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How to Download Embedded Flash Files using your Browser
May. 31st, 2009 By Saikat Basu
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Today, Flash is everywhere. Animations, music, games,

advertisements or even streaming presentations. Speaking of
games, here’s a list of site with the best flash games.

The use of Flash plug-ins in browsers is now almost obligatory.

Yes, it’s easy to view and enjoy the rich media content delivered
by interactive Flash embedded pages. But what if I want to
download some of these files as keepsakes? The greatest
benefit – I can watch them offline in my own jolly time. Convert
them to a format of my choice. Or embed them again in a PowerPoint presentation. Or even
transfer them to my mobile phone.

Flash animation files are embedded as SWF (Small Web Format) files in webpages. Rather
than depending on any software or a third-party website, downloading Flash content is dead
simple. The only tool required is a browser and a bit of patience to do the rummaging around.

Just one note: As we will be heading into the internet cache folders of the respective browsers,
Advertise Here
it pays to clear it of all old files before navigating to the desired page. It makes the Flash file
search a lot easier.
MakeUseOf Articles
So, here’s how to do it in three of our popular browsers. How To guides, software reviews, cool website
round ups etc.

Download SWF files using Firefox

1. Fire up Firefox and browse to the page which contains the embedded SWF Flash file
Directory of Apps
Browse Web Apps and Mobile Tools by
that you are eyeing to download. Let the SWF file stream through once completely. category.

2. On any empty part of the page, right-click and select the Page Info context menu option.
Or alternatively, go to Tools – Page Info.
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3. Select the Media tab. The Media tab lists all image formats, icons, style sheets and flash
files that were rendered by the webpage.
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4. Look amongst the items to find the particular file with the SWF extension. The type
column will show up with an Embed filetype. Highlight the file and click Save as to save
the file on your hard drive.

Download SWF files using Internet Explorer

In IE8, we have to head to the Temporary Internet Files folder which stores all rendered files
during a browsing session. (It can be directly accessed from here in Windows XP -
C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files.)

1. Go to the IE Menu bar. Click on Tools – Internet Options.

2. On the General tab, click on Settings under Browsing History.

3. The Temporary Internet Files and Browsing History box opens up.
4. Click on View Files. You will get all the rendered webpage elements in this folder.

5. To rummage about effectively amidst the mass of files, choose View – Arrange by Type
from the menu. Also go to Tools – Folder Options, and uncheck the Hide extensions for
known file types option.

6. Seek out your SWF files, copy and then paste it to your preferred location.

Download SWF files using Opera

In Opera, downloaded SWF files can be accessed in two simple ways –

● Type opera:cache in the address bar.

● Go to Tools – Advanced – Cache from the toolbar.

Either way, a huge list of downloaded page elements opens up with their URLs. Search for a
file with the .swf extension. Alternatively, you could search (Ctrl+F ) and hunt it down, with swf
as the search query.

Right-click on the particular file and choose either Saved Linked Content As or Save to Download
Folder to save the SWF file on the hard disk.

After downloading the SWF file, one can use the Adobe Flash Player to view the Flash file or a
supported media player like Media Player Classic. Or, an easier way would be to just open it in
a browser by right-clicking it and selecting the browser of choice.

These are the ways we can use to single out the Flash files from a webpage. In my
experience, I personally have been more comfortable with Firefox than the other two. I am still
searching a way perform this in Chrome but it is proving impossible without third-party
support. Numerous third-party tools can do the same job better by converting it to a format of
your choice. But it always pays to know that you can fall back on a browser alone.

Aibek had the same idea about offline Flash files when he covered How To Download and Play
Flash Games Offline in a previous post. That post extends the possibilities of the fun we can
have with Flash files.

What about you? Do you let it play on the webpage or do you dig under and take a Flash file
offline?

More about: browser tips, downloads, firefox tips, flash, Internet Explorer, View all tags
online games, Opera

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25 Comments Add Comment

2009-05-31 12:04:18

The Computer Lady

Thanks so much for the information. I have been trying to figure this out for a while?
What about embedded videos?

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 21:51:18

Television Spy
For videos embedded in flash you can also try out
http://www.vidimonkey.uni.cc

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 13:16:19

shaneecy
“Flash animation files are embedded as SWF (Small Web Format) files in webpages.”
–i believe that SWF means “Shockwave Flash” file, not small web format file.

good article, though i still prefer to use file2hd.com (thx to whoever wrote the offline
flash game tut) because its less complicated

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 13:20:40

Hal
The most simple way to do this is use the Firefox extension Downloadhelper. Easily
download just about any media without opening backend windows.

Reply to this comment

2009-06-01 16:06:59
 Andrew J
I also use the Downloadhelper extension for Firefox. It really is the simplest
way to capture flash video - what could be easier than clicking the extension’s
browser icon and saving the flash file?

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 20:16:18

Mickey
Shaneecy, SWF was originally called Shockwave Flash but Macromedia changed it to
Small Web Format

Nice article, and I am sure this will come in handy for some people

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 20:16:45

Gringo
Yeah ! But doesn’t work for some sites, even with software like Orbit that are almost
perfect for retrieving content from youtube, or dailymotion.

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 20:19:52

fractal
One problem that is overlooked here is the fact that Flash files have the ability to
load content dynamically. For instance, the swf that you save locally may need to
load images, text, code or even other swf’s in order to render correctly.

If a Flash developer doesn’t want you getting at the Library or ActionScript, you’re
likely going to be left with an empty container that does nothing at all. This is usually
the case with games and more complex animations or interactive movies.

Reply to this comment

2009-06-01 08:57:42

cristiano007
You’re right, I’ve seen this in many photo galleries sites, very bad.
Anybody has a walkaround for this problem?

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 20:50:03

Adam Hill
Try Flashgot plugin for Firefox

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 21:06:18

joe
Good tips thanks. I have found that it does not work in all cases though. I sure wish
there was a “save as.”

http://baseballtraderumors.com/

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 22:04:43

John Davis
Wow, now isnt that amazing!

RT
http://www.online-privacy.vze.com

Reply to this comment

2009-05-31 23:38:30

Abhijeet Pathak
From “Shockwave Flash” to “Small Web Format” becaure Macromedia acquired it..
Then I guess it should be now called ASWF (Adobe Small Web Format) as Flash is
their product now..

Reply to this comment

2009-06-01 03:36:27

aerobroken
Sweat find and share! I have been looking for this hack..

Reply to this comment

2009-06-01 06:20:08

Yanguang
I use my own little method to download embedded flash media, using Adblock
Plus (as weird as it sounds) http://yanguang.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/how-to-
use-adblock-to-download-media-files/

Reply to this comment

2009-06-01 08:12:02

Brave Littlle Meme

Safari can do this without any third-party add-on. Just load the window containing
the flash file and look under the Activity Window (Manu > Window > Activity) for
whatever has a rapidly growing byte count. Double-click that entry and the file will
be saved in your download folder.

Reply to this comment

2009-06-01 08:48:45

Sid
Doing this in Chrome is as easy too.

1. Ctrl+U [Page Source].

2. Ctrl+F [Find]
3. Type “swf”
3. Keep hitting F3 till you come to the swf file you need.
4. Chrome will present it to you as a clickable hyperlick - so all you have to do is to
right-click and save.

PS: I do this ALL the time

Reply to this comment

2009-06-01 08:49:34
 Sid
Doing this in Chrome is as easy too.

1. Ctrl+U [Page Source].

2. Ctrl+F [Find]
3. Type “swf”
3. Keep hitting F3 till you come to the swf file you need.
4. Chrome will present it to you as a clickable hyperlink - so all you have to do is to
right-click and save.

PS: I do this ALL the time

Reply to this comment

2009-06-01 09:23:16

ChromeISCool
You can find it in Google Chrome by typing “about:cache” into the address bar. It
helps if you clear the cache out first.

Reply to this comment

2009-06-02 04:57:28

www.coredownloadz.co.cc
yea….. Downloading flash files using Google chrome is the most simplest.

Thanks for this article

Reply to this comment

2009-06-02 05:16:42

Bunda
In Firefox I have Adblock. On every flash file window I have the “Block” button. I
simply click on it and copy the full url from the field.
Certainly I do not press the “Add filter” button if I do not want to block it.

Reply to this comment

2009-06-02 11:07:34

cristiano007
AdBlock Plus is the way to go for dynamically loaded media! Thanks!

Reply to this comment

2009-06-02 12:34:41

Bunda
Well, Adblock is not for that certainly - but is there any sense in installing one
more Firefox-addon just for downloading a few files? For me not.
If I want to make an offline collection of hundreds of flash games - I use an
addon.

So if I stumble into a good flash game or video once in 1-2 months - I use a
simple way but without installing another addon.

Reply to this comment

2009-06-02 17:05:00
 monte cabet
The firefox addon downthemall works here too. Look for it in the “Pictures and
Embedded” tab…

Reply to this comment

2009-06-02 19:28:27

Diego Ripley
There’s also DownloadHelper

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006

Reply to this comment

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