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Questions about Flash

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Anthony A
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Questions about Flash

I just installed the Portable apps start menu and Portable Firefox and am very impressed. I can't believe I didn't do this sooner. Great job with this.

Any ways my question is about Flash. I read all the topics on the Portable Apps site and the many forum posts about Flash and Portable Firefox but they don't answer my problem/questions. I tried to install Flash as a extension from the link that was provided but it just didn't seem to work. So I tried the manual install of copying the Flash dll's from my regular Firefox and putting them in the
E:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\Data\plugins
This did not work either. Flash did not play. So I went to a site that requires Flash and it prompted me to install the plugin which I did. Flash now works great but I have files in places that are different than the info on this forum suggest. The plugin installed in

E:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\App\firefox\plugins. Not only that but there were several files associated with Flash that were installed not just the single dll that has been suggested.
I have: Flash Player.xpt
npnul32.dll
NPSWF32.dll
NPSWF32_FlashUtil.exe
These are installed in E:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\App\firefox\plugins

Why did they go into that Folder instead of E:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\Data\plugins

Why all the files instead of the single dll that is recommended?

Why is there two plugin folders anyways?

Lastly if my configuration is incorrect why is it working and the recommended steps did not work?

Thank You

powerjuce
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i am not a firefox expert

but i think it is because Firefox will directly use the plugins from its own folder
~regards

Please search before posting. ~Thanks

Anthony A
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So what are the proper files

So what are the proper files that are needed for Flash and where do they go?I followed the instructions but they did not work. Flash is working for me but it's not set up as the instructions suggest.

Tim Clark
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I currently have flash

I currently have flash in/at

[x]:\PATH\PORTABLE\FirefoxPortable\Data\Plugins

I did this by putting the following 2 files in that directory:
NPSWF32.dll and flashplayer.xpt

the NPSWF32.dll is required, I'm not sure about flashplayer.xpt

npnul32.dll is the/a "default" plugin from FF

The other files you have were put there by the flash install monster and are not needed.

The flash files were put where they were put because that is where the install monster puts them on "regular" FF.

FFP uses the \FirefoxPortable\Data\ structure for the storing of data because John designed it that way and I believe most of the apps follow this structure to isolate "the you and yours" stuff from the "programs" stuff.

I do not know why flash did not work for you when you put the files in "E:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\Data\plugins".
Did you have FFP running when you put the files there?

[disclaimer:] this post is intended to be a helpful answer to a question, it should in no way, shape, or form be read to imply that the author in any way, shape, or form condones or approves of the use of the Flash plugin, or Flash in general Blum

Tim

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

teacherjh
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Installing flash on portable device also installs on host comput

I have the opposite issue. I used Firefox Portable on my home system to test it out first. My home system has SeaMonkey and IE; I use SeaMonkey as my default browser, and have steadfastly refused flash (it has no off switch, and advertisers love to use it to steal your attention). When I need to see a flash page, I'll use IE (because it's easy for me to disable flash on IE - I know which files to muck up).

Anyway, I let the portable Firefox app download flash, expecting it to leave the host computer alone (that's the point, no?) but when I was done, SeaMonkey now had flash.

How did this happen? How can I avoid contaminating other host computers I'd be using this portable app on?

Jose

Tim Clark
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Don't INSTALL

Do not use the "Install [Monst]er"

When ever you "install" Anything [Add-ons/extentions, Plug-Ins, Themes, codecs, etc] using any Portable App you have to ask the question:

"Does the 'Installer' understand 'Portable'"?

Most of the time "Installers" are written for the Standard Version of the program in question. In some cases it there fore makes use of the host machine, its directories, default programs, and registry. I have a couple of FF Add-ons that write information to the host, I accept that as a consequence of using the Add-on.

In the case of MacroMedia/Adobe "Flush" Blum the best thing you can do, now that you have the necessary files is to keep a copy of them in a convenient location and "copy" them over when you need them. DO NOT use the Install procedure!

Tim
[disclaimer:] this post is intended to be a helpful answer to a question, it should in no way, shape, or form be read to imply that the author in any way, shape, or form condones or approves of the use of the Flush plugin, or Flush in general Sticking out tongue

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

teacherjh
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victory

Thanks for the help. I was able to evicerate Flash by renaming the two key files on my system, while leaving them on the portable drive. Now SeaMonkey doesn't do Flash, and my Firefox Portable does.

This leaves one more question - I presume Flash keeps a history. Does it do so on the host computer (such as in the registry), or does it do so on the portable drive? How can I control it?

Jose

Tim Clark
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I'm Impressed!!!

You are indeed a wise and paranoid person [that's a good thing Wink ]

The link below will point you in the right direction.

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/newsgroups/rea...

This in One of the Truly Evil things about Flush.
All these HIDDEN settings that they don't want to tell you about.

Every time I update I make sure ALL the Secret Settings are set to their most secure.

"Flush, IT'S NOT JUST ANNOYING ANYMORE Sad "

Thanks for asking the question,
Tim

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

teacherjh
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Still not portable

Thanks Tim. I took a look at your link and the settings manager. They make quite a show of pretending to be interested in privacy - I wonder why it took until version 8 for them to get such a privacy manager (and still no off switch!). Actually, I don't wonder, I'm pretty sure I know. But that's another rant.

I can't find where (what disk and directory) the settings are stored, but it certainly is not on my USB drive. The settings I created from Firefox Portable (on my USB drive) were also used in my (nonportable) copy of Internet Explorer (whose active flash program files are different!)

So, Flash is storing settings on the host computer. Whatever settings the host has, the portable Firefox gets. And whatever settings are changed in the portable Firefox (by visiting the settings website) are left on the host, potentially disabling all future Flash use by the kind soul who let me use their machine.

Actually, that might not be a bad idea, but still... : )

Jose

Tim Clark
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Evil, Evil, Evil,

Evil, Evil, Evil, }:)

I told you Wink

But I don't think those setting disable "Flush" from working so the kind soul could still use it [poor ignorant fool Sad ]

Still, if you are correct, and I have no reason to doubt you, "Good" Form would dictate that you do Not do this on a guest machine.

Of course "Better" Form would dictate that you inform the kind [but ignorant] soul that he should in fact allow you to make the changes for his own good and the betterment of humanity.

I have no idea where the settings are kept and now it's gonna bug me Sad

Tim

p.s. if you want your graphic smiley to appear you need to put a space before the colon but not after it or it looks like this: )

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

teacherjh
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Where the settings are kept

I found on the m.s.seamonkey newsgroup (hosted on news.mozilla.org)... Roger Fink says:

>>
In W2K the info is kept in subfolders of the two folders "Shared Objects"
and "Macromedia.com", each accessed from the folder .../Application
Data/Macromedia/Flash Player/. Since you know your way around Windows I
expect you'll be able to transpose that to another OS if you have to.

Tim Clark
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Ahh so ...

I've been in those locations before [yeah, I need a life Sad ] and wondered about them. It might be the:

C:\Documents and Settings\Tim\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player\macromedia.com\support\flashplayer\sys\settings.sol

file that keeps the settings Smile [get it "settings".sol Wink ]

"replacing three bytes of text with 1024 bytes"
I bow before your efficient use of bandwidth and disk space Smile

Actually, it took me a while to get used to them myself. I browse from home with a modem and usually have images turned off. In fact my favorite ascii smiley does not show up properly in Drupal [or what ever it is called]

?:-) [ ? : - ) ] gets ruined. It looks like a I'm asking a question instead of the "?" looking like the wave in my hair.

But I do think the graphic versions are good for "playing down" what could come across as harsh post sometimes.

Thanks for the info

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

Tim Clark
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More On Local Shared Objects

I just found this.

There is a FF Add-On/Extension which can be used to view/control Flush cookies/LOS

It is called "Objection" [love the name Wink ]

It can be found here:
http://objection.mozdev.org/

Note:
1. I have not used it nor am I endorsing it.

2. I don't know much about it.

3. mozdev.org is not the place you "usually" get Add-Ons:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

the above site does not have this Add-On,

So I don't know the status of the site as far as the safety or reliability of the stuff you get there.

4. In this thread it has been determined that the "cookies" and their settings are stored on the host therefore this Add-On has the high likelihood of Not being "portable" by PortableApps.com standards [i.e. not leaving things behind]

4. Use at your own risk

Tim

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

Ryan McCue
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Heh.
  1. It's Flash, not Flush Blum
  2. It's LSO (for Locally Stored Objects), not LOS Blum

"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."

Tim Clark
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1. a. "Flush" sounds better,

1.
a. "Flush" sounds better, more accurate Blum
b. It's the only way I can say/type it without washing my mouth out with soap Sad

2.
a. Yes, its LSO
b. No, it's for Local Shared Object[s]s Blum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Shared_Object

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

Kevin Porter
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Ooooooh

Dissed by Tim! Blum

"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning." - Rick Cook

Tim Clark
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Latest Update Now A Security Update

According to Secunia.com the latest update should now be considered a Security Update as vulnerabilities have been found in the previous version.

http://secunia.com/advisories/28161/

The simplest way to get it for FFP is to ask your friend who has a local install of FF [you Do have such a friend, don't you Wink ] to update theirs and then snag a copy of NPSWF32.dll [required] and flashplayer.xpt [not sure if it's required] and paste them into:

[x]:\yourpath\FirefoxPortable\Data\Plugins

or if you don't have such a friend Sad download the install[monst]er from Adobe and extract the files using a program like UniversalExtracter.

Tim

[disclaimer: This post should be considered a Security Update Warning and in No Way, Shape, or Form an endorsement of the product in question Blum ]

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

TRexian
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Thanks!

Had some hardware changes on a *cough* work *cough* computer that deprived my FFP of Flash (so no youtube). BUT! A quick search here, revealed this solution and voila!

I can youtube again.

Thanks muchly!

-------------------
Sic semper tyrannosauro.

Tim Clark
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Welcome Muchly

Also note that Flash was updated to 9.0.124 last week.
This is a MAJOR Security update.
Everyone should get it if you use flash on the web.
No jokes this time folks, if you use flash get this.

Tim
-

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

clookie
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I installed flash in my

I installed flash in my firefox portable with this:
fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/xpi/current/flashplayer-win.xpi
just open it using your firefox portable edition
(it'll install flash in the plugin folder, not as an addon) everything worked fine since then for me...
(although I don't know anything about updates then...)
this works perfect!!! I can guarantee that, I even think someone here gave me that link

Exekutor
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Doesn't work for me

I have a HDD installed version of FF3 an the portable one.
Somehow, my hdd-version supports flash very well ... but i can not find the listed files anywhere (even with the windows-search). So i just extracted them from the flash-installer and put them in the mantioned location ... but still no flash-support on the portable version ... what else do i have to do?

Tim Clark
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If in the

If in the path:

[x]:\PATH\PORTABLE\FirefoxPortable\Data\Plugins

you have the files,
NPSWF32.dll and flashplayer.xpt

It should work.

What other Add-Ons/extensions are you using?
Some have the ability to disable flash.
Also I think FF3 has the ability to disable plugins,
could you have used it?

Tim

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

Warhawk
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Sorry to be a little off

Sorry to be a little off topic, but I'm using a computer right now that won't let me install anything, so if any kind soul would host/send the flash files, it would be greatly appreciated. Smile

I was going to pm someone, but I can't find that option anywhere.

haustin
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not legal to distribute w/o installer

But look at the end of this post for the simple solution. Smile

-hea

Warhawk
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Wow thanks a million!

Wow thanks a million! Smile
Didn't realize you could do that with 7zip.

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