Slowcoach
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Slowcoach
Over the past month or so I've been the victim of a couple of odd issues of speed. My, so far as I now absolutely up-to-date Flash plug-in now simply does nothing until my computer has been running for at least ten minutes. Clicking to run a clip on the BBC web site, for example, simply results in a black box. Returning to the same link perhaps 10 minutes later and it works perfectly and continues to do so thereafter. There have been no changes of permissions or suchlike whatsoever in the meantime. This doesn't just apply to the BBC but, like a typical ex-pat Brit, the first thing I do every morning is consult the news on the BBC so that's where I notice this new problem every day.
Being a Pale Mooner, I started to use DuckDuckGo about a year or so ago and all seemed fine. Recently DuckDuckGo has taken around thirty seconds to provide its opening page. Slightly unlike the Flash issue above, it doesn't matter for how long I've been working but perhaps 10 to 20 minutes after first accessing DuckDuckGo in each browsing session, it starts to open straight away each time, just as it did for many months up until a couple of months ago. Being an unavoidably suspicious sort of chap I couldn't avoid the sensation that perhaps it was being interfered with as part of an effort by a competitor to stymie the smooth operation of the browser which has been promoting DuckDuckGo.
I still haven't got so far as to fashion my tinfoil hat but am I being neurotic? Has anybody else noticed these issues, or other similar ones? Is there, perhaps, a solution to each of them?
Being a Pale Mooner, I started to use DuckDuckGo about a year or so ago and all seemed fine. Recently DuckDuckGo has taken around thirty seconds to provide its opening page. Slightly unlike the Flash issue above, it doesn't matter for how long I've been working but perhaps 10 to 20 minutes after first accessing DuckDuckGo in each browsing session, it starts to open straight away each time, just as it did for many months up until a couple of months ago. Being an unavoidably suspicious sort of chap I couldn't avoid the sensation that perhaps it was being interfered with as part of an effort by a competitor to stymie the smooth operation of the browser which has been promoting DuckDuckGo.
I still haven't got so far as to fashion my tinfoil hat but am I being neurotic? Has anybody else noticed these issues, or other similar ones? Is there, perhaps, a solution to each of them?
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Also being a "Pale Mooner" I have noticed that if I attempt to play a YouTube video it often either takes ages before it starts, or will fail completely. However if I hit F5 (refresh) it plays straight away. If I use my "Portable" version of Firefox this strange behaviour doesn't happen. On other sites like Vimeo there doesn't seem to be a problem. Since many YT clips now use HTML5 I wonder if there is some conflict which is making PM try and handle a clip with Flash when there is another format available?
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Thank you The Flying Pram (you may have to explain that name!). I've tried your trick and I'm afraid, just like the browser's own refresh button, it did nothing for me. Just once in every, perhaps, twenty times I start up the browser and the Flash content works straight away but the other nineteen times are frustrating. It seems to be one thing after another with Flash. Ideas would be welcome, please....
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You may have to explain that name!
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....and he was probably right!
The problem with Flash content soon after browser start up remains exactly the same. The general silence in response to my first post (TFP's problem seems slightly different from mine) would suggest that it's more or less just me. I had wondered if there had been wider developments, of which I had not heard, leading from the predominance of Flash to the appearance of other solutions. Flash is so all-pervasive that it's a big issue which, surely, has to be got right so I expected all sorts of new stuff from those who know so much more than I. I'm not aware of having changed anything likely to be relevant during the past year or more but this problem has appeared only so very recently. Yet, perhaps once a week, I wind up PaleMoon and it all works perfectly - until the next time...
The problem with Flash content soon after browser start up remains exactly the same. The general silence in response to my first post (TFP's problem seems slightly different from mine) would suggest that it's more or less just me. I had wondered if there had been wider developments, of which I had not heard, leading from the predominance of Flash to the appearance of other solutions. Flash is so all-pervasive that it's a big issue which, surely, has to be got right so I expected all sorts of new stuff from those who know so much more than I. I'm not aware of having changed anything likely to be relevant during the past year or more but this problem has appeared only so very recently. Yet, perhaps once a week, I wind up PaleMoon and it all works perfectly - until the next time...
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Have you thought about posting on the PaleMoon forum? You'll need to create an account and think of a user name, but that's pretty much standard. I've had a quick look on your behalf, and this thread may be of some interest:
The mention of Flash "ESR" lead me here (2/3rds of the way down):
I have also experimented with the Flash Plugin disabled (selected from "Tools > Add-ons") - The BBC news site won't play any clips without it, but many "tube" sites now offer HTML5, and work fine. Usually if there is a problem with Flash it comes up with an error message, rather than just doing nothing.
But further to my first reply, I find that the "loading circle" delay doesn't always occur - there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it - sometimes YT clips will play straight away, other times I either have to wait for 10-20 seconds or hit "Refresh".
Dunno if any of this helps?
TFP
Code:
http://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8969&p=59792&hilit=flash+pluginslow#p59792
Code:
https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html
But further to my first reply, I find that the "loading circle" delay doesn't always occur - there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it - sometimes YT clips will play straight away, other times I either have to wait for 10-20 seconds or hit "Refresh".
Dunno if any of this helps?
TFP
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Thanks for that link. I'll have a shot at the ESR version tomorrow because it's 0230 here now!
When I get the problems with Flash content it's for ten minutes or more at the start of a browsing session. When it happens the window for the clip flashes a very brief image of the start of the content and then goes black and stays that way for quite a few minutes but my Windows (yes, W7 Ultimate) remains perfectly responsive and behaves normally in every way provided I don't expect anything with Flash to show anything but a black image.
Once Flash starts to work after say ten minutes, it works perfectly and without delay for that original clip and for any others.
Grrr! Perhaps it's a sign that I should be reading a good book instead!
When I get the problems with Flash content it's for ten minutes or more at the start of a browsing session. When it happens the window for the clip flashes a very brief image of the start of the content and then goes black and stays that way for quite a few minutes but my Windows (yes, W7 Ultimate) remains perfectly responsive and behaves normally in every way provided I don't expect anything with Flash to show anything but a black image.
Once Flash starts to work after say ten minutes, it works perfectly and without delay for that original clip and for any others.
Grrr! Perhaps it's a sign that I should be reading a good book instead!
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The silence is making me think that I am alone with Flash problems..... Is that really so? Is there anyone who will share their views on the confidence I should have in the security of the older ESR version, please? In the first place, is that the way to go?
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The Adobe page I linked to says this as regards the ESR version:
Which suggests that it's as secure (if that's saying much) as the standard version.
You have the option (via "Tools >> Add-ons >> Plugins") of setting it to "Ask to Activate" if you want. That should (I believe) reduce the chances of it being used for nefarious purposes. You can also disable it completely. After some testing it appears that with the "Ask" option enabled most sites will default to Flash (after you've approved), but with it disabled they play HTML5 instead.
You might try this and see what happens?
TFP
We have created a branch of the Flash Player code that we keep up to date with all of the latest security updates, but none of the new features or bug fixes available in our current release branch
You have the option (via "Tools >> Add-ons >> Plugins") of setting it to "Ask to Activate" if you want. That should (I believe) reduce the chances of it being used for nefarious purposes. You can also disable it completely. After some testing it appears that with the "Ask" option enabled most sites will default to Flash (after you've approved), but with it disabled they play HTML5 instead.
You might try this and see what happens?
TFP
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Thank you once more, The Flying Pram. I don't know why but since Sunday my Flash plugin has started working (so far as I can tell, anyway) perfectly once more. I have done precisely nothing apart from observe.
Perhaps all of the experts on here knew that was going to happen..... I can't think of any other reason for the silence of all but TFP because I don't think I've done anything to upset anyone! Perhaps it's because it's holiday time.
Perhaps all of the experts on here knew that was going to happen..... I can't think of any other reason for the silence of all but TFP because I don't think I've done anything to upset anyone! Perhaps it's because it's holiday time.
