You may have selected allow and remember if this happens on a specific website.

You can inspect and manage permissions for the domain in the currently selected tab via these steps:

• Click the "Site Identity Button" (globe/padlock) on the location/address bar
• Click "More Information" to open "Tools > Page Info" with the Security tab selected
• Go to the Permissions tab (Tools > Page Info > Permissions) to check the permissions for the domain in the currently selected tab

Check whether Firefox saved the "Allow" permission for the site and, if so, revoke it. The easiest way is, while you are on the site, call up the Page Info dialog using any of the following methods, and then click into the Permissions panel:

• right-click and choose View Page Info > Permissions
• (menu bar) Tools menu > Page Info > Permissions
• click the padlock or globe icon to the left of the site address > More Information > Permissions

Toward the top of the list you should find "Adobe Flash" and if the permission is Allow you can change it to another setting.

The permissions are set to default. I changed it to always ask, restarted Firefox but nothing changed, the flash box appears on the screen with click to activate button then without doing anything flash loads and the image(s) appear.

Could you give a link to the page where this happens?

To see whether the page is switching out Flash for a different player, could you right-click the media and check the short context menu? If it's Flash, that should be indicated on the last line of the menu. If the site is swapping it for an HTML5 video player that Firefox handles internally, then click-to-play doesn't apply, unfortunately.

It is www.msn.com I get an ad just below the outlook, Skype, office etc buttons and just above the main news window along with an ad to the right side. They first show the activate flash then the ad shows.

Mine isn't activating automatically (screen shot attached). I really can't explain why that would happen because web pages should not be able to interact with the click-to-play feature.

Could you test in Firefox's Safe Mode? That's a standard diagnostic tool to deactivate extensions and some advanced features of Firefox. More info: Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode.

If Firefox is not running: Hold down the Shift key when starting Firefox.

If Firefox is running: You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
• Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

and OK the restart.

Both scenarios: A small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Refresh).

Does it work more normally?

Some of the areas do not load, but it's not completely correct I think. If I use a different page I.e. Www.cnet.com it works like it should. I almost think something has gotten in and taken over something to do,with the flash player settings. Thanks for your help, I think I'm just going to do,a complete fresh install of the system.

This article describes how you can back up your Firefox settings: Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles.