Save Flash video files from local cache

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Tue, Mar 18 2008 at 7:30AM PDT • Contributed by: systembug

The Flash plug-in stores its temporary files in /private » var » tmp » folders.501 » TemporaryItems, in files named FlashTmp0, FlashTmp1, and so on.

So if you want to do a quick save without looking at Safari's Activity window, press Command-Shift-G in the Finder (or use the Go » Go to Folder menu item), enter /tmp, and dive down the specified folder hierarchy. You can then move the FlashTmp0 file to the Desktop, add the .flv extension, and watch it with VideoLanClient, MPlayer OSX, or QuickTime with the Perian.component installed. I tested this with Safari and Firefox 3 beta.

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Save Flash video files from local cache
Authored by: dasmart on Tue, Mar 18 2008 at 8:43AM PDT

im not so sure about this in Leopard.

Where to go in Leopard
Authored by: MacTipper on Tue, Mar 18 2008 at 8:53AM PDT

This doesn't work in Leopard. However, if I go to:

/private/var/folders/ee/

and then I go to the folder with a really long strange name:

eeQUOoNjE-GWvpRuzmR28k+++TI

and then I go to the folder inside that folder called

TemporaryItems

I find a video file there. So, if you're running Leopard, that might be where to look.

As a final note, I rebooted and the eeQUOoNjE… folder was gone. So, you have to go to /private/var/folders/ee/ first.

Hope this helps,
MacTipper
My Mac-Tipping Blog

Where to go in Leopard
Authored by: lewsmind on Tue, Mar 18 2008 at 1:19PM PDT

I can verify that this is where the Flash temp files are stored for Safari 3.1 in Leopard. However, I didn't have permission to go into the folders via the Finder. I ended up checking via Terminal.

Save Flash video files from local cache
Authored by: ronny on Tue, Mar 18 2008 at 9:10AM PDT

If you're using Gecko based browsers (e.g. Firefox, Camino), try typing 'about:cache' in the location bar. Search for a part of a URL or ".flv".

Save Flash video files from local cache
Authored by: morespace54 on Tue, Mar 18 2008 at 11:47AM PDT

FYI, with embedded players, files don't always ended up with the .flv extension

Save Flash video files from local cache
Authored by: Spencerian on Tue, Mar 18 2008 at 1:03PM PDT

An easier way to save any Flash movies, automatically, is through RealPlayer 11 beta and its surprise utility (installed with RP), RealPlayer Downloader. This app watches for any Flash movie that appears in a web browser and notes its in its download browser, giving you the option to save it as a movie file to the computer (probably in RP or other platform format). I normally don't like surprise-ware, but this one's great as it appears to work with places such as SciFi.com and YouTube.com automatically. For the average Jane Nohack, it may be an easier thing than to pillage hidden directories.

Save Flash video files from local cache
Authored by: rpaege on Wed, Mar 19 2008 at 11:12AM PDT

I totally agree that RealPlayer Downloader is the way to go with this. It simply saves the file in flv format. Very easy to use. Kudos to Real for this great surprise utility.

Save Flash video files from local cache
Authored by: timcrawf on Mon, Nov 17 2008 at 6:28AM PST

Just want to mention that this is not a separate application, it lives inside RealPlayer.
Open RealPlayer 11
Go to Window>Open RealPlayer Downloader

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