flashplayer stops working at random times

Question

Ok, this is a problem that I have been having for several years now, but it got a bit more frequent lately.

I think the problem has to do with something on my computer, and not specifically with flash, but as it's its greatest symptom, I hope someone here would be able to help.

The problem: At random times flash stops working (including flash videos, facebook, etc). Other things stop working as well, such as videos played by VLC, and HTML5 videos too.

Not working = video loads, but is stuck at 0 seconds OR some time ago is used to play only 7 seconds OR more recently, video doesn't load and an error is displayed.

Trigger: It sometimes happens when changing the volume, then the Windows volume control gets unresponsive. It also happens at seemingly random times, but at least sometimes it's also impossible to open the volume control when it happens.

Fix: A computer reboot fixes the problem. Often several reboots are required, but I couldn't figure out why and when.

System: HP Compaq 610 laptop, Windows 7, Chrome (also VLC). All regularly updated, but the problem, as I said, is not new.

Any input will be welcome!

jeromiec83223024 · Answer

Given that restarting the machine temporarily fixes the problem, it sounds a whole lot like you have a hardware component (probably GPU) that gets in a bad state, which is most likely either a problem with the related firmware, driver or the actual hardware component itself.

My guess is that if you actually shut the machine down vs. restarting it, you'd get you a consistent resolution on the first try. Actually shutting the power off for a few seconds would ensure that the components lose power and fully reset (they may not actually power down during a soft reboot).

To try and address the root-cause, I'd recommend that you download and apply any firmware updates available for your system, and update to the latest available drivers for your GPU and sound hardware.

If the problem persists, you're probably stuck with it. The hardware is probably well outside of it's supported lifecycle, so I'm guessing additional updates are not forthcoming, and if it's a component problem, it's a laptop, so it's not very serviceable. It would cost you close to the same amount of money to just buy a new Win10 machine vs. the parts and labor to try and replace problem components on your laptop.

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