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How To Save Flash Video From Firefox Cache Folder

Copyright © Walker 19 Nov 2007 00:22
Comparing to the previous Firefox guides, this could be an easier 3-minutes guide about how to save (YouTube) flash video, shockwave game, mp3, movie, music, picture, etc from Firefox cache folder.
Using YouTube video as example, let’s see how could we save a copy of “Gwen Stefani – What You Waiting For?” from the Firefox cache folder:
  1. Wait for the flash video loading completely, i.e. able to play MTV to the end
     
  2. Open a new tab / window of Firefox and enter about:cache as an URL
     
  3. Take note of the Firefox cache folder path specified in Cache Directory: and browse to this folder with Windows Explorer

    If the Storage In Use greater than or approaching Maximum Storage Size, the video might not be cached completely or you’ll have to increase Maximum Storage Size and reload the MTV again.

    To set Firefox cache folder maximum storage size, click Tools | Option… | Network | Cache
  4. Sort the cached files by file size and try to open the biggest file with Storm Codec-MPC or FlV Player. (The biggest file is likely to be the cached YouTube video)

OK. If you want to know what those files in the Firefox cache folder exactly are, here we go:
  1. While in the about:cache page, click the List Cache Entries link of the Disk cache device section
     
  2. Press CTRL + F to search for Key: (URL) with the get_video keyword and also with the biggest Data Size: (YouTube doesn’t cache the flash video in FLV extension. For other flash video hosting site, you may save time by trying to search for .FLV extension).
     
  3. Right-click the URL and select the Open Link In New Tab and refer to the File on Disk:

P/S: There are many Firefox plugins available to save flash video. However, if you’re not regularly download flash video, then it’s worth to know how to do it manually. Running too many plugins might slow down the Firefox or overall PC performance too :-)


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  2. Brian January 14th, 2008 1:51 PM

    Very helpful article, thanks

  3. Jet March 1st, 2008 1:09 PM

    At last, I found an article that explains clearly how to handle the elusive FF cache and temporary files. Easy to understand yet very informative, at least for me.

  4. Webfreak March 6th, 2008 2:11 PM

    Hey, can you help?

    It says it’s getting information from C:\Documents and Settings\TJ\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xdh4s2k1.default\Cache, but there is no Cache folder in there. Any ideas?

  5. Walker March 7th, 2008 1:47 AM

    @Webfreak, the about:cache shows “Cache Directory” in the “Disk Cache Device”, i.e. the Cache Directory path is the Firefox cache folder, and the cached files are in this folder.

  6. Webfreak March 7th, 2008 8:06 AM

    Thanks, the Cache directory wasn’t in the xsomething.default, so I went there on Command Prompt, and typed start Cache. I’m in.

    Thank you! And great guide.

  7. YouTube Downloader: Download YouTube Video For My Mom! – Walker News August 16th, 2008 6:46 PM

    [...] For more detail, you may refer to Where Is IE7 Cache Folder, Retrieve Flash Movie In IE7 Cache Folder Of Windows Vista, How to save flash video from Firefox cache folder. [...]

  8. Juan November 11th, 2008 10:59 PM

    Hello and thanks for the info. I still have a problem. I am using Firefox 3.0. NOw I am downloading a video file, and the file grows in the cache directory. BUT as soon as the video ends, the cached file is gone. Just like that.

  9. Walker November 12th, 2008 12:25 AM

    Hi Juan, how big is the cache file when the flash video is almost at the end?

    After the cache file seems disappear, do you have to wait for the video start streaming all over again for replay or it instantly replay?

  10. Juan November 12th, 2008 5:28 AM

    Walker, thanks for the quick reply. This is the situation:

    the video is at http://www.viddler.com/explore/jimstroud/videos/15/. In case this helps.

    I stop it from playing as I download the video file. In the cache directory, there is this file growing up to about 250000kb and then it stops, even though the file is still downloading. It just does not grow any further; plus, it goes away as soon as the file finishes downloading.

    In the about:cache disk cache device, maximum amount is 50000kb and thereare 179 entries taking up about 30000kb, so plenty empty.

    So… any further ideas? Anyhow, thanks in advance for any help, Juan.

  11. Walker November 13th, 2008 1:44 AM

    Hi Juan, I’ve tested the link and have the video completely played in the page.

    Then, I browse to the Firefox cache folder, there is a file with size of 36454KB.

    There is also another cache copy (identical) of this video in Windows Temp folder of my user account (cached by flash player plugin, as suggested by Nirsofer – see this post for your information).

    If your Firefox disk cache device is set to max. amount of 50000KB or 50MB, the cache file is not likely kept in full length. However, you may try to look for the fla????.tmp file in your Windows Temp folder (duplicate file cached by flash player plugin).

    To make life easier, use Nirsofer VideoCacheView program (I don’t recommend a program that doing simple thing unless it’s a standalone program that doesn’t require installation, e.g. Nirsofer’s software).

    Good luck.

  12. jimchow December 3rd, 2008 12:04 PM

    i running xp pro sp3, firefox 3.04, tried nirsofer programs, orbitdownloader, and many other DL prgs.
    i’ve manually checked the cache folder for FF and windows temp folder
    i can’t find the video. there’s nothing large.
    oh, this is a google video

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8677521434864225474&hl=en
    mathematical infinity and human destiny

    any ideas on how to save the video?

  13. Walker December 3rd, 2008 11:35 PM

    I managed to locate the flash temp file manually; it’s also possible to copy the video with Nirsofer freeware.

  14. Rhubarb December 31st, 2008 7:18 AM

    Thank you for this – your tutorial has saved me a lot of trouble :-)

  15. Shad January 30th, 2009 6:40 PM

    Seems great, but having trouble with a news site up here in Canada (eh).

    http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=11769943&ch=222562

    Is the link.. can’t seem to find it anywhere, even with those utilities…

  16. Yunabanger February 25th, 2009 2:40 PM

    Yes, that is true. I have done that many times. However, I have a different problem. Sometimes when a video is completely buffered, it moves OUT of the “temporary internet files” folder that Firefox uses and loads the video in the computers memory. I first noticed this when I was watching a video that was 1 hour long, and Firefox was using 350 MB memory usage. I set Firefox to use 5 GB of hard drive space and it still moved it to the RAM. There must be a way to stop that.

  17. Suresh April 30th, 2009 2:07 PM

    Thanks for the very helpful info.

  18. expo May 18th, 2009 2:35 AM

    Great..
    Thanks very good.

  19. thoi May 24th, 2009 11:02 PM

    But sometimes i still don’t find flash file in the cache(FF) eg from sites like SHUFUNI? nor in the temp also? can someone have advice for this. THNX

  20. thoi May 24th, 2009 11:04 PM

    what are this “”"_CACHE_003_”" ??? which size keep increasing?

  21. CS June 12th, 2009 5:51 AM

    Thanks! Very helpful info…

  22. Mark June 13th, 2009 3:06 AM

    Good tips thanks!

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  24. Sasha July 21st, 2009 2:07 AM

    After viewing (or at least letting it fully download) a video you want to download (DON’T watch any other videos after!).
    Start a new tab in FF and type about:cache
    Start at the top of the list and look for a .FLV the most recent entry should be the video you are looking for (at least it worked for me for vids from http://www.pinkbike.com
    Copy the URL that shows up as: Key
    Paste it into your browser.
    Open and save with VLC or whatever.

  25. Dexter August 15th, 2009 11:25 AM

    THANKS, very useful!

  26. Kels August 27th, 2009 7:32 AM

    Ok…I’ve tried all of these lately…but didn’t work for me I guess since last Firefox update. Well, I had to find it on my own. Since this file has to be stored somewhere, I figured that using a disk space explorer(Tuneup Disk Space explorer) I’d look for the latest large temp files stored on my hd. Didn’t take much to find about 5 different large files or lesser all named with prefix fla(ex:fla826.tmp) all in my “user”\AppData\Local\Temp folder. Just copied it somewhere renamed it .flv and yes, there it goes. All my recent viewed flash videos where stored in this same unique folder. I’ve tried it using youtube, megavideo and an other one used on watchsmallvilleonline.org. And it works for all of’em. Just give it a try It’s amazing how easy it was. And I’ve spent months searching the web for this. Hoo well. By the way make sure you make hidden folders visible in windows explorer.

  27. Kels August 27th, 2009 7:35 AM

    just tried with dailymotion, and yes, it works for it too.

  28. Kevin September 20th, 2009 4:41 AM

    Ooh, I’m “this” close to figuring it out. It’s been driving me nuts. But I still can’t find the method for saving an embedded video correctly. I like to do workouts using the Real Age website, but sometimes their videos hang and won’t catch up.
    I’m using FF 3,5,3 but Sothink Web Video Downloader doesn’t even show that there is a video available to dl when I view this page:
    http://www.realage.com/videos/?bclid=5030523001

    Can anyone, surely much smarter than me, figure out a way to dl and save these videos? I’d be very grateful. Thanks.

  29. pdenton December 23rd, 2009 5:33 PM

    cool thx a million. internet explorers cache was alot easier to get vids from but then again it is not as good as firefox. the thing that tricked me in firefox was they didn’t have it set up to where you can identify the format it was in :D

  30. jl2ok January 29th, 2010 7:57 AM

    i puled the plug on my computer went in to %temp% and copied it to doc’s then tried to rename it as .flv but the computer gave me an eror sayin i ad to choose a name so i put happy.flv but when i tried to open the file offline the file still retaind the .tmp extension and the complete file name was written “happy.flv.tmp” and still wont play wat do i do?”

  31. jl2ok January 29th, 2010 8:47 AM

    wow i fixed my own problem for once yea ok well heres how i fived this 1 problems i wnt to tools>folder options>- and changed how i was seeing the file by unselecting the hide extion to known files and the i renamed the filehappy.flv and it worked
    but thnks for all the help

  32. forent March 26th, 2010 11:45 AM

    many thanks…it really help…

  33. releva May 22nd, 2010 12:18 PM

    To make things easier, you can first clear the cache before you play the video. Go to Tools>Advance>Network> Click Clear now under offline storage cache. The cache will reset to 0 and once you play your video, the cache size will increase again. Look for the biggest cache, thats the video file. Click on the url and it will prompt you to save it.

  34. qrays May 29th, 2010 1:09 AM

    This technique doesn’t work any more with the latest version of Firefox 3.6.3. All videos are temporarily stored in “C:\Users\”user”\AppData\Local\Temp” as *.tmp. While watching any video the file size increases until it downloads it all and the size stays same as long as video is playing.

    Now, when you try to copy this file, the system doesn’t allow you to copy as the video is currently in use. However, when you close video page on FF, then that *.tmp file immediately gets lost.

    Any new ideas how to save this file?

  35. Walker May 29th, 2010 2:06 AM

    You may use Hobocopy (to copied opened / in-used files) or try to use VideoCacheView of Nirsoft.

  36. offlineFlashVideo June 5th, 2010 12:53 AM

    Thank you very match for your help,

    VideoCacheVeiw (need not installation) it realy help

  37. mrjoecanadian June 25th, 2010 9:08 AM

    thanks for the info I have found the file and have played it but what is the file extension so I can rename it.

  38. Nicole July 19th, 2010 6:03 PM

    This was hugely helpful. Thank you so much!