Whenever I click the "download" link on a flash post, it doesn't download the actual .swf file. Instead, when I open up the downloaded file, it opens up my browser to the download page... which downloads a link to the download page, which... you get the picture. I can't figure out any way to actually download the flash file itself, on any of the browsers I use (Firefox, IE, Chrome).

I don't remember if this is a new issue for me or not, but either way I'm at a loss as to what's going on or how to fix it. The files themselves play perfectly fine on my browsers, I just can't download them in any way.

MalusCorvus said:
Whenever I click the "download" link on a flash post, it doesn't download the actual .swf file. Instead, when I open up the downloaded file, it opens up my browser to the download page... which downloads a link to the download page, which... you get the picture. I can't figure out any way to actually download the flash file itself, on any of the browsers I use (Firefox, IE, Chrome).

I don't remember if this is a new issue for me or not, but either way I'm at a loss as to what's going on or how to fix it.

So even when you right-click on the download link and select "Save Link As...", it still saves an .html or .php file? Are you using any kind of VPN, proxy or firewall that might be interfering with your browser's access to the e621 servers? Make sure that static.e621.net is not included in any of your adblockers or extensions that may change what you see on a webpage.

Faux-Pa said:
So even when you right-click on the download link and select "Save Link As...", it still saves an .html or .php file? Are you using any kind of VPN, proxy or firewall that might be interfering with your browser's access to the e621 servers? Make sure that static.e621.net is not included in any of your adblockers or extensions that may change what you see on a webpage.

No, it saves as a .swf with (in the instance I tried) 628 KB as its file size, that simply does the aforementioned linking. I'm fairly sure I'm not using any sort of browser feature that would block it, though I'll try using a different computer tomorrow.

MalusCorvus said:
No, it saves as a .swf with (in the instance I tried) 628 KB as its file size, that simply does the aforementioned linking. I'm fairly sure I'm not using any sort of browser feature that would block it, though I'll try using a different computer tomorrow.

It might be one of those flashes that fetches additional files from elsewhere to run properly. Which post was it?

MalusCorvus said:
Whenever I click the "download" link on a flash post, it doesn't download the actual .swf file. Instead, when I open up the downloaded file, it opens up my browser to the download page... which downloads a link to the download page, which... you get the picture. I can't figure out any way to actually download the flash file itself, on any of the browsers I use (Firefox, IE, Chrome).

I don't remember if this is a new issue for me or not, but either way I'm at a loss as to what's going on or how to fix it. The files themselves play perfectly fine on my browsers, I just can't download them in any way.

What browser are you using, and on which operating system?

I don't think this will solve your problem but if you use Firefox, there's a feature where you can right-click on the page, click "View Page Info", click the Media tab, find and select the flash file, then click "Save As...". I used to do that to grab flash games off Newgrounds and other sites all the time.

BlueDingo said:
It might be one of those flashes that fetches additional files from elsewhere to run properly. Which post was it?

Literally every flash file I've tried, though at the time I was trying to download post #904363

Munkelzahn said:
What browser are you using, and on which operating system?

As I mentioned, I tried it on Firefox, Chrome, and IE. As for operating systems also tried it on Windows 7 and Windows 10. There's one more thing I can try, that uses an older version of Firefox...

BlackLicorice said:
I don't think this will solve your problem but if you use Firefox, there's a feature where you can right-click on the page, click "View Page Info", click the Media tab, find and select the flash file, then click "Save As...". I used to do that to grab flash games off Newgrounds and other sites all the time.

Exact same result. A 628kb file (for the first post I mentioned) that (depending on what browser I'm using), either opens to a blank page, or opens to a page that tries to download that very 628kb file.

However, I think at this point it might be an issue with my computers being unable to actually run the .swf file - I tried with post #437045 and I got a 6.8mb file instead, which tells me it's downloading something, but nothing I have will run it. Used to be I could open the .swf file in a browser and run it that way (and only that way), but that's not working anymore.

MalusCorvus said:
Literally every flash file I've tried, though at the time I was trying to download post #904363

I just tried that one and it worked just fine.

MalusCorvus said:
However, I think at this point it might be an issue with my computers being unable to actually run the .swf file - I tried with post #437045 and I got a 6.8mb file instead, which tells me it's downloading something, but nothing I have will run it. Used to be I could open the .swf file in a browser and run it that way (and only that way), but that's not working anymore.

Do you have the proper plugin installed? Media players with flash compatibility are another option.

BlueDingo said:Do you have the proper plugin installed? Media players with flash compatibility are another option.

I have no idea how to check that. It runs just fine on my browsers, I don't know why it wouldn't work off my hard drive. As for media players, any recommendations?

MalusCorvus said:
I have no idea how to check that. It runs just fine on my browsers, I don't know why it wouldn't work off my hard drive. As for media players, any recommendations?

K-Lite Codec Pack. Some flashes don't work properly on it, though.

BlueDingo said:
K-Lite Codec Pack. Some flashes don't work properly on it, though.

Wow... K-Lite Codec Pack. Haven't heard of that since I started to using VLC so long ago! But anyway shouldn't SWF files open in an internet browser?

Edit: just tried it now and apparently not anymore?

Edit 2: They open in Internet Explorer (not Edge)! Open Internet Explorer then drag the flash file into it.

BlackLicorice said:
Wow... K-Lite Codec Pack. Haven't heard of that since I started to using VLC so long ago! But anyway shouldn't SWF files open in an internet browser?

Edit: just tried it now and apparently not anymore?

Maybe it's a problem with newer browsers.

Assume that Mozilla and Google phasing out flash is causing your issues.

Firefox 55: Flash runs only on HTTP or HTTPS

Mozilla "recently" disabled running SWF files from file:///
Follow the instructions in the article to play local SWF files.

Chrome had a prefer HTML5 over Flash flag that fucked with me too. I was part of the random, early rollout. Now that flag is missing (so probably enabled for everyone), and I don't know what other impediments they've implemented since then.

BlueDingo said:
K-Lite Codec Pack. Some flashes don't work properly on it, though.

It's not K-Lite Codec Pack itself which plays flash files, but MPC-HC specifically which happens to be included with it. Everything else in the pack just makes it so that more filetypes will play either with MPC-HC or WMP.

BlackLicorice said:
Wow... K-Lite Codec Pack. Haven't heard of that since I started to using VLC so long ago! But anyway shouldn't SWF files open in an internet browser?

Edit: just tried it now and apparently not anymore?

Edit 2: They open in Internet Explorer (not Edge)! Open Internet Explorer then drag the flash file into it.

BlueDingo said:
Maybe it's a problem with newer browsers.

I still only recommend VLC to people who have absolutely no idea how to use computers but still want to play file X. It will play everything, but there's so many bigger and smaller issues with it that my inner nerd who wants everything just the way they want with their computer got headache from it, ranging from playback quality to looping not actually properly looping. Also the converter included has brought so many issues in so many cases, including here on the site.

Even with many furry videos, MPC-HC with MadVR is kilometers better from VLC: https://puu.sh/ypgtQ/a57f49107f.png (post #964003)
(Also MPC-HC seamlessly loops while VLC goes like "oh shit, video ended, let's wait couple seconds, then resize the whole window again and then play it again")

Just like abadbird stated above, browser manufacturers are already slowly fading out the flash support, disabling all flash content by default and even on whitelisted domains still do not autoplay if the flash is low resolution. This way most of the stuff, especially advertisement (e621 for some reason still has flash ads, which have been disabled for me for years already without any sort of adblock) will be blocked already way before the actual support ends so it's soft landing instead of direct slap in the face of user.
Internet Explorer most likely still works, because they are slowly trying to phase it out in favor of Edge, so no use on updating it much. I think it's still around for compatibility as many websites and software still relies on having IE on machine.

I actually have this in my profile bio under "viewing". What I'm personally using is Flash Projector. Sadly adobe only is serving this trough either standalone executable or part of adobe animate CC, so you need to either manually set it up with manually updating it or install massive software for something this small. However this way it's possible to simply double click .swf files and they will play using latest flash version with the resolution they were intented to be played with no bugs which can happen with MPC-HC for example.

I do wonder if someone has enough knowledge or has already done some more automated way to use flash projector, because doing file assosiation and icon, shouldn't be insanely hard and neither is checking for updated files from adobes server.

Mario69 said:
a lot of stuff

Yeah, I've experienced problems with VLC too. Sure it plays everything but that doesn't mean it plays them well lol, especially when I tried to play SFD (Sofdec) video files ripped from PS2 games. Skipping to specific times doesn't work and neither does audio. I'm gonna go try MPC-HC now :3

abadbird said:
Assume that Mozilla and Google phasing out flash is causing your issues.

Firefox 55: Flash runs only on HTTP or HTTPS

Mozilla "recently" disabled running SWF files from file:///
Follow the instructions in the article to play local SWF files.

Chrome had a prefer HTML5 over Flash flag that fucked with me too. I was part of the random, early rollout. Now that flag is missing (so probably enabled for everyone), and I don't know what other impediments they've implemented since then.

Annoyingly I'm pretty sure it's this. I've had this issue before because Chrome kept trying to disable Flash, and now it seems to be a permanent "feature". Because god-for-fucking-bid that someone try to actually try using flash, right?

It sucks too, since most flash videos here don't fit all the way on my laptop screen and the only way I had to fix that was by opening it in a new tab, a feature that Google (and by the sounds of it Mozilla too) have flipped a giant middle finger to anyone that uses that program for any reason.

searcher8 said:
Annoyingly I'm pretty sure it's this. I've had this issue before because Chrome kept trying to disable Flash, and now it seems to be a permanent "feature". Because god-for-fucking-bid that someone try to actually try using flash, right?

It sucks too, since most flash videos here don't fit all the way on my laptop screen and the only way I had to fix that was by opening it in a new tab, a feature that Google (and by the sounds of it Mozilla too) have flipped a giant middle finger to anyone that uses that program for any reason.

Like said, slow fall instead of instant slap. This way users accustomed to not be able to use flash so easily, making those doing flashes think of better solutions, instead of just blocking it outright. Because just a reminder, adobe themselves are killing the software at 2020 and all browsers will end the support before that. This isn't middle finger, this is desperate move to get rid of the thing once and for all as it doesn't seem to do that by itself.

Mobile has been already ahead of this, android flash haven't gotten updates since version 11 and on iDevices you needed to rely on third party companies playing the flash files for you and send them to you as video stream from the beginning. Both cases are the kind which I wouldn't call exactly most secure or best way of viewing your furry content.

There's reason why there's no scaling for flash content at least on this site, I did request feature to have the dynamic scaling to also work on WebM files which has been implemented ages ago already (forum #194741) and now there's also that full size button beneath to look the video in original size now, so content should be easily viewable no matter how large it is and easy to fullscreen if wanted (also not possible with flash here). However I was againts it to be used with flash (forum #198650) because it will have so severe side effects unless unless flash creator took it into consideration and it will look even worse with movement. CTRL and +/-/scroll will still of course work just fine.

And you also said it, flash videos, I have been trying to tell artists to drop the flash completely if all they are doing is put video inside it. All this does is make the video not compatible with mobile, have issues like the scaling, decreases quality, etc. HTML5 standard supports WebM, MP4 and OGV files which are all much more modern and efficient compared to FLV and there are already many sites which will accept at least some of these formats including FurryNetwork, e621, Inkbunny, Deviantart and Tumblr.

Is this thread still up? I also have the problem that clicking swf files just download it. I have my own workaround to play flash in google chrome browser. (This is my 1st time sry~)

- Download your swf file
- Create a chrome html link with any title you want (You can save a chrome page, open with notepad, and delete its contents)
- Move them both to the same folder
- Copy the text in this link https://pastebin.com/fKRKsHvE then paste to the chrome html file notepad then save and close
- Copy the full name of your swf file(including the .swf)
- Open the chrome html file in notepad again and search for ".swf" then replace the text with the complete name of the swf file you want to run.(e.g replacing iamlol.swf with flashfile.swf) There are 3 ".swf"'s. Careful not to remove anything else
- Done

• Depending on the file size it might load awhile
• There are other different parameters in there. Figure it out :P
• Remember to allow flash by clicking on the lock sign at the top left

LEMile said:
Is this thread still up? I also have the problem that clicking swf files just download it. I have my own workaround to play flash in google chrome browser. (This is my 1st time sry~)
*instructions*

Considering that chrome is one of the browsers to end the support for flash soon™ and has already taken steps to disable them by default, I would still prefer using flash projector. Flash projector opens the .swf directly without need to modify .html every time you need to open seperate file, as well as opens the flash first with the project resolution (no nasty scaling artifacts and you'll see the file first the way that creator meant it to be viewed) but also proper actual fullscreen where chrome you still have taskbars and browsers top bar in view.

Using post #855728 as example: https://puu.sh/zW1wT/aeaf46602d.mp4

Don't get me wrong, your method does indeed work, but it's simply a hasshle. And of course if they are embedded on page here, CTRL and +/-/scroll and you should be able to zoom in and out as long as you aren't focused on flash plugin.

The download button is useless. You click download it open the post in a non e621 page that you cannot interact with AT ALL. It should download the file when you hit download not open another page. Thats just blatantly retarded. Then again so is have of e621 staff. Specially Mario. They keep approving tos violations. Its ALWAYS them doing it to. They should be fired. I bet they are the reason behind the download button being a fake.

⬆ Sure buddy. Dig yourself deeper rather than read and download.

mouseymouse69 said:
...Then again so is have of e621 staff...

Truly words to live by.