Flash player (eg YouTube) not working in Safari

Question

Level 1

6 points

Flash player (eg YouTube) not working in Safari

Hi,

I've read previous posts on this issue, including the replies to "You Tube not working ONLY in Safari", posted Feb 24th.

My macbook pro - Safari Version, 5.0.3 (5533.19.4, )- is working fine, but for some reason my iMac Safari, with same software and settings has decided not to play Adobe Flash Player.

I have uninstalled Flash player and reinstalled many times

I have deleted cookies as per Carolyn Samit's suggestion using renmoval tool at http://machacks.tv/2009/01/27/flushapp-flash-cookie-removal-tool-for-os-x/

I have emptied Safari cache several times

I have done a permissions repair

I have restarted the iMac many times

I have even tried loading an older version of flash player plugin

I have turned off the extensions tab in Safari preferences

I have unhid the develop Menu, and selected another User Agent with no success.

Still, evey time I load a page with flash content I get the message:

*Please install the latest version of the free Adobe Flash Player. Download now.*

*For help with Flash, see Adobe's Flash Player Support page.*

I've dowloaded the latest version of Flash player three times, but stiil no resolution.

*Any other suggestions would be gratefully received.*

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8), 2.4Ghz

Posted on Feb 28, 2011 4:06 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

Feb 28, 2011 4:08 PM in response to SoulSearcher

Which iMac?

Try running Safari in 32 bit mode.

Reply

Answer 2

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Feb 28, 2011 4:25 PM in response to SoulSearcher

Hi

you should start with Safari-Help-Installed Plug-Ins.... then see if Flash and other plugins are listed there - assuming that Safari-Preferences-Security-Enable Plug-Ins is checked On

Reply

Answer 3

SoulSearcher Author

Level 1

6 points

Feb 28, 2011 6:21 PM in response to Klaus1

Thanks. How would I do that?

Reply

Answer 4

SoulSearcher Author

Level 1

6 points

Feb 28, 2011 6:26 PM in response to andyBall_uk

OK,

Plugins is checked on in Safari preferences.

When I go to Safari help - installed plug-ins, it goes to this blank page:

file:///Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/Plug-ins.html

So ... ?

Thanks for getting on the case.

Reply

Answer 5

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Feb 28, 2011 6:55 PM in response to SoulSearcher

it goes to this blank page...

ok, no plugins are working -

Check firstly that the plugin files exist - paste this into safari's address bar & press enter

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/

look in that folder - there should be several .plugin files, including Flash, usually.

If that checks out - test Safari in a a New User Account & depending on the result, we'll know whether to look for a system-wide reason, or (perhaps more likely) something in your usual user account.

If a new account behaves normally by showing a result in Safari-Help-Installed Plug-Ins,then switch back to the regular user, and start by quitting Safari & moving this file to the desktop

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist

then try it again.

Reply

Answer 6

SoulSearcher Author

Level 1

6 points

Feb 28, 2011 9:32 PM in response to andyBall_uk

OK,

All done. Sadly, no joy. Still no flash video. Still no installed plug-ins showing.

Thanks for the tries so far.

Reply

Answer 7

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 1, 2011 8:50 AM in response to SoulSearcher

that's a shame eh - but to move forward, you'll have to reveal what you found in the plugins folder, and whether or not a new account showed any active plugins.

Reply

Answer 8

SoulSearcher Author

Level 1

6 points

Mar 1, 2011 3:43 PM in response to andyBall_uk

Apologies, my last message was not clear.
Yes, the new account revealed the following plugins:

Adobe Acrobat and Reader
VivX Webplayer
Flip4Mac Windows media plugin
Flip4Mac Windows web media plugin
iPhoto Photocast
Java Plug in 2 for NPAPI Browsers
Quartz Composer plug in
Quicktime Plug in (web)
Quicktime plug in
Real Player plug in
Shockwave flash 10.2 r 152
Sibelius scorch
Switchable Java Plugin for Web Kit
Verified Down load plugin

I now also cannot imbed attachments into my mac mail messages - part message comes up "ssing Plug-" so it appears to be "missing plug-in". Very strange.

Do I now replace the: com.apple.Safari.plist file?

Hope this helps us move forward. Many thanks.

Message was edited by: SoulSearcher

Reply

Answer 9

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 1, 2011 3:58 PM in response to SoulSearcher

ok

so you've done extensions, done the safari plist
it works in a new account, so perhaps there's an account-specific add-on (beyond an extension) stopping all plugins from working.

Anything in

~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ ?

that's in your home folder

or

~/Library/InputManagers/ ?

anything in System Preferences-Accounts-Login Items ?

Reply

Answer 10

SoulSearcher Author

Level 1

6 points

Mar 1, 2011 5:29 PM in response to andyBall_uk

OK,

Do I put the file com.apple.Safari.plist back now?

When I go to library/internet Plug Ins, they sometimes show, but usually show empty!

Library/input managers does not exist.

System Preferences-account-login items:

System events
Skype
AdobeResourceSynchronizer
Mail

Thanks for the help.

Reply

Answer 11

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 1, 2011 5:45 PM in response to SoulSearcher

ok

there's the one in your account home... which is usually empty, duplicates here can cause problems.

~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/

and there's the one which is available to all users...

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/

Copy/paste those paths to be sure which is which, if needs be.

When I go to library/internet Plug Ins, they sometimes show, but usually show empty

Um, that'd be a puzzle for sure - is that the home or main one? & what's in there when you can see things?

Reply

Answer 12

SoulSearcher Author

Level 1

6 points

Mar 1, 2011 7:49 PM in response to andyBall_uk

OK, well spotted!

The one in my account home is empty.

The one available to all has the following content:

AdobePDFViewer.plugin
Disabled Plug-Ins
DivXBrowserPlugin.plugin
Flash Player.plugin
flashplayer.xpt
Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.plugin
Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.webplugin
iPhotoPhotocast.plugin
JavaPlugin2_NPAPI.plugin
JavaPluginCocoa.bundle
NP-PPC-Dir-Shockwave
npdivx.xpt
NPSVG3.zip
NPSVG3Carbon
NPSVG3ReadMe.html
nsIQTScriptablePlugin.xpt
Quartz Composer.webplugin
QuickTime Plugin.plugin
QuickTime Plugin.webplugin
RealPlayer Plugin.plugin
Scorch.plugin
VerifiedDownloadPlugin.plugin

Do I replace the file com.apple.Safari.plist which you asked me to remove in an earlier post?

Thanks for keeping on the case.

Message was edited by: SoulSearcher

Message was edited by: SoulSearcher

Reply

Answer 13

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 2, 2011 4:59 AM in response to SoulSearcher

Do I replace the file com.apple.Safari.plist which you asked me to remove in an earlier post?

it'd only be helpful if you had previously made a number of changes in Safari-Preferences... the file contains those settings & a few others, but a new, default one has already been created, so I'd leave it unless you've a pressing reason to replace the old.

Just in case there's anything invisible in it, I'd trash the Home/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ folder (the empty one)... it's a stretch to be sure, but better to exclude that possibility.

Also, although they appear unrelated - remove the login items & logout/in. You can right-click on each beforehand to see exactly where they are in Finder.

Also check in these folders which may exist in your Home/Library/

~/Library/LaunchAgents/

it's empty by default, but files can be added which make apps or scripts run automatically.

Reply

Answer 14

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Mar 2, 2011 5:28 AM in response to andyBall_uk

🙂 I forgot to ask (again) - did you add any software, or did anything else change, around the time that you noticed Flash had stopped working ?.

Reply

Answer 15

SoulSearcher Author

Level 1

6 points

Mar 2, 2011 4:12 PM in response to andyBall_uk

OK

I've left the com.apple.Safari.plist file out.

I tried to trash the Home/Library/Internet Plug-ins file but a message popped up saying "Internet Plug Ins can't be modified or deleted because it is required by Mac OS X"

I removed the login items and logged in and out.

I checked Home/Library?launch agents to find:

com.apple.FolderActions.enabled.plist
com.apple.FolderActions.folders.plist
com.apple.SafariBookmarksSyncer.plist

Should I remove or trash them?

Because mail will not attach a document (plug-in missing) I went back to my new account to check and see if I could attach a document there. I could. Flash player also loads into Safari.

The computer has been shut down by two of three power failures recently. No new software has been loaded around the time of failure.

I have TechTool Pro. Could this help?

Thanks again for your continued support and advice.

What next?

Reply