActiveX control, you cannot reinstall a  lower version.  So, if I installed FP 9 on IE 6 and it didn't work, I'd never be  able to get back to a working FP 8 on IE 6.)
Please put on your best "Dick Tracy" outfit so  your "detective genes" can work at their finest -- PMPL !
First, the IE info. (I guess you really don't  need this since I don't plan to change FP 8 on IE 6.)  My nephew installed FP 8  on IE 6 with install_flash_player_8.msi last August when I first went online.  I  didn't know anything about Flash then, and I have no idea where he got the  file.  I mention this only because this .msi file installed FP version 8,0,5,0  on IE 6.  When I recently installed FP 8 on my "Netscape" type browsers from the  archive, I used the latest version, version 8,0,42,0.  There was no 8,0,5,0  version listed in the archive.  This explains why the FP 8 versions are  different for IE 6 and the "Netscape" type browsers.  The IE 6 files -- in  C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MACROMED\Flash -- are Flash8.ocx (version 8,0,5,0),  GetFlash.exe, and GetFlash.exe.manifest.  Later, when I uninstalled FP from my  system in changing from FP 8 to FP 9 on my "Netscape" type browsers, the entire  C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MACROMED\Flash folder was deleted.  That's what I call a  "complete" uninstall.  The uninstall was not this "complete" for the "Netscape"  type browsers (this is discussed below), but maybe that is the way it is  supposed to be for these browsers.
Now, for the "Netscape" type browsers, starting  with FP 8 first.
In C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins  were:
     GetFlash.exe
     npnul32.dll
     NPSWF32.dll (version 8,0,42,0)
In C:\Program Files\Opera\program\plugins  were:
     GetFlash.exe
     npds.zip
     npdsplay.dll
     NPSWF32.dll (version 8,0,42,0)
     npwmsdrm.dll
In C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape\Plugins  were:
     GetFlash.exe
     npdrmv2.zip
     npds.zip
     npdsplay.dll
     npnul32.dll
     NPSWF32.dll (version 8,0,42,0)
     npViewpoint.dll
     npViewpoint.xpt
When I went to uninstall so that I could change  from FP 8 to FP 9 on the "Netscape" type browsers, I tried to use the uninstall  version you recommended to someone in an earlier post -- at http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html .   This uninstall .exe is version 10,1,53,64 and I could not use it because it  expected a newer version of Windows.  When I then tried to run it, I got a  message saying, "A device attached to the system is not functioning."  I had to  use the uninstall .exe that my nephew downloaded last August when he downloaded  the FP 8 .msi install file.  I have no idea where he got the uninstall .exe, but  it is version 4.0.0.19.  I have been using this uninstaller for nearly a year in  trying to get FP 9 to work on YouTube with "Netscape" type browsers.  I don't  know if this lower version uninstaller is important or not in contributing to my  lack of success in getting FP 9 to play on YouTube.  I tried to find an archive  of uninstallers -- like the archive of Flash Players -- with no luck.  I think  I'm OK using this 4.0.0.19 uninstaller, because when I installed FP 9.0.277.0 on  the "Netscape" type browsers, in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MACROMED\Flash was an  uninstall_plugin.exe (version 1.0.20) which is even lower than the 4.0.0.19.
When I uninstalled FP on my system, the  above-discussed plugins folders for Mozilla Firefox, Netscape, and Opera stayed  behind.  The only difference was that the GetFlash.exe and NPSWF32.dll were  deleted from each of the three folders.  All the other files remained  undeleted.  I don't know if this is how an uninstall is supposed to work or  not.  It certainly appears to me to not be a "complete" uninstall.
So, I installed FP 9 on the "Netscape" type  browsers with the following results.
In C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MACROMED\Flash were:
     flashplayer.xpt
     install.log
     NPSWF32.dll (version 9,0,277,0)
     NPSWF32_FlashUtil.exe
     uninstall_plugin.exe (and as I mentioned  before, this is version1.0.20)
In C:\Program Files\Opera\program\plugins  were:
     flashplayer.xpt
     npds.zip
     npdsplay.dll
     NPSWF32.dll (version 9,0,277,0)
     NPSWF32_FlashUtil.exe
     npwmsdrm.dll
In C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape\Plugins  were:
     npdrmv2.zip
     npds.zip
     npdsplay.dll
     npnul32.dll
     NPSWF32.dll (version 9,0,277,0)
     NPSWF32_FlashUtil.exe
     npViewpoint.dll
     npViewpoint.xpt
Notice that in the above listings Opera and  Netscape use the same folders for FP 8 and FP 9, but the file contents change  for each FP version.  Firefox does not do this.  For FP 8, C:\Program  Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins is used, and when FP 8 is uninstalled (prior to  installing FP 9) the folder remains behind containing only the npnul32.dll  file.  When FP 9 is installed, Firefox uses a new folder --  C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MACROMED\Flash.  I don't know if this is a potential conflict  or not, but to me there doesn't seem to be a "complete" uninstall of FP 8.  But,  maybe this is the way it is supposed to work.  I am no expert, by any means.
After installing FP 9.0.277.0 on the "Netscape"  type browsers, I tested FF 2 on YouTube.  Immediately, when the site opened, a  Firefox dialog box popped up saying, "This program has performed an illegal  operation and will be shut down."   Under "Details", it said, "FIREFOX executed  an invalid instruction in module NPSWF32.DLL", and there was some computer  gobbledygook with the message.  I closed out the dialog box and Firefox then  closed, but my computer didn't crash.
So, I reinstalled FP 8.0.42.0 on my "Netscape"  type browsers and can once again watch YouTube with FP 8.
Here is some more info that might be important  (since I'm giving all these details in this post) concerning my FF 2.0.0.20  browser.  First of all, I have NO extensions or themes installed (as shown by  Tools-->Ad-ons).  The plugins I have installed are:
     npnul32.dll (not enabled)   
     NPSWF32.dll (version 8.0 r42)
     npViewpoint.dll
     npdrmv2.dll
     npdsplay.dll
     npwmsdrm.dll
As part of my experimentation a few months ago, I  disabled ALL these plugins (i.e., by renaming each fileX to be NOT_fileX) to see  if FF 2 would crash in YouTube.  It ALWAYS did.
Well, eidnolb, I hope this gives you something to  "Dick Tracy" with.
Seriously, though, I really appreciate the effort  you have put into this.
larryb123456