Documentation
Firefox Plugins
Documentation table of contents.
Like most web browsers, Firefox relies on small software programs known as plugins to view or use files in third-party formats that are embedded in web pages. plugins download and install either externally or internally through the Firefox browser. Once the plug-in installs, all embedded files that use it will load and play/view properly until the plug-in is uninstalled. Common plugins address the viewing of Adobe .pdf files through Adobe Reader, viewing embedded .wma files (Windows Media Player), and using or viewing multimedia files made with Flash or Shockwave.
Installing plugins Externally
Installing your plugins externally is beneficial if you know that you will need a certain type of plug-in in the near future or want to browse through a list of available plugins to find the ones you think you may need.
Installing plugins externally means finding the plugins you want and installing them from a source outside of the browser itself. The best resource to find and install plugins externally is through the plugins section of the Firefox Add-ons web site. Firefox Add-ons has many of the most commonly used plugins available for easy access, and has an intuitive search feature built directly into the site.
To visit the Firefox Add-ons site, insert the UB Tech Tools 2006 CD into your computer or visit the Tech Tools Software Downloads page at http://wings.buffalo.edu/computing/software, click Browsers & Readers under the Windows heading on the left sidebar, FireFox Plugins, then Get Firefox plugins. The Firefox Add-ons site will appear with a list of common plugins used with Firefox.
After you search for and locate the appropriate plug-in, click the version number under For Windows.
You will be redirected to the appropriate third-party site containing the plug-in. Follow all on-screen instructions to install the plug-in.
Installing plugins Internally
Note
These are general instructions for the most likely procedure to install a typical Firefox plug-in. Installation procedures or images for other plugins may vary; follow all on-screen instructions carefully.
If you are unsure of which plugins you will need, or want to install them as you need them, a convenient method is to use Firefox's internal plug-in installation. Installing plugins internally means that the browser will alert you when it identifies a file that requires a particular plug-in. Using an interface within the browser, you can download, install, and use the appropriate plug-in.
If Firefox detects a file that requires a plug-in, the frame or window that the file would normally appear in still displays at the correct dimensions, but contains a green puzzle piece and the text Click here to download plugin.
You should also see a notification just below the Firefox toolbar. 
At this point, you can either click the window or frame with the green puzzle piece, or click on the Install Missing Plugins button on the notification below the toolbar. When you do either, the Firefox Plug-in Finder Service will appear, listing all of the required plugins , but not installed, for the page you are viewing.
Make sure that any plugins you would like to install are selected, then click Next to begin installing them.
Read the license agreement, select I agree, then click Next.
Firefox will download and install the plug-in.
When installation is complete, click Finish to exit the Firefox Plug-in Finder Service.
