how to install flash without rendering Safari useless?

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Level 1

37 points

how to install flash without rendering Safari useless?

Hi folks. I have an ancient (2007) MBP running 10.7.4.

Several months ago, after installing 10.7, Safari stopped connecting 95% of the time regardless of user account, so I used Firefox until a few weeks ago when I was able to get Safari to work by removing ADOBE FLASH plugins. I also installed CLICK TO PLUGIN. The other day I needed to watch a video and was bummed to be told I needed FLASH. So I downloaded it, hoping that somehow all would be fine, or at least that I could use CTP to turn the flash plugin off. Sure enough, after downloading FLASH from Adobe's site, Safari quit working, but for some reason, only for my main user account.

Any ideas?

BTW: I should mention that the onset of this problem coincided with other ongoing problems:

(1) ridiculous fan noise

(2) system will not automatically join home wifi network

(3) system will not sleep when scheduled, only when ordered to or when top is closed

Thanks!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Sep 20, 2012 10:35 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

John Galt

Level 10

141,180 points

Sep 20, 2012 10:50 AM in response to mahrmut

First, uninstall Flash: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html

Follow the instructions carefully.

Then, install Flash: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

... Safari quit working, but for some reason, only for my main user account.

If Safari is misbehaving only for your account, you can try several remedies in the following order:

Reset Safari: Safari menu. Check all the boxes that appear relevant.

Clear Safari's cache: Depending on your version of Safari, that may be in the Safari menu. If it is not there, then go to Safari's Preferences > Advanced, and enable the Develop menu. "Empty Caches" will appear in the Develop menu.

IF that does not fix things, then there is some other problem with your user account. Check your login items and whatever third party programs you may have installed. In particular, uninstall any and all third party "anti-virus" or similar snake oil utilities.

Next problem: Problems related to fans, power, or sleep all justify an SMC reset:

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

Resetting the SMC on Mac portables with a battery you can remove

Shut down the computer.
Disconnect the MagSafe power adapter from the computer, if it's connected.
Remove the battery (to remove the battery - click here: MacBook or MacBook Pro).
Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
Release the power button.
Reconnect the battery and MagSafe power adapter.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.

Resetting the SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own

Shut down the computer.
Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.

Next problem: if your Mac is not automatically joining your home Wi-Fi, try this: Turn off AirPort from the AirPort icon. Then go to System Preferences > Network > Wi-Fi > Advanced button. Remove any networks that are "remembered" but leave the box "Remember networks this computer has joined" checked. Click OK, then Apply. Turn on AirPort in the AirPort icon, then join your home network.

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Answer 2

mahrmut Author

Level 1

37 points

Sep 20, 2012 12:07 PM in response to John Galt

Well, after uninstalling and reinstalling it, Safari is connecting again. I'll be back to try out the rest of your (much appreciated) steps when it stops connecting soon.

will try another SMC reset, but it didn't help the several other times I tried it. Thanks!

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Answer 3

mahrmut Author

Level 1

37 points

Oct 23, 2012 3:41 PM in response to John Galt

well after it resumed the highly annoying do-nothing mode a few weeks ago, I just went back to firefox. But i noticed that it stopped working for the other account on my machine as well.

So I deleted the flash plugin, and it worked again.

Then I looked at the startup items I had, they were all useless to me, so I removed them all.

After restarting, Safari is back to not working, even without flash. I logged in as the other user and it does work for that user.

I'm so tired of this.

I'm going to continue to attempt the other solutions you suggested.

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Answer 4

John Galt

Level 10

141,180 points

Oct 24, 2012 8:38 AM in response to mahrmut

mahrmut wrote:

... I logged in as the other user and it does work for that user.

Does Safari work normally for that other user or not?

What login items have you specified? System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items

Did you delete Flash Player or the ClickToFlash Safari Extension, which one, and how did you do this?

Hi folks. I have an ancient (2007) MBP running 10.7.4.

It's not ancient but you should update to Mac OS X 10.7.5. Run Software Update.

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Answer 5

mahrmut Author

Level 1

37 points

Oct 24, 2012 4:47 PM in response to John Galt

Thank you for the speedy reply Mr. Galt!

I rarely log in as the other user. Before I attempted to deal with it the other day, I logged in on the other user account to see if it was working there. It was not. Then I got it working under both accounts by deleting only the Flash Player.plugin from:

HD/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/

I then re-installed flash, deleted the startup items and restarted. When I saw that Safari would not connect after the restart, I re-ran the uninstaller and then restarted. It still won't work. Before I reset a bunch of stuff on safari, it connected enough to update the webpage preview images, but it still does its normal thing where the left-most inch of the progress bar turns blue and then does nothing (meanwhile firefox screams along).

What do you mean by what login items have I specified? right now I have none, having deleted some printer utilities and utorrent from the list.

Thanks again for your help!

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