Hangun’s World – Blog

Flash Player 10 hangs when you upload a file to a directory protected with the .htpasswd feature. This is more critical in FireFox, uploading a file is impossible. The same problem occured in Flash Player 9, but you can upload files in the second try. In FP10, you can’t.

reproduce1

1. Click “Upload” button to upload an image.
2. Login. (test / test)
3. Uploading process halts.
4. Close the browse, and it crashes.

reproduce2 (Internet Explorer)

1. Click “Load” button to load an image.
2. Login. (test / test)
3. After the loading finished, the image displayed.
4. Click “Upload” button to upload an image.
5. Uploading process finished successfully.

reproduce2 (FireFox)

1. Click “Load” button to load an image.
2. Login. (test / test)
3. After the loading finished, the image displayed.
4. Click “Upload” button to upload an image.
5. Login (test / test). The UI of the Login popup is different from the procedure 2.
6. Uploading process halts.
7. Close the browser, and it crashes.

To avoid the problem, place the PHP file, that handles the uploaded file from Flash Player, on a directory which is not affected by .htpasswd. Or filter browsers to accept only IE, then, put the login process before upload a file.

I tested in IE and FF. If you tested in other browser, please leave a comment about the result.

I was a bit suprised when I worked with several Flash developers and Web developers. Becuase they didn’t know about the following browser add-ons, useful tools on debugging. So, here I introduce these extensions.

Microsoft released Internet Explorer Automatic Component Activation (IE ACA) Preview #2 update which will disable the “Click to activate” behavior. You have to install Internet Explorer update 944533 (security bulletin MS08-010) before you install IE ACA preview #2 update.

IE Automatic Component Activation Preview, that I mentioned on Goodbye to “Click To Activate”, is released. For more infomation about IE ACA, check Knowledge Base article 945007.

It is highly recommened to install IE ACA for testing. The Internet Explorer cumulative update for general users is planned for April 2008. IE ACA disables the “Click to activate” message. And developers don’t have to create new Web pages or modify current pages.

After the IE update in April 2006, users had to click objects to interact with those objects, including flash movies. The activation process may not be needed from next year. For Microsoft licensed from Eolas, we won’t see “click to activate” message anymore. Accrodingly, there is no need to use external JavaScript file to avoid the activation thing.

This update will be applied to the optional preview release, available in December 2007, and then to the next pre-release versions of Widows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3. Finally, the update will be available for all customers through the IE Cumulative Update in April 2008.