Htmlloader flash content blank popup max OSX

Question

Ok this is driving me crazy if anyone has any ideas I'd really appreciate the help.   I have a flex app that loads some external pages with an htmlloader.  Whenever there is flash content on those pages a blank (all white with minimize, maximize, close buttons) popup window comes up.   This happens on any page with flash content, if I close the window the flash content stops.     I feel like that didn't always happen but I can't remember, does anyone have any ideas. 
Thanks for any help you can give.
Here's the code for the page:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Canvas xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" width="1366" height="700" scaleX="1" scaleY="1">
<mx:Script>
    <![CDATA[
    import flash.html.HTMLLoader;
    import flash.net.URLRequest;
    import com.desktop.event.gameLoadEvent;
    import com.desktop.model.DesktopModelLocator;
    private var webPage:HTMLLoader;
    private function registerEvents():void
        this.addEventListener(gameLoadEvent.GAME_LOAD, gameLoad);
        //webPage = new HTMLLoader();
    //function called back from Game Command to load correct game
    private function gameLoad(event:Event):void
        var gameEvent:gameLoadEvent = event as gameLoadEvent;
        loadgame(gameEvent.url, gameEvent.variables);
    private function loadgame(url:String, variableString:String):void
        DesktopModelLocator.getInstance().scaleX = 1;
        DesktopModelLocator.getInstance().scaleY = 1;
        //var url:String = "http://pro-us.sbt-corp.com/aspx/member/LaunchGame.aspx";
        var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest(url);
        //var variables:URLVariables = new URLVariables("gameNum=17&as=as1&t=demo&package=a&btnQuit=0");
      if(variableString != null && variableString != ""){
        var variables:URLVariables = new URLVariables(variableString);
        variables.exampleSessionId = new Date().getTime();
        variables.exampleUserLabel = "guest";
        request.data = variables;
        webPage = HTMLLoader.createRootWindow(true, null, true, null);
        webPage.height = 700;
        webPage.width = 1366;
        webPage.load(request);
        webPage.navigateInSystemBrowser = false;
        flexBrowser.addChild(webPage);       
    ]]>
    </mx:Script>
    <mx:HTML id="flexBrowser" width="1366" height="658" backgroundAlpha="0.45" creationComplete="registerEvents();" x="0" y="0">
    </mx:HTML>   
</mx:Canvas>

Answer 1

by default, flash starts playing and will stop only if there's code to stop it OR there's not enough of the swf downloaded to allow it to play.
in the later case, using a preloader with preloader animation in frame 1 will solve the problem.