ShadowAce, can you put this out on your ping list? Thanks.
Switch to Chrome.
Chrome.
Mozilla has become bloatware and opens its legs for any addon that comes into the room...
Im thinking that you may have a little virus. Try avast to kill the virus.
If that extension/add-on is the one that is messing up your Firefox profile, you need to uninstall it. It may not be compatible with the version of FF you are using.
Then, you might try a different downloader. There are many out there — some as add-ons and some as standalones.
Do you have the latest version 1.7.15 in Mozilla 25.0.1
if you can tell me the name of a the Firefox addon,
and give me an example (at apecific url) of a YouTube video you have tried to download, I will try it in my Firefox on my PC and let you know if I get the same error.
That’s sometimes happened to me too when using that same downloader. What usually works to get around that error is to RIGHT-click on the menu item that says “mp4 360p” and then do a “save link as” and save that file. Almost always works for me. Good luck!
It has to do with the commercials.
Watch the commercial. When the video starts, restart the video so there is no commercial. Then do the download.
I have a downloading add-on installed in Firefox.
I just tried it with this video. Trying to download the MP4 1080p version, I got an error similar to what you describe. However, I was able to download the MP4 720p version without a problem.
Trying the same thing in Chrome with another extension, I got a "server error" attempting the 1080p download and success with the 720p.
So, perhaps there is no 1080p version, but Youtube is claiming there is. Or perhaps the extension is misreading what Youtube is advertising it has.
Firefox has generally been a pain in the hinder parts lately. I got so disgusted I moved temporarily to Chrome until they get themselves straightened out.
I don’t know if this will help or even if it pertains to the same video download addon in firefox, however, for the firefox “Video Downloand Helper” addon, this was posted on its description page:
If you are having problems downloading videos from YouTube, please check this link:
http://bugzilla.downloadhelper.net:8080/show_bug.cgi?id=536
UPDATE July 19th 2013:
For today’s youtube changes, please follow this procedure for downloading videos that currently generate empty files:
- Open url “about:config”
- Create a new parameter called “dwhelper.yt-sig-perm-85” of type String
- Set its value to “[[2,8],[0,1],[9,21],[65,66],[22,65],[84,85],[66,82],[21,22]]”
(without the quotes).
- Reload the youtube page (no need to restart Firefox) and you should be done.
UPDATE July 22nd 2013:
4.9.18 is waiting for approval at Mozilla. This version automatically adapts to YouTube signature changes (responsible for empty downloads) and fixes a few bugs like video variant ordering and removal of audioless or videoless variants.
UPDATE July 24th 2013:
YouTube changed their signature last night.
Version 4.9.19 is waiting for approval at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/versions/
Note that since 4.9.18, Video DownloadHelper automatically learns the new signatures, but your first downloads just after a signature change may fail. Just reload the YouTube video page, wait for the video to start playing after the ad and retry downloading a few times (generally 1 to 4 attempts are enough to generate the signature).
UPDATE July 26th 2013:
YouTube changed their signature permutation method again last night.
4.9.19 and 4.9.20 has been removed from the Mozilla review pool.
Current working version is 4.9.21a1 (soon to be submitted to Mozilla as 4.9.21): http://www.downloadhelper.net/install-beta.php?version=4.9.21a1
Details here: http://bugzilla.downloadhelper.net:8080/show_bug.cgi?id=536
which is at:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/
My program (FireFox/Linux) downloads everything in FLV and MP4 formats
at the same time, even if I don’t want it to
You can check that URL at VirusTotal:
https://www.virustotal.com/#url
I would also do a Google search for info about that URL. Search for the URL and add the word virus to the search string. It may be that a particular virus is known for sending browsers to that URL.
Here's another downloader:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/
To use Video Download Helper in FF: Click Tools > Download Helper > Media, and select the file you want to download.
I haven't found anything on the Internet that addresses this problem because I don't know how to term the problem so that a search engine picks it up.
If malware is trying to redirect your browser to a site not of your choosing, that is called browser hijacking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browser_hijacking
I would definitely run a full virus scan.
Been using it awhile, no problems so far.
I use “1-click Youtube Download”. It works. I have “download Helper”, but I think that YT has redone some things, again.
I can click on the videos on the side and play them, but when i wish to down load them, it shows the LAST one downloaded, and will re-download that, but not what is presently playing.
Yes, it is frustrating.
Try YoutubeMP3 Podcaster instead. They’ve recently updated it and it’s working again, until YT finds a way to break it once more.
For prior subscribers such as I, it's become a nightmare trying to figure out which account I need to switch to in order to receive feedback on comments I post. As of right now, I don't get any and there's no provision for me to do so.........
Google rules so now you've got to live with it..........