332581 - The Authorware Security Dialog box can't display on Firefox

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Core Graveyard :: Plug-ins, defect)

Description

[Deborah Seidman]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.1) Gecko/20060111 Firefox/1.5.0.1
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.1) Gecko/20060111 Firefox/1.5.0.1

There is a security feature in Authorware called "Trusting Mode and the Web Player Security Dialog" For more information type AWSHKWV.ini into a Macromedia search box. A good description of what happens can be found at:
http://livedocs.macromedia.com/authorware/7/using_aw_en/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=Using_Authorware_7&file=11_str25.htm

I absolutely was able to confirm that when I try to load to Firefox 1.5 first the file, AWSHKWV.INI, doesn't exist. And the loading bar loads, turns red and I get error loading. For some reason Firefox 1.5 blocks the security dialog box. I went into IE, loaded, got the dialog box, said OK, the file was created. I went into Firefox 1.5 and immediately it worked fine.

I have tried to turn off the pop-up blocker on Firefox and that doesn't help. I have tried to add my site to the pop-up allowed list and that doesn't help. I can't think of what else to try on Firefox. 

It is my understanding that the same problem occurs on Netscape 8. I have not personally confirmed this.


My current work around is to force my users to install for IE, go into the course and get the dialog box to appear using IE and then return to using Firefox. This is not a suitable solution as you can imagine.

Someone from Macromedia (Adobe) needs to call someone at Mozilla (or vice versa) and get this sorted out.

Please feel free to redefine this bug report as needed.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Start with absolutely clean installation. Wipe out all authorware completely. If you need instructions go to the Help/FAQ page on our site that links to Macromedia articles on the subject. Once you use the work around to fix the problem you can not recreate it until you have a fresh installation.
2. Install Authorware for Netscape/Firefox. (http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveAuthorware)
3. Go to Macromedia Authorware Test Page (http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/welcome/authorwareonly.html) to make sure AW is working and all xtras are loaded.
4. Go to one of our courses to see the error: http://www.welcomedriver.com/aw/deca2/CA011DR/ca011dr.htm?aicc_sid=123&aicc_sid=xyz
There are other courses to launch at the root directory: http://www.welcomedriver.com/aw/deca2/

This problem is very quick to happen on a new installation.


Actual Results:  
I see a Error Loading message where the loading bar turns red and the course doesn't run.

Expected Results:  
A grey Authorware Dialog box opens asking the user if they want to run the following Authorware file. If the user says yes, then the course launches.

I am coding this problem as major since a normal user simply cannot run the course at all. The work around actually involves using Internet Explorer and I have encountered a couple of users that actually don't

Comment 1

[Mark Romero]

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9a1) Gecko/20060331 Firefox/1.6a1

Works for Me.

Comment 2

[Mark Romero]

Deborah,
Can you please try and reporduce this bug with a current build, you can download a binary at : http://www.mozilla.org/developer/#builds

Thanks,
Mark Romero

Comment 3

[Ria Klaassen (not reading all bugmail)]

Johnny, the correct spelling is authorware, not authoreware.
Changed summary for search reasons. People may not find it when they search for authorware. Please don't change it back. Thanks.

Comment 4

[Mark Romero]

It seems our changes collided I am sorry.

Comment 5

[Deborah Seidman]

After a delay due to work and vacationing I wanted to get back and wrap up this problem once and for all. First I needed to recreate the problem so that I could try the nightly build suggestion which I am about to do. In the process of attempting to recreate the problem I may have uncovered a more refined description of the problem which related to recreating it.

After figuring out how to thoroughly remove the plugin from my current 1.5.0.2 version of Firefox (needed to 1) delete np32asw.dll from my Firefox plugin folder, 2) delete the all authorware folders under the C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Macromedia folder, as well as 3) delete a stray version of AWSHKWV.INI that I found in the main windows folder when using the search function.

Anyway, after getting a truly cleaned up version, I went ahead and ran the installer and went to launch one of the lessons. Well lo and behold the security dialog screen came up the first time. I did not say OK so the AWSHKWV.INI file was not writte. I went in and checked the pop-up blocker and found it off. So I turned it on and then refreshed the page and got my ERROR LOADING message. So this was the recreation of my problem. Anyway, I went back into the pop-up blocker and turned it off again and hit refresh and still got my error. I went and added WelcomeDriver.com to the list of allowed sites for pop-ups and the error persisted. I tried refresh, and shift+refresh and still got the error.

Soooo, it would seem that this problem is only encountered by my users who first attempt to access the course with the pop-up blocker enabled (which of course is the default installation) and once they encounter the problem I cannot solve it without resorting to walking them through an Internet Explorer installation.

So now I will see if the nightly build version behaves any differently. I just wanted to get this all down now in case I get interrupted - which I frequently do ;) -d

Comment 6

[Deborah Seidman]

OK, installing and testing minefield (Great name!!) was faster and easier than I thought. I was able to quickly recreate the same problem. Got the Error Loading but... I closed it and then reopened it and suddenly got my dialog box. Anyway, I didn't say yes, I cancelled. Then I went to check the pop-up blocker and it was off.

I turned it back on and got my Error Loading. Then I went to turn it off and the Error Loading was still there. With the blocker turned off, I closed and reopened and the problem went away. So now I have a new work around (I think!). So the remaining question is why does Firefox not release the block when the pop-up blocker is turned off or a trusted site is added to the list?

Now I need to figure out how to get the user's attention to turn off the blocker before trying the course.

Comment 7

[Rocio]

I have the same problem with authorware a error loading red bar appears every time i try to access this page http://occefs.org/campus/mod/resource/view.php?id=17 I already unistall authorware and reinstall but still i cant see the course.

Comment 8

[Deborah Seidman]

This is Deb again, still suffering from this Mozilla problem. The key to the problem is that 1) Mozilla interprets this dialog box as a pop-up window which isn't tragic, just annoying, and 2) that the pop-up blocker control doesn't allow the pop-up when it is turned off.

Sometimes, if you turn off the pop-up blocker AND you completely exit Firefox and try again you can get it to work. But it seems that once the page is blocked its blocked.

With my course, I can route the user to a different page after the pop-up blocker is turned off and Firefox is restarted and with a different URL, get the security dialog box to launch. 

The bug that needs to be fixed in Mozilla is to correct the persistent blocking of this dialog box.

Comment 9

[Phil Ringnalda (:philor)]

*** Bug 353342 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 10

[aravindm]

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.2) Gecko/20100316
Firefox/3.6.2

Please see if you can reproduce in the latest nightly
ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/nightly/latest-trunk/

Comment 11

[Deborah Seidman]

I am not going to be able to confirm this because I have long since migrated away from Authorware as I had too many support issues so I am no longer in a position to care about this problem or test for it any longer. So it remain unconfirms but can be closed.

Comment 12

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Closing since now after whiteboard closeme date and no confirmation using a recent version of Firefox.

If anyone does experience this again using 3.6.13 or later, please reopen/comment with further info.