Install Flash Plugin Manually in Firefox on Vista
So you installed Firefox on Windows Vista, but you can’t seem to get the flash plugin to install… you click the “Install Missing Plugins” button, follow the wizard, restart Firefox, and it’s still not installed. Annoying!
Instead of going through this repeatedly without any luck, you can simply install the plugin manually with a couple of steps.
Note that you can use this manual method to install any plugin, not just Flash.
Install Flash Plugin Manually on Vista
The first thing you’ll need to do is manually download the plugin file. You should be able to right-click on this link and choose “Save Link As…” from the menu.
http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/xpi/current/flashplayer-win.xpi
Once you have the file downloaded, rename the file with a .zip extension:
You should be able to double-click on the file to open it up, since .xpi files are really just renamed .zip files.
Now you’ll need to copy two files from that directory into one of two directories, depending on whether you want to install the plugin globally for all users, or just for your user account.
The two files you’ll need to copy are these:
- flashplayer.xpt
- NPSWF32.dll
Install for All Users
Navigate down to the following path in Windows Explorer to find the Firefox installation directory:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins
Note that if you are running on 64-bit Vista the path will have (x86) like the next screenshot, or if you are using Portable Firefox you’ll have to find your Firefox installation folder and navigate to the plugins directory there.
Now paste those two files that you extracted into this directory (You’ll be prompted by UAC), restart Firefox and you are done.
Install for Your User Account Only
If you don’t have administrator access to your machine, or you simply want to install for only your account, you can browse to the following path:
%APPDATA%\Mozilla
Once you are in that directory, create a new directory called Plugins if it doesn’t already exist:
And then paste the two files into the Plugins directory. Restart Firefox, and you are done.
Verifying Installation
You can make sure that the plugin is loaded and turned on by typing about:plugins into the address bar:
Of course the simpler test would be to just load up whatever page you were on before you started troubleshooting. =)
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I tried to install this plug-in to Firefox several times, but never could. Your solution worked perfectly. I only discovered this web site a few months ago. I’ve used a bunch of your “how-to’s” and they’ve gotten the job done every time. Thanks guys. You’re GREAT!
thanks for your help
Yea this drove me crazy till I figured it out. As always your site rocks. As I culled my RSS Toolbar in Firefox your site has become #1.
Cheers
I’m glad to know this helped somebody!
Sometimes I write these “troubleshooting” articles, not sure if they will help anybody. It’s always good to know that it has =)
super! this problem had been bothering me for some time as i kept hearing that i should be using firefox. if i can make it work anyone should be able to figure it out (with your help, i mean). i too have made much use of your site and have learned a lot from you. thanks much
Why can’t you just go here: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave.....kwaveFlash and install the file that way? Seems to work for me, and with just one click…
isn’t this a little overcomplicated for a solution.
Firefox fails to autoinstall Flash because UAC blocks it. Run firefox as an Admin then try to install flash. Works for me everytime.
The same is also true for many other firefox plugins, like the active X plugin, which works but is really slow on some sites. I really don’t understand why firefox doesn’t just prompt for admin access like how it does in linux. It shouldn’t be that hard to implement because as far as I’ve seen UAC is just a blatant rip off of gksudo.
Hahaha, this is great. Thanks a lot
Great! This worked perfectly! If you dont mind can I copy some bits (and I do seriously mean only some bits) of your post and post it on my blog? I shall re direct the users to this page if they want to read the full article.
>>Why can’t you just go here: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave…..kwaveFlash and install the file that way? Seems to work for me, and with just one click…
Worked fine for me… and much simpler.
Btw, I tried the approach of installing flash plugin after running firefox as admin on vista, but no luck with that approach.
Awesome! Though im just a visitor it worked perfectly . Thanks for your help man!
Great, I’ve been annoyed for several months because Flash wouldn’t work in Firefox even though I’ve installed it several times. But thanks to this solution it finally works!! Thanks!
Awesome dude,fantastic work. Im using a Japanese VAIO so I cant check things like to tell if Im running firefox in the administrator mode in the control panel tab etc so all work arounds are great especially this one. Man I wish I could shake your hand, I had net explorer funning flash and not firefox and I was going nuts. Thanks for your help man, RSS subscribed.
oh thank u sooooo much my flash wasnt workin now it is you guys are the best!!!!
Thanks so much. Just downloaded FF3 a couple of days ago and found that I couldn’t get anything Flash-related to work due to lack of admin privileges, so this REALLY helped me out.
Cheers!
I can not do this. Whenever I download something in firefox, it opens the little download window, and downloads it, but I can not click open when complete (it is grayed out so that I can’t click it). When I go to my downloads folder, there is nothing there, this has worked every time I try to download flash 9. Works in Internet explorer, but I am guessing there is some Vista security thing stopping me from being able to do it. Every time I am in Firefox and click on install missing plugin, and ty to do it manually, it doesnt work. It doesn’t download the plugin automatically when I click on install either. Tried a lot of things to fix, but no luck.
Please Help!
Thanks
thanks a lot!
WOW! It works !!!! Thanks!
Thanks soooo much! Your rock! Wow! I have been working on this for a week!
Thanks again
Thank you so much for this fix. I have uninstalled and installed adobe flash too many times to count. This seems to have worked. This is my first visit to this website. You are definitely being added to my bookmarks.
Thanks so much – this fix was easy to find, easy to implement, and most importantly – EFFECTIVE! Much appreciated.
Good shot! I tried many times before googling for help. Thanks.
Works a treat, nice tutorial!
thank you SO much. fantastic!!!
You’re a genius. Thank you very much!
GREAT!!! I was about to give up on Firefox as EVERY other site I tried to help me install Flash was hopeless-but this WORKED HURRAY!!!
Many Thanks xxx
Works perfectly!!! Thank you. I will spread the word.
Hey man, I’ve been struggling with this problem for days and just found your page. You’re a real life-saver, thanks for the help!!!!!!
I’ve been trying to fix this since we got our new computer. Thank GOD it worked. Thanks for your help!
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
I bought a new computer with Windows Vista and it
was so frustrating trying to install the flash player
over and over for Firefox and have nothing happen
each time. Finally! Your instructions have brought
me into the promised land! Woo Hoo!
Your a legend!
Many thanks!!. Fellow writers often cite your solutions, and as usual you were right on! It worked seamlessly following your screen shots and instructions.
Out of curiosity, do you have an explanation for this problem?
I know some part of the explanation;
flash never really uninstalls anything well, especially when updating, and the flash install for firefox is
a little erratic. So the mixture of old installs lingering, and a
new install that doesn’t really tell firefox what it needs to know causes the problem.
Very helpful tutorial.
good job
Thank you! Saved my time! For the without admin privileges tutorial!
Perfect. Thank you so much. I was going nuts.
Works great! I tried the “simple” solutions but they never worked. I have Firefox at work, but as might expect, don’t have any sort of admin rights. And the Flash that’s installed with it is old. Using your directions I’m now on Flash 10! And in reality this was very simple two. Basically download, unzip, and copy.
Aww wow thanks so much I have struggled all day trying to do this myself – you sorted it for me in less than 10 mins.
Off to search your site now and see if you can sort all my other IT problems
Thank you very much. I recently installed Firefox because of the security risk with Internet Explorer. All was working well until I had to use Flash – or not, as it didn’t work (funnily enough this was a problem with Internet Explorer/Vista too!)
I came across your site whilst trying to find a solution and “Christmas has come early!” – all seems to be working, Flash too! The easy to follow instructions and screenshots meant that the issue was resolved in a matter of minutes, not days.
Again, thank you and Merry Christmas to you too!
Thanks!
^ Exactly what Spencer said. Thank you so much!
T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U !!!!
i’ve spent many hours trying to install flash player, and then i found this “how-to”
you made my day!
I had no clue what plugins were, since I w a s computer illiterate. I began to read the instructions and made an ugly face; fearing my ability to understand computer lingo. I completed one step at a time. You’ve made me feel like an “install genius”. This grandma can still work it!
Thank you, so much!
I have been really frustrated by trying to find out how to load the flash on my new computer to firefox. This info looks great but I’m a little illiterate.
On the first step…I’m supposed to down the plugnin…a notice comes up to ask me what program do I want to open it too? It’s not obvious to me which one I should use and its more confusing to use manually find one. What to do? Help…
Sigh….Now that’s just beautiful. I couldn’t get that thing to install any which way, your your article solved it in less than 30 seconds. I feel like a twit for not thinking of that myself. I’ve gotten slack…lol. Thank you very much, I’ll be browsing the rest of what you have here just for that one little thing!
You are the man! I was trying to install Firefox but I was unable due to “security restrictions” in my company. Now I have flash!
Worked like a charm! Thanks for your help. Trying to do this on IE 7 is a chore!
Thank you original poster and t9999clint. I had to follow both directions in order to get it to work on Firefox 64 bit for vista. I’ve been searching for 2 weeks and gave up. I had IE with a passion. I started to think I made a mistake purchasing 64 bit instead of 32. The two of you saved me today and I cannot thank you enough.
I meant I hate IE with a passion.
this is not working for me. cannot figure out how to paste the two files into in firefox plugins. tried to open firefox plugins to past inside but did nt work. help i am a novice at this stuff.
Really great!!!
Never thought It will be done… really Thank you for this..
Awesome, this solution is really recommended for computer with limited access such campus’s computer laboratory
I have the same problem as Tony- everything I download in firefox, the options for open file, open containing folder, etc are grayed out. this only started happening last week and Its just the latest in a long list of “features” that makes me want to pitch vista. Tony, if you ever found a solution, post it here! If I find one, I’ll post it.
TONY-
I fixed my issue, hope this helps you-
I had AVG, and had uninstalled it, but it didn’t seem to be completely gone. I re-installed it, and now my downloads will open again. Not ideal if you don’t want AVG, but it works!
Another solution that might work if you don’t want to run AVG is to run the setup file and uninstall from there. the windows uninstall doesn’t seem to do the job.
Best of luck
Thanks – brilliant – been trying to sort for ages.
Some short sighted commenters here. This isn’t just for Vista, it’s a workaround for not having admin privileges at all. Let me explain: the company I work for does not allow administrative privileges, and I refuse to use IE6 (their standard). I *can* (and do) use Firefox, and I can now enjoy the full functionality of Firefox – with Flash – because I could manually move the files required to where they need to be.
Excellent tip, with implications that reach beyond Vista. If you don’t need the tip, don’t post comments about how useless it is – it’s certainly been useful to me and several others!
dude!
thanks so much.
i wuz so pissed i couldn’t listen to my music or watch youtube.
thanx so,so,so much!!!
this website is awesome.
peace.
Wow – I’ve been looking for a solution for weeks! This worked for me right away – I’ve already tried eight times before this, and I’m impressed — good stuff!
I have not been able to install Flash Plugin for FireFox 3.0.9 installed on Vista. The following link gives an error message.
Any help in this regard would be very much appreciated.
Regards
CJ
Hi,
you will be wondering after getting so many positive comments how i am giving -ve response. i tried you method exactly same way and test using typing about:plugins in address bar in firefox. there it shows that flash has been activated. but when i try to run some songs from any website using flash player then it always loads the windows media player plugin. i dont want that.
could you help me, what could be problem there ??
thanks very much for your help in advance.
Awesome. I have tried a few solutions to this and this was the one that worked. Thanks a lot.
Thank you SO MUCH. This had been driving me mad ever since I got my new computer – the adobe site must have claimed to have downloaded Flash for me about ten times, I’d restart as instructed and…nothing!
NB I’m a techno-idiot, if I can follow your instructions then anyone can.
Thank you, it was getting so annoying till I’ve found your solution!
Wow, thankyou so so much for this. I was getting so annoyed with not being able to browse as much, and thought of not using Firefox anymore. But you helped so much, and the guide was clear and easy to understand. Im so happy ive fixed the annoying problem, thanks again!
thank U – it was a great help
what about the new flash players? some websites ask for the “latest” flash player.
Eddie Rosado
Possibly similar to yep yeps issue, I’ve had no luck using this technique for the latest flash player, September 1st 2009
does anyone know how to uninstall firefox windows media player xpi from windows vista operating system or reinstall so the program can be uninstalled afterwards
it didn’t work. I have vista 64 bit and that can’t open .xpt files. so I am still lost
Thank you. Can’t thank you enough.
Worked perfectly.
Thanks so much. Followed it step by step and it worked fine.
For everyone else, I am running Win 7 64bit.
Just dumped the two files in the x86 plugins folder.
Jonathan C. Smith