How to fix Flash Player buffering entire video before playing?

[michails39402054]

I am using the most up to date version of flash (16.0.0.305), windows 7, and the problem persists across all browser (IE, firefox, chrome). Today all flash videos are buffering the entire video before playing and i can't seem to figure out how to fix it. I've gone through the entire troubleshooting from Video playback issues (i.e. clearing caches, re installing chrome, re-installing flash, etc.) and nothing seems to change it. Youtube and other premium streaming services (ex. netflix) work fine which suggests the streaming problem is specific to flash. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jeromiec83223024]

Can you point me to a couple links with affected videos?

[michails39402054]

Well it isn't just some flash videos, it's all of them. Sometimes if I leave the video long enough, the entire video will buffer before starting. Other times, it just won't play. The only thing that has changed was that my computer just had a windows update. When I restore the computer back to before the update, everything is fine, but many times the updates happen automatically. Regardless, I don't understand why windows update would cause such a problem. Either way, here are some of the sites I'm having trouble with http://streamonline.me/the-100-season-2-episode-12-rubicon/ Watch "Modern Family" (2009) (TV Show) online on PrimeWire | 1Channel | Formerly LetMeWatchThis - Se...

[michails39402054]

Here is a screenshot of the updates I completed

[michails39402054]

Actually I must take back some of my previous analysis. I tried restoring my computer back again and the problem isn't fixed this time. I have no idea why is stopped working, then started working and then stopped working again.

[michails39402054 · Accepted solution]

I just uninstalled ad-aware web companion and the videos have begun to work fine again. i will return if/when the problem does

[Guest]

I am having the same issue for about 1 week now. I am using Chrome for everything i do, but i also checked if the problem persists on other browsers (Explorer, Mozilla, Safari) and it does the same thing to those browsers.
YouTube is working just fine. The problem is located in ALL of the Flash Player videos. It waits for the video to fully loads and THEN it starts playing it. On ALL the flash player websites i have checked.

Can someone help please i beg you because this whole thing is really annoying......!!!!!!

[Guest]

Anyone help ??????

[jeromiec83223024]

Like the original reporter observed, this is usually a self-inflicted problem related to third-party software that changes how the browser behaves.  If you aren't running any similar software, then you might try a fresh install of both the browser and Flash Player.

Uninstall Flash Player | Windows

Internet Explorer:

http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/latest/help/install_flash_player_ax.exe

Firefox and other NPAPI browsers:

http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/latest/help/install_flash_player.exe

[Guest]

I tried uninstall and re install both Flash Player and Chrome it self but nothing changed.

I also noticed that when i try to download something on chrome (this is the browser i use for everything), for example a movie trailer from Apple's trailer site (for example this movie trailer iTunes Movie Trailers) i right click and press Save As, it does nothing after that and after let's say some seconds the window pops up asking me where to save it, and i save it. That means that when i press "Save As" it does starts downloading in the background (like the first post in this thread states) and only wneh it finishes downloading the Chrome pop up window appear. When it should pop immediatelly asking me where to save it the moment i right click something and press Save As. At least that what i used to do before THIS whole problem started......

Any thoughts...??????

Please i am desperate...... 

[jeromiec83223024]

What are you running in terms of anti-virus/anti-malware software?

Do you have the same issue in other browsers?

Have you run a recent scan for malware?  (http://www.malwarebytes.org is free and well-respected)

[Guest]

I use Avast Free Antivirus. (the free version)

I downloaded as you said installed and did a full malware scan with with Malwarebytes | Free Anti-Malware & Internet Security Software and it found zero (0) threats.

So what should i try next ???

[jeromiec83223024]

Well, that's happy news at least.   Something is obviously not right, and it doesn't seem specific to Flash, but I don't really know what's going on.

If you haven't checked to make sure that the filesystem is in good shape, that's probably a wise idea:

Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck - Apple Support

As a troubleshooting measure, you might try temporarily uninstalling the virus scanner (frequently disabling it isn't enough) to see if that changes the outcome, but I'm just guessing at this point.

[Guest]

The link you gave me reffers to Apple computers, when i am using Windows 7 x 64 Ultimate...

Maybe another link...?

[jeromiec83223024]

Sorry, there you go:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2641432

[Zupernovato]

I'm having the same problems as george, and I did a windows 8.1 yesterday, after updates I've got that. I just have the SO updated and the official drivers, no antivirus, no antimalware...nothing. Any idea? I've tried that link and also doesnt solve nothing.

[jeromiec83223024]

Umm, those websites are both really sketchy.  When you're getting stuff for free, you have to really wonder about what's paying for it.  *Someone* is paying the bill.

When I went to the first link, I was immediately presented with a fake download prompt for both Java and Flash Player.

Are there sites that aren't serving pirated content where this issue occurs?  News sites, YouTube, etc?

[Zupernovato]

For example the download of the offline installer of flash player...does nothing after few minutes that prompt for save as..., i click and in a second is downloaded. Is clearly an issue with windows, It happens the same even with internet explorer. Perhaps some update?

[Zupernovato]

This link ie: http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/latest/help/install_flash_player.exe

[jeromiec83223024]

Yeah, unfortunately I don't have any good suggestions.  We test extensively on Win8, Win8.1 and Win10 and it's not a set of symptoms I see under normal conditions, but we do clean installs.  My guess is that something is wrong with the underlying Windows installation (we're not using Flash to download the offline installer, for instance), but I don't really know what to tell you except that in practice, a clean OS install is almost always going to give you way better results than an upgrade install.

You could try resetting IE:

Change or reset Internet Explorer settings - Windows Help

[Zupernovato]

I did fresh install yesterday night, and everything was working with just chipset and video drivers. Then i install the rest and did a full windows update, and this started to happend, but Ive notice it this morning.... I barelly use IE, i use firefox but the issue replicates on every explorer.

[jeromiec83223024]

Have you rebooted since applying the patches?

[Zupernovato]

I did a lot of times, in fact after reset IE asks you to restart computer.

I even create new local user and still happens the same. I'm hopeless.

[jeromiec83223024]

I'm just guessing at this point, but do you have any luck with turning off Tracking Protection in IE?

Why don’t videos play in Internet Explorer? - Windows Help

[Zupernovato]

Still the same issue, I think is more related to windows than to IE.