Flash Player keeps crashing my computer

Report · Aug 28, 2011

I got an auto update of Flash Player 10.3.183.7. Right after this update when i went to a site running flash the page would freeze, and i couldn't do anything

because everything was froze. After about 30 seconds i get the blue screen it says flash player plugin container is the cause. It dose this on any page running flash. I uninstalled and reinstalled, that did not help at all. I turned the hardware accelerator to none, like i read in adobe forum, this didn't help ether.

I tried to go back to the version before this, but when i go to a site with flash, it says i need the most current version of flash player. a few times it froze i was able to open the task manager and the flash player plug-in container was maxing out the CPU, and the memory.

I have a AMD Phenom II X4 quad core 3.5 GHz, and 8GB memory, windows XP SP3, Nivida GeForce 260GTX OC HD video card. I'm using Firefox 6.0.1

This also happens when i use Internet Explorer 8.0.6 I first thought this was a browser problem i was using Firefox 3.6.18

I currently have Flash Player uninstalled. So How do I stop this from crashing my computer?

Report · Oct 05, 2011

The top of my post says (in response to Tialian), but I am not trying to help anyone in particular, but trying to get to the bottom of these freezes.

To view your Event Logs go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer. Now what/where to look depends on your operating system; it seems you have Windows 7. On the top window open errors - see if there is anything under browser, for the time it happened last.

TinaGrimes wrote:
I just updated Flash on October 2...whatever update that was is the version I have.

There was a new Flash Player 11 released on October 4; it would be interesting to know if this freeze also happens with FP11.

Report · Oct 05, 2011

I don't see the word "Browser" anywhere in the Event Viewer. What do I need to click on first in order to get to that?

I am also downloading FP11 right now. Will install tomorrow and update with the results.

Thank you in the mean time for your help with this.

Report · Oct 06, 2011

After expanding the list of errors, look for application errors. Find the application error whose Faulting application name is the file name of your browser.

Report · Oct 06, 2011

I am using Chrome. I really haven't had a chance to experiment with other browsers since I fixed my processor issue.

I don't have anything in my event viewer (except warnings from when my computer freezes and I have to shutdown improperly).

I have another Win 7 64 bit system and it doesn't have any freezing issues (also using Chrome).

My only thought is that there is some sort of hardware compatability issue that hasn't been patched yet, although I sent in my dxdiag file before and tech support couldn't reproduce the issue so who really knows.

Report · Oct 06, 2011

Just ran a little test tonight.

Opened a flash video and left it running for over 2 hours, when I came back I was able to move the mouse for about 5-10 seconds and then had a complete system freeze.

I would love to blame this issue on something else but I played WoW non-stop for about 7 hours over the weekend without a single hiccup.

Report · Oct 07, 2011

Add to me to the long list of disgruntled users whose computer crashes when using Flash 10.3 or higher. When it crashes, everything freezes and I have to kill power to recover. Yes, turning off hardware acceleration seems to fix it, but then my computer runs like crap. I guess I'll just have to get used to not using Flash anymore.

Report · Oct 07, 2011

rick287 wrote:
turning off hardware acceleration seems to fix it, but then my computer runs like crap.

Sometimes it helps to update the device drivers for your graphic adapter.

Report · Oct 08, 2011

So just a little update.

I completely uninstalled Chrome and tried running IE9 with no addons. Browser still froze after a while.

Also I left my machine running overnight with no browser up and when I woke up in the morning it was frozen.

This sure is weird, why is it I can play system intensive games without issue but browsers with no addons freeze my computer? Just doesn't make sense.

Report · Oct 08, 2011

Have you tried to disable Hardware Acceleration? It seems that it helped some other users in this topic.

Report · Oct 09, 2011

Nothing to disable since Flash was completely uninstalled.

Right now I'm looking at the possibility that my BIOS needs updated, failing that, a possible bad motherboard.

Report · Nov 11, 2011

Just a little update, in my case it turned out the problem was a faulty motherboard from the factory. Did an RMA, installed the replacement motherboard that came back and bam - problem solved.

Report · Nov 11, 2011

Tialian - Glad to hear that someone at least has found a fix. But I hardly think all of the people having problems can have bad hardware. I agree that it must be a hardware incompatibility that is causing the issues.

Report · Nov 11, 2011

Given:

1) scores of people that I have found reporting this problem in the forums, (which means hundreds if not thousands of people have this problem)

2) I see it happening on different systems with totally different hardware and brands for every single relevant hardware component

3) the hardware I see it happening on again is totally different from hardware setups others have reported

4) major crashing issues of a similar nature have been plaguing people for the last 3 versions of flash player, which spans tons of different systems

It is either the worst hardware compatibility issue ever because it is incompatible with most major brands of hardware components or it is not a hardware compatibility issue.

Report · Nov 13, 2011

Update from me regarding this issue.

Updated my VGA's drivers and problem solved.

Report · Nov 13, 2011

I already stated that all the drivers are updated.

Report · Nov 14, 2011

FV

One can only echo your sentiments (as a Mac OSX user) ... it would be revealing to know why it is necessary for Adobe to carry out so many updates ! I assume because it is such an insecure system which they offer (Apple told Adobe to go jump in the lake).

I didn't realise that the default setting in the preferences allows any website to store data on your local drive (I imagine the same is true for any Windows user) and that was causing y machine to slow to a crawl when booting up. You ned to set "ask me before allowing new sites etc" and then it is best to go back there on a regular basis and to delete all the damned permissions.

As with Adobe Flashplayer - all these are talking to their home base and no doubt that causes playback to error to be jerky (I see it even when off-line) .. on some machines this may cause a system crash.

TR

Report · Nov 14, 2011

Amen! (Excellent observation!). It's crappy code!

Life without Flash Player is hard but not intolerable. It does make sites boot up a lot quicker. I normally don't have it installed, but when I absolutely have to, I'll install it for a specific site, then uninstall it after I'm done with the site. Pain in the keester but at least I don't have to deal with the constant crashing.

Report · Sep 19, 2011

When using Internet Explorer 9, have you tried checking Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering?

Report · Sep 19, 2011

Carl E. Myers Jr. wrote:
When using Internet Explorer 9, have you tried checking Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering?

I have not tried this, however this issue is not exclusive to IE9.

Report · Sep 19, 2011

Well, I don't know about whether other browsers are into using the GPU but I.E. 9 has problems with dual GPU systems as I.E.9 always uses the integrated GPU when GPU rendering is on. You will find many threads about this on the Microsoft Answers I.E. forum. Some people have to update drivers, some have to set the Optimus to use only the integrared GPU when running I.E. and some have to use software rendering.

Message was edited by: Carl E. Myers Jr.

Report · Oct 02, 2011

OK, wonderful. After my last reply I did another round of updates to my graphics drivers I thought I had the problem mostly resolved. I could finally watch YouTube videos again, which was great. But there were still some other flash things that were freezing my browser (especially when trying to upload photos to my many blogs using the flash uploader--which is beyond a small problem since I am an avid blogger) but at least some things were working. So today when I had restarted my computer there was a notice about a Flash update. So I debated it, and debated it. Should I or shouldn't I? Well, I did, thinking that maybe this new update would finally resolve the problems with this Flash software. But naturally I was wrong. And now I am back to not being able to watch YT videos and continue to have issues with other Flash things on websites. It all freezes up my browser, forcing me to start the Task Manager to force quit my browser to get it useable again.

Seriously, not trying to be a B***H here, but is this ever gonna get fixed? Flash is used on MANY, MANY websites. It is not a minor inconvenience to have my browser freeze up every single time I try to do something with Flash on a website. Blogging has become a giant pain thanks to this issue. Not being able to watch any videos is also a problem. And just having my browser freeze and having to force quit it all the time is so completely annoying. If Adobe is going to release updates to its software, shouldn't it FIX existing issues?

Report · Oct 03, 2011

Hello, i've the exact same problem... It started today. Everything was fine before today.

There was an update or something ?

Because seriously, almost every site uses flash....

Downloaded flash 11, same problem.

Please do something !

Report · Oct 12, 2011

I've been having this problem for a while now and tried to find a solution...I've sort of got one. Install flash 10.0.x (doesnt use GPU in the same way as later versions i believe) and everything works perfectly, HOWEVER after a couple of days I get messages saying I cant load the content without the latest version of flash dispite the fact that it worked the day before, does anyone now how to disable "Please install the latest version of Adobe Flash Player." because I can live with an old version if it doesnt repeatedly crash my pc causing data loss etc.

Oh and it's definately flash, Ive stress tested my GPU, ran games on high and watched videos at the same time and left the pc running GPU intensive software overnight and its all been as smooth as anything, watch one or 2 flash videos and boom.

XPS 420

PSU: G7 Power Extreme 780W

CPU: Q6660 @ 3 GHz (BSEL Mod)

GPU: Asus Radeon HD 6770

RAM: 4GB DDR2

OS: 64-bit W7

HD1: 1 TB 7200 Rpm

HD2 500GB 5400 Rpm

Message was edited by: ktoc9

Report · Nov 07, 2011

I am having this exact problem since I updated my flash player a couple weeks ago. Opening certain web pages that have flash applications on them completely freezes the browser and then the computer within a second. Within 30 seconds, the entire computer physically crashes with a very brief blue error screen before the computer shuts itself off.

I have been diligently updating everything to fix this problem that I can find, and nothing has helped. Drivers, browsers, plug-ins, applications, everything.

There is no error report or number to send or post because the crashing causes a total freeze and computer death. I also can't change the hardware acceleration settings because there is nothing to click on when the pages are frozen.

So far I haven't seen any posted solutions and really hope there are some since my job on a web site depends on flash's functionality.

Report · Nov 14, 2011

I am having the same problem you are.. and this is just very frustrating.. Adobe flash is literally crashing my computer. Tried updating.. everything It sucks i need it for utube and stuff.... Please fix this adobe!