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Solved Is there a way To Turn Off "NPAPI plugin sandbox" in firefox?

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Wendy

PCHF Member
Jul 12, 2017
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I need to use a web page that uses flash and firefox is blocking it. I looked at the settings and it says that the flash firefox settings don't apply to 'protected flash". It can't be turned off in 64-bit firefox on windows 7. It says it is blocked by default with "NPAPI plugin sandbox ". It says the blocking can cause plug-in crashes, which is what I had. Now the flash doesn't run at all. Is there a way to turn that "NPAPI plugin sandbox" off? The web page is definitely safe so there isn't a flash security issue here.
 
As well as the above
Go to Tools then addons
Select Plugins
On the Shockwave Flash plugin, select the options box
Remove the tick from "Block dangerous and intrusive Flash content"

AT YOUR OWN RISK

flash2.jpg
 
Rustys and Gus: Thanks but I've done both of those things. Still doesn't help.

This is what it says in the "learn more" for that enable flash protected mode setting (see attached screenshot) where I removed the check:
"This article does not apply to the 64-bit version of Firefox available for 64-bit operating systems on Windows 7 and above. Mozilla has its own "NPAPI plugin sandbox" security feature for 64-bit Firefox, which is enabled by default."

I looked in the about:config as you suggested bu couldn't find "NPAPI" there.
 

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Mozilla configuration About:config does not commonly list settings under what sounds like a logical name, but more often as a convoluted name.

You could read this article HERE but do be careful playing in Mozilla settings, and I suggest you backup all your bookmarks, addons, and customizations before you play with the settings in case it results in a you having to remove/reinstall FF.
 
Thank you Gus for pointing to the article. I read it and tried to follow it as best I could. But I couldn't find the flash and sandbox settings from the article - "To change the sandbox level of NPAPI plugins, search for the preference dom.ipc.plugins.sandbox-level.flash or dom.ipc.plugins.sandbox-level.default instead". I could only find other settings (attached).

Update - I just followed the "NPAPI plugins" pointer to another file, which points to about:config instead of about:support. But that file says to change the flash setting to "true". But the setting does not say "false". (second attachment).

I'm getting to feel that I'm somewhere that I don't belong - only experienced people should be there. Maybe I'll have to switch to chrome instead of ff, which I'd rather not do.
 

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The link I posted above does refer to About:Config.

All Mozilla based browsers have an about:config editing ability. Without being flippant about it the worst case scenario is uninstall reinstall if you mess it up, and that is why I suggested backing up all your FF addons and bookmarks etc.

Mozilla has tightened security with their latter versions of FF, and I have to admit to not being a FF user since they decided what addons I should or shouldn't use, or how it can be customized. In defense of that though is that Flash has been in itself a security concern for many years, and any legitimate site that demands the installation of Flash could be a concern. The only PC out of my stash that has Flash is my Wifes machine and it's only because she likes to play online puzzles that seem to demand it.

Chrome is a good and secure browser UNTIL you install addons, and then it is a different story. Give Opera a go.
 
Do not also forget that Adobe will be ending support for Flash in 2020.

Flash & The Future of Interactive Content

Given this progress, and in collaboration with several of our technology partners – including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla – Adobe is planning to end-of-life Flash. Specifically, we will stop updating and distributing the Flash Player at the end of 2020 and encourage content creators to migrate any existing Flash content to these new open formats.
 
I guess I have to give up on ever getting flash to work in Firefox. I don't like using chrome because, I've been told, that everything you do there google tracks and keeps a record of it. I'm a bit protective of my privacy. But it appears that I don't have a choice with flash and will have to use it.
 
Best not to be paranoid about Google, Chrome is ok, just be careful about addons with it. Don't know about you but any info Google keeps about me would make pretty boring as bat poo reading:cautious:
 
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