Are you getting a blank or black screen when you try to play YouTube videos or Flash content on Mac OS X? While searching the internet for a solution, I came across a few troubleshooting steps, but none of the solutions seemed to fix empty video player errors. However, after following additional troubleshooting steps, I found a workaround that uses a few basic troubleshooting steps.
The problem with videos or flash games not working in browsers like Safari, Firefox or Google Chrome on Mac OS X is mainly due to a combination of settings and compatibility issues with Adobe Flash Player, the software that allows these web videos to play By following the troubleshooting steps below, you should be able to get flash videos and games to work on your Mac.
Please note that YouTube no longer uses flash memory, so this issue should not be experienced by anyone else. However, there are many other sites that still rely on Flash, so the steps below may help resolve issues on those sites.
1. Uninstall and reinstall Adobe Flash Player (make sure you are installing the latest version)
1. Uninstall and reinstall Adobe Flash Player (make sure you have the latest version installed)
This may or may not solve the Flash video problem, but it’s worth a try. Start by going to the Adobe official website and downloading the Flash Player uninstaller for OS X. Run the uninstaller, simply uninstall Flash Player from your Mac and restart your computer.
After your computer boots up and you’re signed in, go to Adobe.com to download the latest Flash Player. Reinstall and check if the YouTube videos are working.
2. Enable Flash in Chrome / Safari
2. Enable Flash in Chrome / Safari
In Chrome, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select “Settings.” Scroll down and click on Advanced to expand it. In the “Privacy & Security” section, click on “Content Settings”.
Scroll down to Flash and then switch the control so that it says “Ask first†(recommended).
If you’ve already installed Flash for Safari and it still doesn’t work, you may need to enable the plugin first. To do this, open Safari, then click “Safari” at the top and click “Preferences.”
Click on the Websites tab and a Plugins section should appear at the bottom of the left pane. Make sure the Adobe Flash Player box is checked. If it’s not there, be sure to visit the Adobe Flash website and download the latest version of Flash first.
By default, you will have to enable it on a per site basis. You can see a list of sites for which it is enabled, and at the bottom you can choose whether Flash will be enabled or disabled for all other sites.
3. Reset Safari, Firefox, Chrome and clear cache
3. Reset Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and Clear Cache
If Flash Player still doesn’t work as expected, you can try clearing your browser cache, closing it, and restarting. Some people report that videos will work correctly after clearing the cache.
In Chrome, you can click on the three dots, then click More Tools and select Clear Browsing Data. Be sure to check the box next to Cached images and files, and then click the Clear Data button.
4. Enable Javascript and Disable Popup Blocker
4. Enable JavaScript and disable the popup blocker
A lot of Flash content requires Javascript, so if you have an extension that blocks Javascript from running, you need to disable it. You will also need to go to your browser settings and make sure Javascript is enabled.
You can also try disabling the pop-up blocker for the specific site you’re having problems with. It is not recommended to completely disable your pop-up blocker as this will make your computer less secure.
5. Disable Flash hardware acceleration.
5. Disable flash hardware acceleration.
From a blank YouTube video that is not working as expected, right-click the area where the video normally displays to bring up the Flash Player context menu. Select the “Settings” option from the menu. Deselect the Enable Hardware Acceleration checkbox and click Close.
If you don’t see the right-click content context menu, just visit this Adobe Help page and right-click the Flash logo. If you do not see the Flash logo, it means that Flash is not installed correctly.
Close your browser completely, restart and check the Flash content again to make sure it plays.
6. Check your HTML 5 YouTube settings
6. Check HTML 5 YouTube settings
YouTube now fully supports HTML 5, and if you have the latest browser installed, all features should be fully supported as well.
If you go to this URL, https://www.youtube.com/html5, you should see checkmarks for all the various HTML 5 features. If something is not checked here, it means that your browser is very old and needs updating
Hopefully this post will help you troubleshoot empty video players and not working Flash applications on OS X. If you have any other troubleshooting tips, feel free to leave comments. Enjoy!
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