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what happened to su_control.xml?

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I have enjoyed playing sudoku on MSNBC for years, now when I try to play I get an error saying a file (su_control.xml) is missing. Also, the crossword puzzle will not load. Both use Adobe Flash Player. DaveZ48

I have enjoyed playing sudoku on MSNBC for years, now when I try to play I get an error saying a file (su_control.xml) is missing. Also, the crossword puzzle will not load. Both use Adobe Flash Player. DaveZ48

All Replies (14)

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Can you post a link to that game?

Clear the cache and the cookies from sites that cause problems.

"Clear the Cache":

  • Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > Offline Storage (Cache): "Clear Now"

"Remove Cookies" from sites causing problems:

  • Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: "Show Cookies"

Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of the extensions or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).

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Here is the link for Sudoku on MSNBC. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20044245/ns/entertainment-comics_games_news_of_the_weird/?cat=sudoc. It was working fine until about a week ago, then I started getting a message that the file (su_control.xml) was missing. Also, when I try to open the crossword puzzle at the same site, the game will not load. I don't remember changing anything in Firefox, but you know how everyone seems to be making changes without a lot of notice.

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It does work for me although it took a few reloads to make the game show.
So there may be server issues that are causing the problems.

You can try to open the Web Console (Web Developer > Web Console;Shift+Ctrl+K) and hard reload the page via Ctrl+F5.
Then you can put su_control.xml in the filter and click the entry on the page to see the HTTP response headers.

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Someone is messing with Firefox,. The game site that shows the "su_control.xml" message on Firefox appears unaltered and playable in Internet Explorer.

Modified by Kreinerh

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Just updated Firefox to 13.0.1.Unfortunately, this does not fix the problem. See my previous post for a workaround.

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None of the workarounds have fixed the problems with Firefox. I gave up and started using google chrome. I'm not thrilled and still use Firefox on some sites, but am trying to get comfortable with the one that works on the sites I like.

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I find it a bit surprising that Mozilla hasn't weighed in here. The name of the supposedly missing file, su_control.xml, looks like a wise-guy hack,(sudoku control!) of the Firefox program, not something that's missing from our computer or the legitimate Firefox code. .

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Hi DaveZ48, have you noticed any other Flash issues? Have you tried rolling back to Flash 10.3 or 11.2? More info: Flash 11.3 doesn't load video in Firefox.

(I noticed that Previous and Next weren't very reliable, but the date drop-down did allow me to load a few puzzles.)

Hi Kreinerh, it's very common for SWF files to retrieve .xml files. That way, a single Flash controller can display a wide range of data (or puzzles). Usually you don't hear about problems retrieving XML files from high volume servers; in those cases it's often a problem with obsolete files in the cache blocking the download, hence the suggestion to clear Firefox's cache.

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Hi jscher2000,

    The crossword puzzle will not load on MSNBC either. I tried playing the jigsaw puzzle on IE 9 but the pieces moved too erratically to be any fun. I don't really like Chrome that much, but it works well on MSNBC and I was able to import my bookmarks, so it is a satisfactory alternative. I tried going back to an earlier version of Flash but was constantly reminded that there was a newer version and had problems installing the older version. Like others, I am surprised that Mozilla hasn't stepped in with a solution, I would think they would have heard about the problem. I tried to contact them, but couldn't find a link that would get to the right people.
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Hi DaveZ48, Mozilla and Adobe have been working on Flash issues since June 8th when Flash 11.3 was released and these forums lit up. Believe me, in this case, you don't need to tell anyone there's a problem.

That said, not loading the XML file is an unusual wrinkle, so having this thread will be useful for others doing research in the future.

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I have two computers. On one, when I had the problem with su_control.xml, cited above. I removed Flash 11 and installed Flash 10, and the problem, along with the non-presentation of videos, went away. The other computer also showed the same problems at that time, but I left it unchanged. The last post, above, says Mozilla and Adobe were working on the Flash problems. I allowed Adobe to make updates on that machine. After the first,there seemed to be no change in the problem, but after the most recent one, the problems seem to have gone away. Before I revert to the latest Flash version on the machine now using Flash 10, can someone say that the earlier problems now are truly solved?.

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I finally got my sudoku to work in firefox :) Just got to HELP Click on TROUBLESHOOT INFORMATION Then Click RESET FIREFOX. It brought mine right up. Hope it works for you too :)

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still didn't work. I think I have had it with Firefox, too many problems. I don't really like google chrome either, but at least it works.

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Hi DaveZ48, Adobe released a new Flash player update two days ago. Don't know whether that will help. See: Adobe Forums: 8/14/2012 - Flash Player Security Update.

Many issues that are unique to Firefox + Flash 11.3 + Windows 7/Vista are caused by the new protected mode in Flash 11.3. Since that feature is currently being debugged, you could consider disabling it. See this support article from Adobe under the heading "Last Resort": Adobe Forums: How do I troubleshoot Flash Player's protected mode for Firefox?

This was not so clear two months ago when you originally posted two months ago, so you might never have received that information.