Flash files won't fully play in browsers

Factual Questions
1

I have this issue a ton with YouTube, rarely with Google Video or CuteCast or any other flash I see. I use the latest version of Firefox. I also use the Firefox plugin Flashblock. It replaces all embedded flash with a clickable button, and when clicked, will load it. Useful for all those flash ads. This has been happening for several months now. I have had Flashblock installed for perhaps 2 years. This also happens regardless of if I allow YouTube or Google or whatever to have autoplay functionality in the browser.

I will choose to watch a video, and may see the first 5 seconds. Or the first 40 seconds. Or the first 4 minutes. Or perhaps the entire video. If I reload the page it will stop at the same point. Usually if I reloaded Firefox or rebooted the computer, it would reset and allow me to re-try (often successfully).

Now it is ‘sticking.’ I have rebooted twice, cleared my Temporary Internet Files (via Disk Cleanup utility), ctrl-F5d the videos, and I still get ‘stuck’ at the same points in the same videos. If I freeze in the middle or beginning of a video, the loading bar in YouTube/Google will also stop, although I can make it replay up to the same point.

If I load a freezing video in MSIE6, while it will re-download the content, it too freezes at the same spot.

What the heck is happening? How can I stop it? I’m happy to provide any other information desired.

2

I use Flashblock, too. I don’t have the answer for you, but re-installing Flash would be something to try. Maybe you don’t have the current version.

P.S. I had been using Flashblock for some time before I discovered you can click anywhere within the area to play the Flash, not just the button.

3

I thought I had the current version, but I’m not sure, so I re-installed Flash anyway. I’ll keep an eye out to see if it works.

And the sticky stopping mentioned yesterday cleared up without rebooting of any sort, even of the browser, after waiting several hours. Curious. And it’s not like it’d freeze entirely; on YouTube, it would just put the ‘played this amount’ cursor at the right hand of the bar, and start showing that “related videos” stuff in the little flash. Google Video would just stop on the other hand.

At least I reckon it isn’t Flashblock then if you have no issues.