silverlight plug in safari mac

Silverlight for Mac

Cross-platform plug-in delivers interactive applications for the Web.

Silverlight overview

Microsoft Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. Silverlight offers a flexible programming model that supports AJAX, VB, C#, Python, and Ruby, and integrates with existing Web applications. Silverlight supports fast, cost-effective delivery of high-quality video to all major browsers running on the OS X or Windows.

What’s new in version 5.1.50901.0

Security update for Silverlight to address information disclosure

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How to Enable Silverlight on Mac

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Microsoft Silverlight is a deprecated app framework that was used for creating rich internet apps, like Adobe Flash. It supported streaming media, multimedia, graphics, animation, and CLI languages, but is no longer supported.

Industry watchers were quick to observe Silverlight’s death as early as 2011. The following year, Silverlight fell out of favor and Microsoft deprecated it for HTML5 in Windows 8. Before 2015 ended, everybody knew that it was doomed, but the company remained largely unclear about its future.

Some Mac users, however, probably wonder: is Silverlight needed on Mac? Should they still install and enable it on their machine? Here are a few answers to burning questions about the technology near its demise.

What Is Silverlight?

Now in Silverlight 5, the program is defined on the Microsoft site as a “powerful development tool for creating engaging, interactive user experiences for web and mobile applications.” The free plugin is powered by the .NET framework. It is compatible with different browsers, devices, as well as operating systems.

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The multiple perceived uses and benefits of Silverlight include:

Media – It is hailed for the highest-quality interact video experiences both live and on-demand across various formats. This, while it protects content.
Business – It enables users to create business apps that offer richer and deeper interactivity, harnessing the tools and skills developers are already equipped with. It is poised to eliminate the IT challenge of deploying across multiple browsers and OS.
Mobile – It seeks to build touch-based apps quickly through familiar tools. The aim is to distribute via the Windows Phone Marketplace.

End-of-Life Timeline

From its initial launch back in 2007, Silverlight was already compared to Adobe’s Flash. It helped provide video streaming for different events, including the NBC coverage of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and the 2008 conventions for the two U.S. political parties.

Silverlight was also harnessed for the video streaming services of Amazon Video and Netflix. Since getting wind of Silverlight’s end of life, however, Netflix announced in 2013 that it was moving to HTML5 video.

In a July 2015 blog, Microsoft encouraged companies using Silverlight for media to start transitioning to DASH/MSE/CENC/EME based designs. It set October 2021 as the overall support end date for Silverlight 5.

Here is support information for various browsers and programs:

IE9 to 11 – Until late 2021, depending on the operating system
Google Chrome – No longer supports it since September 2015
Mozilla Firefox – No longer supports it since March 2017
Microsoft Edge – No plugin is available
macOS – No support since Firefox 52, Safari 12, and Chrome 45

If you are a Mac user and, by any chance, you find that you still need Silverlight, there are still ways to install and enable it on your computer. Don’t expect to have an easy time with it, though.

A user on macOS High Sierra , for instance, finds that Silverlight works on Safari until he gets to Safari 12. He has updated to Mojave at the same time. Upon further research, he discovers online that Safari no longer supports Silverlight, yet he couldn’t see any information about Mojave blocking apps from using the plugin.

Is it time for them to quit Silverlight altogether while staying on Mojave, or roll back to High Sierra to use the plugin again?

One handy solution is to stick to using Firefox 52.9.0 ESR , which appears to work fine with Silverlight.

Now, it’s time for us to dig deeper into the issue of Silverlight for Mac not being recognized, or if you are continually prompted to install it. You’re likely having this problem when you receive an error message (stating an install is needed) whenever you try to access a website requiring Silverlight to display content.

This can be caused by different reasons, including:

An earlier version of Silverlight is in your system. However, it doesn’t meet the requirements for the plugin the site is using.
The plugin is actually not installed.
Your browser is set to “Run using Rosetta.” This will lead your machine to be incorrectly identified as a PowerPC-based Mac.

Before troubleshooting, try to assess the current environment in which the software runs. It also helps to clean out junk and other nuisance files that could be getting in the way of your Mac’s stable operations. A reliable third-party Mac optimizer tool gets this done.

Next, follow these steps:

On the Apple menu, choose About this Mac .
Note the processor type, speed, RAM, as well as operating system information. Certain sites have particular requirements in order for you to view their content.
Close the window. Next, close all open browser windows.
On the desktop, double-click the hard drive icon.
Next, double-click the Library folder.
Open the Internet Plug-ins folder.
If the version number displayed is 1.0.xxx and your processor type is a PowerPC: The right version of the plugin is installed.
If you have an Intel processor: All versions of Silverlight are supported. You are recommended, though, to run the latest version. This way, you can access sites using the latest features and benefit from the latest product improvements.

Here are the solutions you can try for each of the three potential causes of the problem.

An Earlier Version of Silverlight Is in Your System

Typically, the website uses Silverlight 3 for its content to properly show. If this is the case, it looks at whether your system complies with the requirement. If your system doesn’t, you are directed to an upgrade on the Silverlight site. If, on the other hand, you’re using a PowerPC, the site knows this and only version 1 can be installed. Discuss this situation with the site’s support team.

The Plugin Is Actually Not Installed

Follow these instructions:.

On your browser, visit http://silverlight.net/getstarted/ .
If you are running an Intel processor, click Mac Runtime found next to Silverlight 3.
If not, click Runtime for Mac PowerPC locate next to Silverlight 1.0.
Once the download is complete, installation will automatically begin. Follow the steps outlined in the installation wizard.
Once installation is complete, you will be prompted to exit your browser. Close your browser windows and restart the browser. By this time, it should recognize the new plug-in.

Your Browser Is Set to ‘Run Using Rosetta’

Follow these steps:.

Select the Applications folder.
Look for the icon for the browser that you are using. Make sure to hold down the CTRL key while clicking the icon.
Choose Get Info .
Locate the Run using Rosetta option. This check box should not be selected. If it is, then untick the check box. Close the window.
Click Restart on the Apple menu.
After your computer reboots, try to access the website that generated the error message.

Note that if the right version of the plugin isn’t installed, you should ensure that the Run using Rosetta check box is not selected as well. Afterwards, follow the steps in the last section to install the plugin.

Final Notes

Is Silverlight needed on Mac? Only you can answer this question, depending on your needs and preferences. Silverlight 5 is on life support until October 2021, at which point Microsoft will cease to support it.

Try one of the fixes we provided above if you need to install and enable Silverlight on your Mac for whatever reason you find necessary.

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Microsoft® Silverlight™ 1.0

Microsoft Silverlight Browser Plug-in

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System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems

Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows XP

Install Instructions

Additional information, related resources.

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Silverlight for Mac

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Silverlight 5.1.50901.0 LATEST

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Silverlight 5.1.50901.0 Screenshots

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What's new in this version:

- This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Silverlight. The vulnerability could allow information disclosure if a user visits a compromised website that contains a specially crafted Silverlight application. An attacker would have no way to force a user to visit a compromised website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince the user to visit the website, typically by enticing the user to click a link in either an email message or instant message that takes the user to the attacker's website.

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Each software is released under license type that can be found on program pages as well as on search or category pages. Here are the most common license types:

Freeware programs can be downloaded used free of charge and without any time limitations . Freeware products can be used free of charge for both personal and professional (commercial use).

Open Source

Open Source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify or enhance. Programs released under this license can be used at no cost for both personal and commercial purposes. There are many different open source licenses but they all must comply with the Open Source Definition - in brief: the software can be freely used, modified and shared .

Free to Play

This license is commonly used for video games and it allows users to download and play the game for free . Basically, a product is offered Free to Play (Freemium) and the user can decide if he wants to pay the money (Premium) for additional features, services, virtual or physical goods that expand the functionality of the game. In some cases, ads may be show to the users.

Demo programs have a limited functionality for free, but charge for an advanced set of features or for the removal of advertisements from the program's interfaces. In some cases, all the functionality is disabled until the license is purchased. Demos are usually not time-limited (like Trial software) but the functionality is limited.

Trial software allows the user to evaluate the software for a limited amount of time . After that trial period (usually 15 to 90 days) the user can decide whether to buy the software or not. Even though, most trial software products are only time-limited some also have feature limitations.

Usually commercial software or games are produced for sale or to serve a commercial purpose .

To make sure your data and your privacy are safe, we at FileHorse check all software installation files each time a new one is uploaded to our servers or linked to remote server. Based on the checks we perform the software is categorized as follows:

This file has been scanned with VirusTotal using more than 70 different antivirus software products and no threats have been detected. It's very likely that this software is clean and safe for use.

There are some reports that this software is potentially malicious or may install other unwanted bundled software . These could be false positives and our users are advised to be careful while installing this software.

This software is no longer available for the download . This could be due to the program being discontinued , having a security issue or for other reasons.

How to Install Silverlight 5

You will have to quit the browser to follow the instructions, so you might want to download the PDF .

Updating Silverlight to the current version requires first removing any older version. These instructions will take you through the steps of removal and installation for Windows 7, Windows XP, and Mac.

If you're not sure whether you have Windows 7 or XP, there's a quick test: if you have a "Start" menu button on the lower left it's Windows XP, a round button with a Windows icon instead of a word indicates Windows 7.

From your Start menu select "Control Panel" (or "Settings→Control Panel").
Double-click on "Add or Remove Programs." If you don't see that option, click on "Switch to Classic View," over on the left.
Be patient as the list of programs is filled in. When it's done, find "Microsoft Silverlight" in the list, and click "Remove."
Answer any confirmation prompts, and allow the program to be removed.
Close up the Control Panel and start up Firefox.
Go to http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/get-started/install/default.aspx .
Click on the install button, and save the file.
When the download is complete, double-click it in your Downloads window, and confirm that you want to install it.
Close out of Firefox.
From the Start menu select "All Programs→Microsoft Silverlight/Microsoft Silverlight."
Click on "Application Storage" and ensure that the "Application Storage" checkbox is checked, and close out of Silverlight.
Start up Firefox again, and select "Tools→Clear Recent History." (If you only have one "Firefox" menu, instead select "Firefox→History→Clear Recent History…".)
Select "Everything" for the time range to clear.
If you don't see a listing with checkboxes below, click on the black "Details" triangle to show them.
Uncheck everything except "Cache," and click "Clear Now." That's it; you're all set!

Note: If you finish this and it still appears that Firefox doesn't have Silverlight installed, go to Firefox's Tools → Add-Ons menu, select "Plugins" from the left, and make sure that Silverlight is enabled.

From your Windows menu select "Control Panel" (or "Settings→Control Panel").
Click on "Programs and Features." If you don't see that option, first change the menu at the top right to "Small Icons."
Be patient as the list of programs is filled in. When it's done, find "Microsoft Silverlight" in the list, and double-click it.
Answer any removal confirmation prompts, and allow the program to be removed.
Uncheck everything except "Cache," and click "Clear Now." That's it; you're good to go!

On a Mac, the procedure is different depending on whether you use Safari or Firefox.

Firefox (Mac only)

In Firefox, select "Tools→Add-ons".
On the left, select "Plugins."
On the right, look for "Silverlight Plug-In", and click the "Disable" button next to it.
When the download is complete, double-click it in your Downloads window.
Double-click on the Silverlight.pkg icon and confirm that you want to install it.
Go through the installation procedure, clicking "Continue," "Accept," etc., until you're done.
Go back to Firefox and quit it.
In Finder, select "Go→Home" to open up listing of files in your home directory.
Open up the "Library" folder, then inside that the "Application Support" folder, and finally the "Microsoft" folder.
Find the "Silverlight" folder and drag it to the trash.
Open up your Applications folder by using the "Go→Applications" command, find "Microsoft Silverlight" and double-click it.
Select "Application Storage."
Ensure that "Application Storage" is checked, and then choose "File→Quit Silverlight Preferences."
Start up Firefox again, and select "Tools→Clear Recent History."
Uncheck everything except "Cache," and click "Clear Now." That's it; you're ready to roll!

Safari (Mac only)

Quit Safari, if it's open.
Get to the Finder by clicking on the desktop or the "Finder" icon in the dock.
Select "Go→Go to Folder…", and type in "Library".
Open the "Internet Plug-ins" folder.
Click on "Silverlight.plugin" and drag it to Trash.
If there is a "WPFe.plugin", drag that to Trash as well.
Select "Finder→Empty Trash".
Start Safari and go to http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/get-started/install/default.aspx .
When the download is complete, select it from the downloads list (an arrow icon to the right of the address bar).
Go back to Safari and quit it.
Ensure that "Application Storage" is checked, and then choose "File?Quit Silverlight Preferences."
Start up Safari again.
Select "Safari→Clear Empty Cache…"
Confirm that you want to empty the cache, and you're all done.

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How To Fix Netflix Not Working On Your Mac (inc. Safari and M1/M2/M3 Macs)

There’s nothing more frustrating than kicking-back to watch a movie or TV series and finding that Netflix is not working properly on your Mac.

Unfortunately there’s no official Netflix app for Macs so Netflix streaming problems via a web browser are very common on macOS.

This means there’s also no official way to download Netflix content on a Mac although there are workarounds to watch Netflix offline and download shows on a Mac .

The most common Netflix playback issues on macOS are things such as cache problems, plugin failure error messages, a black screen with no player controls, external monitor issues, mysterious n8151, n8010 and 2105 error codes and other problems caused by adware.

Often, these streaming issues can be fixed with a few of the solutions suggested here.

Note that if you’re experiencing buffering on Netflix or slow streaming speeds , you might find that using a VPN helps .

Using NordVPN can speed up your internet connection to prevent buffering on Netflix as it re-routes traffic around Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that throttle your bandwidth when streaming.

Using a VPN also allows you to watch Netflix in another country other than the one you are in as a VPN re-routes your traffic around regional restrictions.

Before You Start

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Before you start tearing your hair out trying to work out why Netflix isn’t working on your Mac, we strongly advise checking the Netflix Service Status Page .

Very often when Netflix isn’t working it’s because there’s been a serious server outage or technical issue which will be displayed on the service status page with a message like “We are having technical issues on netflix.com right now. Please try again later.”

If this is the case, then none of the solutions we cover here will help. You’ll just have to wait until Netflix has restored the service – which doesn’t usually take long.

With this in mind then, here are the most common ways to fix Netflix streaming problems on a Mac.

If your cookies are outdated or corrupted then Netflix won’t play on your Mac. It’s easy to fix this however.

Simply go to netflix.com/clearcookies and Netflix will automatically clear your cookie cache and sign you out of Netflix.

Then just sign-in again to Netflix to start watching a movie or TV show.

If you’re seeing the message “Netflix Error S7361-1253” then it’s probably because you need to update macOS .

To check which version of macOS you are using, do the following:

Go to the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen.
Click on About This Mac from the Menu that drops down.

If it shows that you are still using macOS El Capitan, then Netflix can’t use HTML5 to stream to your browser and you’ll need to update to the latest version of macOS.

If you’re not sure how to do this, you can find full instructions how to update a Mac here .

One solution to Netflix playback problems on Mac is to run Windows on your Mac using software such as Parallels .

This enables you to use the Netflix Windows app to watch Netflix shows within Windows on macOS.

There are various ways to run Windows on a Mac and we recommend our guide on the best ways to install Windows on a Mac for more on this.

Mac users with Macs that were made before 2011 got a nasty shock when they updated to Safari 12 which was released in 2018.

Those with older Macs suddenly found that Safari 12 no longer supported the Silverlight plugin that pre-2011 Macs needed to play Netflix.

In 2014 Netflix started switching from using Microsoft’s Silverlight plugin to HTML5 to stream video and the latest versions of Safari 12 to Safari 17 all use HTML5 to stream video.

However, Macs made before 2011 (except a select few) can’t use HTML5 for streaming but could still keep using Silverlight to watch Netflix in 1080p.

You need a Mac from 2012 onwards to be guaranteed of being able to stream Netflix in HTML5.

Unfortunately for security reasons, Apple decided to stop supporting Silverlight in Safari 12 which means if you’ve got an older Mac, you can no longer watch Netflix in Safari.

Usually Netflix will keep prompting you to install Silverlight but Safari can’t install it anymore.

If it says your Mac is at least from early 2011 and you’re running macOS El Capitan or later, you should be able to stream Netflix in HTML5.

If however your Mac is from 2010 or earlier, you’ve got these options:

The easiest solution is to use another browser to watch Netflix preferably Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome . You can also use the lesser known Opera browser. Firefox, Chrome and Opera still support the Silverlight plugin so you’ll be able to watch Netflix although the maximum resolution will be 720p on older Macs.
If you use Apple’s Time Machine , restore an earlier back-up of your Mac so that you can go back to Safari 11. This is a more drastic solution but will basically roll-back your Mac to an earlier state. Note that any other applications or changes you’ve made to your Mac since the roll-back will be lost.
Use Apple TV to stream Netflix instead. If you haven’t got one, an Apple TV is a modest investment which allows you to watch Netflix and a whole host of other channels on your TV.
Use an iPad to stream Netflix. Although there’s no Netflix app for Macs, there is an official Netflix app for iPads . The iOS app also allows you to download Netflix shows and movies on your iPad for offline viewing.

If you’re using a Mac made in 2011 and still using Silverlight to stream Netflix, you should definitely switch to HTML5 to solve any playback problems.

Silverlight causes a multitude of problems streaming on Macs and as you’ll see, half of this troubleshooting article covers ways of fixing them.

Since 2014, these problems were eliminated when Netflix moved to using HTML5 to stream movies in full 1080 HD.

To ensure that you’re watching Netflix using HTML5, follow these instructions:

1. Newer Macs: Upgrade to the latest version of macOS Sonoma and use Safari, Firefox, Chrome or Opera

If you’re already running macOS El Capitan or above, Safari, Firefox, Chrome and Opera automatically support Netflix streaming in HTML5.

To upgrade to Sonoma though, you must have an Apple Silicon Mac with the M1 or M2 chip (although some Intel chip Macs are supported by it).

You can see which Macs are supported by macOS Sonoma here .

You can also install macOS Sonoma on unsupported Macs although it’s not easy unless you’re an experienced Mac user.

If your Mac doesn’t support Sonoma, your best option is to update to the previous version of macOS which is macOS Ventura via the Mac App Store.

2. Older Macs: Switch to Google Chrome

If you’re still using an older version of OS X (from OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard onwards) Google Chrome allows you to stream Netflix in HTML5 on older versions of OS X although you must “force” it to do so.

Simply open Netflix in Google Chrome, go to Netflix Playback Settings and select Prefer HTML5 player instead of Silverlight:

netflix for mac not working - netflix playback settings

Close Chrome and then reopen it and you should find Netflix plays using the HTML5 player instead of Silverlight.

For more, you can see the full system requirements on Mac for streaming Netflix in HTML5 here .

If you’re sure Safari is using HTML5 to stream Netflix but still having problems, make sure that video Auto-Play is activated for websites.

To do this go to Safari > Preferences and select the Website tab across the top. Make sure that Auto-Play is enabled.

netflix not playing on mac - safari autoplay

It’s also worth checking nothing is blocking Netflix under the Content Blockers options too. When you’ve done, reload the page to see if Netflix starts working again.

If you regularly have problems streaming Netflix on your Mac, you may want to consider getting a dedicated box to stream Netflix or a USB TV stick such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick .

These plug into your Mac’s USB port and are far more efficient at streaming Netflix than your Mac. You’ll also get other benefits such as access to Hulu (Limited Offer: $5.99 per month) , ESPN and HBO Now.

While Silverlight is the main culprit for problems with Netflix, HTML5 isn’t without its problems sometimes.

One common problem is that when you try to watch Netflix in Safari with external monitors connected to your Mac, HTML5 may not work.

Some users report experiencing a “Please ensure your monitor is HDCP compliant and is not mirrored using airplay” error when trying to play Netflix videos using Safari in HTML5 mode.

It seems to mostly affect those using a Thunderbolt-VGA adapters and although there is no official solution or fix for this problem, there are a few tricks that have worked for some. They are:

The in the Develop menu in Safari, select an older version of Safari:

This basically makes Safari revert back to an older version that Netflix works properly with. Note that if you open a new tab, you’ll have to do this process again. Other fixes include:

If you’re using DisplayLink drivers for your monitor, updating to the latest DisplayLink drivers can also help.
Try using a a Thunderbolt-DVI adapter instead
Switch to Chrome for Netflix streaming
If you’re getting a “Plugin Failure” error message when connecting an external monitor, it may be a conflict between Netflix and your graphics card.

If you’ve got a newer MacBook Pro, it has two graphics cards – an integrated HD Graphics 4000 card and a more powerful discreet Nvidia GT 650M card.

Your Mac switches between the two silently in the background depending on the demands of your Mac.

Silverlight will not work if your Mac is using the discreet graphics card which it often switches to if you plug-in an external monitor.

To fix this, all you have to do is close down all other apps (including your browser) and unplug the external monitor to make your Mac switch to the default Integrated graphics card.

Restart your browser and open Netflix and start watching a movie or show.

You can then re-attach the external monitor and it will work.

You can download a useful app called gfx which tells you which graphics card your Mac is using and allows you to force your Mac to use either the integrated or discreet graphics card (although not if you’ve got an external monitor attached).

If you’re getting ads and popups when streaming Netflix on your Mac, then it’s possible adware or malware is installed on your Mac.

Adware and malware can get installed on your Mac when you accidentally click on malicious ads or install an application which is bundled with adware or malware.

Fortunately, it’s easy to get rid of adware on Mac by using Malwarebytes for Mac . You can read more about how to remove adware on Mac here .

Netflix automatically chooses the bitrate to play videos on your Mac based on your connection speed and even if you have a fast connection, it doesn’t always select HD by default.

To force Netflix to play in HD on a Mac simply click on the video window to make sure it’s selected, hold down the Control+Shift+Option+S keys at the same time and Netflix will manually switch to HD.

You can also watch Netflix in HDR on supported Macs by following these instructions on how to watch HDR on a Mac .

You can force Netflix to stream in 4K on a Mac (UltraHD) as long as it has Apple Silicon processor or Apple T2 Security chip.

If you’re using an external monitor, it will also of course need to support 4K or be a 5K monitor. External displays must have a minimum refresh rate of 60Hz and be connected with an HDCP 2.2 rated cable.

To make Netflix stream in 4K make sure you have to the following:

macOS Big Sur 11.0 or later on your Mac.

The latest updated version of Safari for your version of macOS
Make sure your Netflix subscription supports streaming in UHD.
Check that your internet connection supports speeds of 15 megabits per second or higher.
Set the Netflix Streaming quality to Auto or High.

Although there is no official Netflix app for Macs there is an official Netflix app for iPad and iPhone which allows you to watch Netflix movies and TV shows within the app.

The iOS app also allows you to watch Netflix offline on your iPad and iPhone.

There are also some unofficial Netflix apps available for Mac.

However, in general we don’t recommend them because they basically have all the same problems as using a browser.

If you’re using a pre-2011 Mac you’ll still have to use Silverlight in Chrome, Firefox or Opera to stream Netflix. If you’re having playback problems then it’s almost certainly because of the troublesome Silverlight plugin.

Silverlight is a plugin by Microsoft which Netflix used to deliver video to users although as we’ve already made clear, it’s now been replaced by the more reliable HTML5 standard on Macs made from 2011 onwards.

Note that there’s no version of Silverlight for PPC Macs and no way to make Netflix work on a non-Intel Mac .

Even if you can find an old version of Silverlight to install on your PPC Mac, Netflix will request you to upgrade to an Intel Mac before it will play anything so it’s not even worth trying.

The first thing to do is to make sure you definitely have Silverlight installed by going to the Silverlight test page . If Silverlight is installed on your Mac, you should see something like the following result on the Silverlight test page.

netflix-not-working-mac-silverlight-test

If you haven’t got it installed at all, you can download it from Microsoft or simply try to play a video in Netflix which will prompt you to perform the installation automatically.

Netflix also provides full instructions how to install Silverlight on a Mac here .

If you’re installing Silverlight for the first time, you may receive the message “ Silverlight.dmg cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer “.

This is a security measure in the latest versions of macOS to prevent applications being installed that have not been verified by Apple on the Mac App Store.

To bypass this Right-click or Ctrl click on “Silverlight.pkg” and then click “ Open” and select the option that reads: “Silverlight.pkg” is not from the Mac App Store.

Are you sure you want to open it? Opening “Silverlight.pkg” will always allow it to run on this Mac. Installation will then continue as normal

If you’ve already got Silverlight installed and it’s fully updated, then it’s likely something has gone wrong with the plugin.

The real problems start when this plugin starts to malfunction so if you’re experiencing problems with Silverlight, there are various fixes and solutions you can try described below.

Signs that something is wrong with Silverlight on Mac are errors such as:

Being constantly prompted to reinstall Silverlight (known as “install looping”)
Getting an error code such as error 2104, error 2015, error n8151 or error n8010
Videos not loading
Blank or black screens with no player controls
Silverlight keeps crashing
Videos keeps freezing
Netflix is choppy
Netflix full screen mode is not working
“Netflix plugin failure” error messages

If you’re experiencing any of the above, here is a complete list of steps how to fix them. There are also specific problems with Netflix in Firefox on Mac, which we’ve gone into more detail further down.

If Netflix keeps asking you to reinstall Silverlight even though it’s already installed, it may be because your browser is trying to access an outdated or corrupted cookie file. To fix this, make sure you are logged-into Netflix and go to https://www.netflix.com/clearcookies . You will then be automatically logged-out of Netflix. Go to Netflix Home then Member Sign In to log back in and try to play a movie or TV show again.
If this doesn’t work and you’re using Chrome, check that Silverlight is definitely installed by typing: chrome://plugins/ into the Chrome URL bar and scroll down the list to see if Silverlight is installed and enabled

If you have the HTTPS Everywhere plugin installed, disable it by clicking on the HTTPS Everywhere icon.

Disable any antivirus software you may be using.

If you’re using Safari 11 or earlier, you must ensure that Safari isn’t blocking Netflix access to the Silverlight plugin. To do this:

Go to “Preferences” in Safari in the top Menu bar
Click the “Security” tab and then go down to “Manage Website Settings…”

netflix not working on mac - safari security settings

Select “Silverlight” in the plugins list. If you see the critical security issue warning, make sure you update the plugin first.

netflix safari problem - silverlight settings

If everything is OK, select the Silverlight plugin on the left, and make sure that “Allow” or “Always Allow” is selected. You can also select “Ask” if you prefer to be asked before Silverlight is accessed by Netflix. You can read more on Safari plugin settings here .

If none of this works, then it’s probably a more fundamental problem related to your Silverlight plugins folder for which the only solution is to completely uninstall Silverlight.

The problem is that Silverlight is notoriously hard to remove properly on Mac and you need to perform some manual removal.

Next we show you a few ways to make sure that Silverlight has bee completely uninstalled on your Mac.

If you have more than one user account on your Mac, the Silverlight plugin is duplicated in both your Root Library folder and User Library folder. You must therefore go to: ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins in your local folder and clear out old versions of the plugin which are causing the problem. The problem is that Netflix has probably been constantly trying to access the outdated local user version rather than the root version. The solution is to fully uninstall and reinstall the Silverlight for Netflix plugin by following these instructions:
Close any browsers that are open e.g. Firefox, Safari, Chrome etc.
Install a free app removal utility called AppCleaner
Search for Silverlight and then select the installed components that AppCleaner automatically finds and delete them:

You can still install it however by r ight-clicking or holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on Silverlight.pkg. Select Open on the pop-up menu and then click Open on the prompt that says “Silverlight.pkg” is not from the Mac App Store.

Are you sure you want to open it? Opening “Silverlight.pkg” will always allow it to run on this Mac.”

You can then complete the installation of Silverlight on your Mac and Netflix movies should now play as normal.

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Silverlight.plugin
/Library/Receipts/Silverlight.pkg
/Library/Receipts/Silverlight_W2_MIX.pkg
/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/WPFe.plugin
/Library/Receipts/WPFe.pkg

Then go back to Macintosh HD and select System and then Library , Internet Plugins and make sure any Silverlight files are deleted.

Finally, go to back to Macintosh HD and select Library, Application Support , Microsoft and delete the entire Silverlight folder. Empty Trash and reinstall Silverlight.

Firefox can be particularly fussy when it comes to Silverlight on Mac. If you’re seeing an error page or a black/blank screen when trying to watch Netflix on your Mac then again, it’s probably due to a problem with the Silverlight plugin.

This can be due to various issues but often it’s because Silverlight is not updated properly and Firefox automatically disables the plugin for security reasons.

Make sure that Silverlight is Enabled in Firefox by going to the Tools menu and selecting Add-Ons . Click on Plugins and make sure that Silverlight is enabled.

If Silverlight is enabled and Netflix still doesn’t work, follow this checklist to fix the problem:

Close Firefox.
Follow the uninstall instructions above using AppCleaner to make sure you have completely removed Silverlight from your Mac.
Open Firefox and go to the Silverlight DRM Test page . Click on the box that says Install Microsoft Silverlight.

The Silverlight installation file will be downloaded onto your Mac. Double click on it to launch the Silverlight for Mac Browser Plug-In installer.

If you can see the video, Silverlight for Mac is working correctly in Firefox and you should be able to watch Netflix in Firefox.

If none of the above fixes Silverlight, try the following solutions:

Go to the Tools menu, select Add-ons and the Extensions tab and disabling any other add-ons that may be blocking Silverlight especially ad blockers or tracking blockers such as Adblock Plus, Flashblock or Ghostery.
Some folders in macOS are hidden from view and may cause Silverlight to give you a N8156-6013 error, n8151 error or n8010 or error 2105. You must unhide your Library folder and delete some folders. To unhide folders in macOS, install invisibliX which allows you to easily toggle hidden files. You must then delete the PlayReady folder in your Library in both your User folder and your Macintosh HD . There’s no need to restart your Mac afterwards – Netflix should start working again.

We hope these tips have got Netflix working again on your Mac.

If Netflix still isn’t working on your Mac, make sure that your Netflix subscription is still valid.

If you’ve checked this, you can always try using the Netflix Help Center although it’s not that helpful for Mac users.

If you want to know how to record Netflix on Mac, you might also be interested in our article on how to capture Netflix videos on Mac .

For any other issues or problems you are having with Netflix on your Mac, let us know in the comments below.

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I have Safari 14 and still suffers from this problem. So I downloaded the latest version of Opera browser and Netflix works.

Hi, none of these solutions have worked. I’m not sure if I have the problem that these solutions fix however. Not sure. Anyway, when I try to go into netflix on my MacBook Pro (pretty new, newest software updates and stuff), it either won’t load because netflix “closed the connection”, “didn’t send a signal”, or it loads but it the homepage looks like none of the art was added, I can’t see the shows, and there are a ton of countries listed. However, this only happens when I’m at home, so I thought it was a problem with the wifi at home. However, my brother has no problem accessing the site on his computer. I have no proxies installed, I’ve cleared my history twice, and I can’t clear my netflix cookies because any netflix-run sites are showing those error messages. Thoughts?

Bloody hell! All I needed was Firefox. Thank you. 🙏🤪👍

Glad it helped!

The Netflix site won’t load at all in safari. Like, when I click the Netflix button on favorites, or type in the link or whatever it just won’t load. The blue loading bar under the link just stops in the middle, no error codes, no black screen, no nothing it just does not load. This has been going on for like a week and I’m beginning to lose my mind.

Since I upgraded to High Sierra, Netflix won’t stream on various browsers. I tried the Develop trick to no avail and have done everything suggested by Netflix. Other people on the Apple support forum are having the same problem. there may not be a solution yet.

Have you tried using an app to stream Netflix on your Mac? You can find some suggestions on Netflix viewer software here .

Hi! Thanks for your help in this post. I appreciate that you took and take the time to help! I ended up downloading Chrome and the only thing I had to do to get Netflix to work from there was to follow an error prompt on Netflix to go to chrome://components and to click “update” under the component called “Widevinecdm”. Once I did that I could finally access Netflix movies again on my Mac desktop (OS X Yosemite 10.10.5)

Hi! No problems and thanks for sharing your tip. If only it was that easy for everyone to fix Netflix on their Mac!

Thank you for the article. Silverlight didn’t work on my iMac, but Google chrome did. At first chrome didn’t work either, but I just had to update some components and it’s working. Your article helped me to fix this problem. Thank you again.

Gloria – Appreciate the feedback and glad it helped you get Netflix working on your Mac again.

Netflix doexnt open in my browser.It shows SSL error. What do i do?

This sounds like a security issue rather than a problem with Silverlight and Netflix. Try clearing out your browser’s SSL security certificates and try again.

I've installed the silverlight program multiple times and tried deleting it. It still does not allow me to watch netflix..

I’ve installed the silverlight program multiple times and tried deleting it. It still does not allow me to watch netflix.

Thanks for the article. I’ve tried everything in the post as well as everything netflix’s help page and tech team has advised me to do. But I still am having audio/video sync issues on my macbook pro as well as stuttering video. Any recommendations?

I’m using 10.9.4 on macbook pro.

It seems the audio syncing issue is a bit of a random problem on Netflix for Mac. Have you cleared your Silverlight temp files as per the instructions on the Netflix website ? Also, a temporary solution is simply to skip backwards a little bit during playback and the syncing usually corrects itself for a while although it is quite annoying to have to keep doing that.

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, I cleared all the files multiple times but to no avail.

Hi, well i can not get netflix on firefox or safari and i have uninstalled silverlight reinstalled it and made sure it was enabled on firefox and nothing is working. It just says “Safari can’t connect to the server” every single time i try, and it only says that for netflix. What do i do?

It sounds more like a general problem with your internet connection rather than Netflix. Try turning your router off and on and again and restart your Mac. You may need some help reconfiguring your router or have a problem with your Internet Service Provider. Does the internet wifi work on other devices such as your phone for example? Alternatively, you could try connecting to the internet with a network cable to your router instead of WiFi.

thats the thing, the internet works fine and i can get on other websites and everything but as soon as i try to go to netflix it ways that it cant connect to the server even tho the internet is working and every other website is working

It’s possible that your DNS settings are messed up. Try going into System Prefs > Network > Advanced > DNS tab > and then delete any numbers in the DNS box.

I’ve been having the same problem being prompt to install silverlight every time I opened netflix with Safari and not being able to watch anything. I called apple support and they had me do these simple steps: Preferences-security-check the “allow-plug-ins” box. This solved the problem immediately. I hope this will help other people.

Sorry for not specifying it before, I have a macbook pro running OS X 10.9.2

Thanks for sharing your solution to get Netflix for Mac working again!

i cant use it -.- it says: Silverlight Installation Problem Error Code: 2103 You have encountered an issue specific to Microsoft Silverlight, the software used to watch movies on the Netflix website. This issue is often resolved by uninstalling and then reinstalling Microsoft Silverlight on your computer.

To uninstall Microsoft Silverlight on your Macintosh computer, please follow these steps:

Completely close any currently open internet browser windows. Navigate to your Hard Drive. Select Library. Select Internet Plugins. Drag Silverlight.plugin to your trash. Once you have emptied your trash, Microsoft Silverlight uninstallation will be complete. After completing the above steps, attempting to Watch Instantly on http://www.netflix.com will prompt you to reinstall Microsoft Silverlight.

when i try to use silverlight on netflix…

To fix this problem:

– Log out of Netflix. – Clear the Cache, History and Temp files in your browser and close it. – Reopen your browser and log into Netflix and your should be able to watch Netflix on your Mac again.

Here is what I found on macbook pro 2009. When I ran Netflix, it was very slow choppy and the CPU was pegged. Once I took the back off, the problem was obvious. The machine was clogged with dust and this was causing the CPU to throttle down so it would not thermally overload. A can of Air from radio shack solved the problem I used the Compress Air blow out the dust out of the notebook, and a pair of tweezers to pull other dust bunnies out.

Once the cpu and case were cleaned, the Mac Book is working like new.

From my experience, the laptops probably should be blown out once a year.

Ralph, Thanks for sharing your solution.

Hello, about a month ago I purchased a Chromecast to watch Netflix on my tv and still do work on my MacBook Pro (Mac OS X Version 10.6.8). It worked great until a few days ago when Silverlight kept crashing for Chrome (Version 35.0.1916.27 beta). Since then, I’ve deleted and re-installed Silverlight several times as listed above. Netflix is working for Safari, but not for Chrome (which defeats the purpose of my Chromecast’s initial purchase). I’ve used the AppCleaner, cleared cache and cookies, etc. Any other ideas would be appreciated. Thank you.

Jonathon, If it’s a Chrome specific problem, try logging out of Netflix in Chrome. Then clear the Cache, History and Temp files by going to the settings bar in the top right corner of Chrome. Close Chrome, then re-open it and log back into Netflix and it should work. If this doesn’t work, do you use Time Machine to backup your Mac? You could try rolling back to a backup of your Mac when everything was working fine.

I’m just afraid that this will give my computer a virus and my folks will get really angry with me..

Madeline, What exactly are you afraid will give your Mac a virus? It’s worth remembering that viruses are very rare on Mac so whatever you’re trying, shouldn’t pose any risk.

Thanks, that fixed it!

Great, glad it helped!

My netflix was working fine on my computer this morning and now I am having the 2103 error. I am using Chrome and OS X 10.8.3. I completely uninstalled Silverlight and emptied the Trash numerous times but I continue to get the error. I used both AppCleaner and digging into the library to ensure there was no trace of Silverlight. All that said Netflix is working on Firefox, any idea why or how to get it working on Chrome as that is my default browser and it was working 12 hours ago and I’ve done nothing on my laptop since.

Oh and I also disable Ghostery with no change.

Emily, To fix the Netflix 2103 error in Chrome on your Mac try this:

– Open Chrome then logout of Netflix. Clear the Cache, History and Temp files in Chrome (you can do this by going to the top right of Chrome, clicking on the three bars and then selecting “Settings”). – Close Chrome. Then reopen it and log back into Netflix. Netflix should now be working in Chrome on your Mac. If it doesn’t, let us know.

Hello, I am in the middle of trying to install it and it asks for a password to allow it. It won’t accept my apple ID and password so what password is it asking for? Thank You

Tara, I presume your Mac is asking you for your Mac admin password which you would have created when you first setup your Mac. If you don’t have one, try just pressing Enter without a password to continue installation.

is the Mac admin password different from your apple ID/password? if so, I don’t remember my admin password…what, if anything, can I do about that?

figured I should also mention that I did already try your previous suggestion to Tara (not using a password at all) and that didn’t work.

Penny, If you are using OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard you can use the startup DVD to rescue the password. But if you are using OS X 10.7 Lion or above follow these instructions to reset your Mac admin password:

1. Shutdown your Mac. Restart it and immediately hold down the CMD key (the squiggle key next to the spacebar) and “S” at the same time. 2. You should see a black screen with white writing. Type “mount -uw” and hit Enter 3. Type “aunchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.opendirectoryd.plist” and hit Enter. 4. Type “/Users” and hit Return. A list of authorised users on the Mac will appear. Type “dscl . passwd /Users/username password” but replace the word “username” with one of the usernames in the list and replace “password” with a new password that you want to use. Hit Enter. 5. Restart your Mac normally and use the new password to login. If you see a prompt after this, type “reboot” and the Mac will restart with the new password saved.

i am having netflix freezing problems i am running a late model 2009 macbook air with newly formatted HD with Snow Lep installed 10.6.8. My machine has 2GB of Ram but continues to freeze after about 30 min of watching a movie. I have tried reinstalling Silver Light and installing it to point where i formatted my HD and reinstalled SL. I have cannot find the issue and i am considering buying another machine maybe back to PC. Do i not have enough Ram becuase i would think 2GB would suffice. Please help

Mike, Try changing browsers first and see if it helps. Try either Chrome or Firefox if you’re using Safari and let us know what happens.

tried Google and i have tried Firefox problem still occurs. First sign is the video starts to look like its going into slow motion then the video and audio become out of sync, within seconds it becomes unwatchable. I was convinced it was a corrupt file either in the OS or Silverlight but you would think after doing a full format and reinstall that would have fixed it. i appreciate any suggestions.

It’s probably a Silverlight issue rather than a problem with your Mac because even users with new Macs running the latest OS X have reported similar problems. I’d suggest following the post above closely to make sure you completely uninstall Silverlight. Once you’ve done that, double check that the following files are definitely deleted and emptied from your Trash: Root Library: /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Silverlight.plugin and /Library/Receipts/Silverlight*.pkg and in the User Library: ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Silverlight . Then reinstall Silverlight and it should work properly on your Mac.

I was having the same problem until yesterday. I went into the playback settings in Netflix an change the option to use HTML 5 instead of Silverlight. After unchecking the check box, I restarted Safari. The problem went away. I kept removing and reinstalling Silverlight, which may have been needed anyway and is a good idea to do it, but since Netflix wasn’t using Silverlight for playback it never fixe the problem. I hope this helps somebody out there because it has been very frustrating for me.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

When I try to go to the microsoft webpage to download silverlight it just says no data received. In fact no microsoft pages will open. Can you please help me? Thank you!

It sounds like something is configured badly with your internet connection. Go to System Preferences>Network>Configure>Proxies Tab and make sure that no proxies are set. If this doesn’t work, create an entirely new WiFi connection in your WiFi preferences.

Thanks! All I had to do was activate Silverlight as you lined out. Spent an hour trying to figure it out before I read your post 🙂 Watching movies now with my son 🙂

Cindi, That’s great! Glad it helped you and your son 🙂

I’ve tried with Safari, Firefox, and Chrome and in all of them the movie just shows a black screen with the blue dots circling on it. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled Silverlight 10 times and tried all the instructions on this page. It still won’t work. Help?

Marissa, If it’s happening on all browsers, it’s extremely important you follow these instructions to ensure Silverlight is fully removed from your Internet Plugins folder.

Click on your Macintosh HD and select Library and then Internet Plugins and delete the Silverlight file. Then go back to Macintosh HD and select System and then Library, Internet Plugins and make sure any Silverlight files are deleted. Finally, go to back to Macintosh HD and select Library, Application Support, Microsoft and delete the entire Silverlight folder. Empty Trash and reinstall Silverlight. Let us know if it helps.

Very helpful! The Silverlight plug-in was disabled and I would not have otherwise known how to enable it. Thank you.

Hi, so I’ve tried with three different browsers. Firefox, Safari, and Chrome. On all of them i get a black screen that says i need to turn off private browsing which i have done and it still will not work. I followed all the steps above and still no luck. On Firefox i have enabled silverlight, On safari and chrome silverlight won’t even show up in the plug-ins list. I’m running on Mac OS X 10.6.8. I’m about ready just to give up on ever trying to use netflix. Please help.

You need to delete your PlayReady folder in your Microsoft folder. Go to Finder (the smiley icon on the far left corner of your Dock), click Go in the Menu at the top of your screen, hold down the Alt key and click on the Library option which appears. Then go to Application Support, Microsoft and delete the PlayReady folder to your Trash and empty Trash. Restart your browser and it should work.

Thanks for this article – worked like a charm!

Glad it helped Robin!

Running Mac OS Lion 10.7.5

Videos run on Netflix fine, but with very quiet audio even with both internal speakers and Silverlight controls turned up to max. Softer dialogue is almost inaudible.

Problem is the same on Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

Have tried uninstalling and reinstalling Silverlight.

Netflix say “It’s a Silverlight or Apple problem.” and won’t help.

Any thoughts?

Have you tried clearing your Silverlight cache? Try the following instructions:

Quit all open browsers – including this window! You may want to print the following steps. Click the Finder icon in your Dock. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, select Go. Hold down the Option key on your keyboard and select Library. Note: If Library is not listed, select Home and open the Library folder. Open the Application Support folder. Open the Microsoft folder. Open the Silverlight folder. Drag the is folder to the Trash. Open a web browser and play your movie or TV show again.

I have tried this, and no it does not help.

If you’ve definitely got volume cranked up on both Silverlight and your Mac, then the only solution is to use an external application to boost your volume. AudioHijack Pro is one of the best tools for this. You can test it for free but you’ll have to purchase the full version if it helps solve the problem.

BTW, If the problem is only with Netflix (not YouTube etc) then its definitely a Silverlight problem.

thank you so much!!!!!!!!

You’re welcome – glad it helped!

I was using the correct location, so I created a blank folder titled “PlayReady” in the HD\Library\Application Support\Microsoft location, then restarted the browser. Still not playing on Netflix.

Hi Phee, Close your browser, uninstall Silverlight and then make sure that the following files are definitely deleted:

/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Silverlight.plugin /Library/Receipts/Silverlight.pkg /Library/Receipts/Silverlight_W2_MIX.pkg /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/WPFe.plugin /Library/Receipts/WPFe.pkg

Then reinstall Silverlight and see if Netflix works again.

You know, none of theses suggestions worked, and I was unable to use netflix at all until recently. I finally found a fix after realizing that with Lion, lots of folders as well as the HD are ‘hidden’ from view… so I found a tutorial to unhide my Library folder, and found two supporting files that were creating the problem! Check out this tutorial:

http://osxdaily.com/2009/02/25/show-hidden-files-in-os-x/

Then I deleted the offending folders, where the DRM hash is saved. It’s described here:

http://chrissilich.com/blog/netflix-error-n8156-6013-or-n8151-on-mac-osx/

The real trick was to delete the Playready folders in the Library in both my user folder, and the general HD. Then I didn’t even need to reinstall, or restart my Mac. BOOM. Netflix worked. Hopes this helps someone!!! I was at my wits end!

It was my ANTIVIRUS (Firewall?)!!!

Kaspersky must have blocked Silverlight from working.

I went to the top of the screen where the Kaspersky logo was and select to turn off protection.

Refreshed Netflix…BAM! Movie!

Now to turn Kaspersky back on and find a way to allow Silverlight to be used forever.

Hi Heath, Thanks for sharing your solution. If you can’t add Netflix to an exceptions list in Kaspersky, I’d recommend removing Kaspersky completely as it’s not worth the hassle. Generally, an antivirus isn’t needed on Macs.

Hello! I run mac os 10.5.8, which should support the new silverlight version, but isn’t- I am continually asked to reinstall. Silverlight is not recognized as an extension in my safari preferences, and I’m not sure how to fix this. I cannot run chrome or firefox on my os because they no longer have browsers supported by my os. I’ve tried all the suggestions up to this point. Any ideas on what to do?

Hi Beau, You can run Firefox on your version of OS X. Please check out this post on Firefox for Mac to download Firefox for OS X 10.5.8 . Try using Netflix in that instead.

Ok. so i’ve followed each and every step on this page, i’ve tried to load netflix on firefox, chrome and safari. Purged every reference to silverlight from my macbook and still it won’t load. Youtube et al work perfectly fine. And it’s not a router issue because it loads fine on my android tablet, my mother’s ipad and my sister’s windows laptop.

Macbook running the latest version of OSX.

Ok, try this checklist:

1. Have you definitely checked that the Silverlight for Mac plugin is “Enabled” in your browser add-ons? 2. Have you got any ad-blocking add-ons installed on your browsers? If so, try disabling them. 3. If all of the browsers you’ve tried so far have failed, try with Opera for Mac .

It tells me that opera isn’t supported.

I’m getting error code N8156-6206 and in firefox has adblock disabled on netflix. It’s not a network issue as netflix works just fine on my sister’s laptop, my mother’s ipad and my tablet.

Hey there! I have been trying all day to get netflix to play, uninstalling and reinstalling Silverlight with AppCleaner, restarting browsers (Chrome, Firefox AND Safari) and my MBP (Lion 10.7.5) multiple times all day. I have tried running the DRM Test after reinstalling everything (plug-ins are enabled in Firefox, and Safari, and pop-ups are not blocked, and I have no other software or plug ins that block things) and the DRM Test will not play on either browser. I am so super frustrated and don’t know what to do! I keep getting error N8151- there is a problem playing DRM content on my machine. ??? I am at a breaking point! I just tried to follow the instructions above, but when I go to Application Support>Microsoft, there is no PlayReady folder. ?? What should I do? Helppppp!!!

Hi Phee, It’s strange that your PlayReady folder is not there. Are you sure you are looking in the right folder i.e. Mac HD\Library\Application Support\Microsoft\PlayReady? If you are, try creating a blank folder called PlayReady and let us know if it works.

I deleted all silverlight plug in files you listed. I used Apple Cleaner to do it. I also uninstalled Firefox and reinstalled and then installed Silverlight and still not working for Netflix streaming. I’ve tried all steps multiple times. Restarted browser, closed out browsers etc.

One thing I find interesting is when just doing it now, I closed out all browsers and sent the silverlight plugin and firefox to trash and tried to empty them this time, I got these 2 error messages ” The operation can’t be completed because the item “Firefox 24.0.dmg” is in use.” AND The operation can’t be completed because the item “Silverlight.dmg” is in use. I restarted my computer and then I was able to empty the trash.

I don’t have an anti-virus on my my Mac so I know it’s not that. Do I need turn off my “firewall” in order for it to work.

Hi Wendy, Sorry for the long delay but I missed this comment. If it’s still any help, the reason you’re receiving those error messages when you empty Trash is because you haven’t dragged Firefox or Silverlight to your Applications folder. You are running them directly from the DMG files that you originally downloaded which is like running them from their own separate mini hard drive. By dragging them to your Applications folder, you are fully installing them on your Mac’s hard drive and you will then be able to drag them to the Trash, and empty it no problem.

Thank you this was very helpful!!!

My Friend Gave Me Her Info For Her Netflix So We Could Share It… And It Works Fine Watching Movies From My Phone [Galaxy S4] But It Doesn’t Work For My Tv -__- Which Makes Me Mad Lol

This Morning iWent Onto Netflix On My Mac And It Says iHad To Install Microsoft SilverLight [No Problem) So iDid So, It Installed Successfully.. But Every Time iTry And Go Back To Netflix To Watch A Movie It Keeps Telling Me iNeed To Install Silver Light But Its Already Installed.. Thats When iWas Using My Firefox Browser , iAlso Have Safari So iTried To Go On Netflix Using Safari , It Recognized The Application HOWEVER Its Now Telling Me iNeed To Upgrade It..

iKeep Uninstalling And Re-Installing The Micrsoft SilverLight App But Still No Change … Help ??

– Melanie

Have you tried all of the steps in the post above plus the advice given in the comments? If so, what version of Mac OS X are you using?

Hi, I’ve tried everything. (Chrome user, also tried fire fox, and safari) I’ve downloaded and redownloaded silver light like you’ve instructed and took off any extensions interrupting it, and everytime I will type in Netflix.com it just loads and then never actually goes to the page. It sits and is trying to load and then shows me an error. None of this helped.

Danielle, Sorry to hear that. It is very important that you make sure all Silverlight files are deleted from your Library and System folders before reinstalling Silverlight. Click on your Lion or Mountain Lion HD and select Library and then Internet Plugins and delete the Silverlight file. Then go back to your Lion or Mountain Lion HD and select System and then Library, Internet Plugins and make sure any Silverlight files are deleted. Finally, go to back to Lion or Mountain Macintosh HD and select Library, Application Support, Microsoft and delete the entire Silverlight folder . Empty Trash and reinstall Silverlight. Let us know if it helps.

Hi, I have the same problem. Any other page loads on my macbook pro besides Netflix. As soon as I type in the Netflix.com it begins to load but then always comes back to “Oops! Google Chrome could not connect to movies.netflix.com” I’ve tried using other browsers, deleted Silverlight following these instructions and reinstalled it. Netflix will load perfectly fine on my iPhone and my roommate’s macbook. What else can I do?

Hi Rachel, It may be a problem with the way Chrome connects to the net and fetches pages. Try going into settings in the top right corner of Chrome, click on Settings, then click Show Advanced Settings at the bottom of the page. In the Privacy tab, uncheck “Predict network actions to improve page load performance”. Close Chrome, restart and see if it works.

I tried it. All it did was make the loading of any pages very slow and Netflix.com still didn’t load. The page says the same thing, or sometimes “This webpage is not available” when I refresh it after a while of loading.

I think it’s probably something to do with your DNS settings on your Mac. Go to your WiFi in the menu bar, select Open Network Preferences, click Advanced and try adjusting some of the settings. Try removing and re-adding your WiFi network for example and also try connecting with an Ethernet cable to your router.

I have the exact same issue. I am not able to open Netflix on any browser. My other devices are able to connect with it. I have done every silverlight thing that you’ve mentioned. Netflix works on my Mac on different networks. It doesn’t work only at my home and this is only for the past two weeks. My ISP restarted the network from their side but still Netflix will not load. Everything else works fine.

I am experiencing the same problem as Jesse on Netflix, i.e. every time after I clicked to play a movie or TV show, a black screen and a blue ring showed up. I am using a new MBP OS X 10.8.4. Have tried on Firefox, Safari and Chrome but nothing works.

Please help! Many thanks!

Hi Young, Have you followed all the steps described in the post above?

Yes, at least 10 times!

Try going to Library and then Receipts (Search for it in Spotlight if you can’t find it). Delete any Silverlight files you see and Empty Trash. Also, delete any files you see in Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Silverlight. Close all web browsers and re-open them. Reinstall Silverlight and it should work.

I have followed all these steps many times. Will this have anything to do with the recent data migration from my old MBP (late 2009 version)? I am really puzzled at why Netflix works on my old Mac after upgrading to SL 5 but not the new Mac.

It may be. What version of OS X have you got on the old MBP and which one on the new one? I’d recommend doing a clean install of OS X on your new Mac and installing Silverlight before doing the data migration again as it may well have caused a glitch somehow, especially if you used Time Machine.

Old: Mid 2010, OS X 10.8.4, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo New: Early 2013, OS X 10.8.4, 3.0 GHz Intel Core i7 How do I install a clean OS X?

You’ll have to download Mountain Lion from the Mac app store, create a bootdisk on a USB drive and reinstall it that way. I’ll post full instructions shortly.

I have an older version of a MAC that doesn’t support the current silverlight version

Hi Jesse, I’m afraid you’ll have to upgrade your Mac. There is no version of Silverlight that supports older Macs.

I’ve been trying to watch netflix on my macbook pro for quite a while now, and all I’m getting out of it is immense frustration. I’ve downloaded, installed, uninstalled, redownloaded, and reinstalled silverlight a few times but to no avail. After clicking on a movie/show to watch all I seem to be getting is a black screen and a blue ring.

Please help!!! Thanks!

Hi Katelyn, Which browser are you using? First you should try using a different one such as Firefox and see if the same thing happens.

At first I was using safari, then I switched over to firefox, but it still didn’t seem to work. any ideas?

I have exactly same problem as this!

I also have this problem, and have tried everything to fix it. I even spent 2 hours on the phone with Netflix customer support.

If you’re still having these problems, can you first confirm which version of OS X you are using?

Greetings to All!

I was recently enjoying Netflix on my Macbook Air, 10.8.3, via Firefox. Suddenly, I started getting redirected to the Netflix “Compatibility” page. I’ve tried many suggested fixes, but one problem remains. Every time I try to reinstall Silverlight I’m directed to a “Moonlight” page. I’ve tried to dwnld that but get a message stating it’s not compatible with Firefox 21.0 I have no clue where to go at this point. Any thoughts?

Hi Al, Moonlight is the Linux version of Silverlight and definitely won’t work on your Macbook Air. You need to make sure you are downloading the official Microsoft version of Silverlight .

I was able to access Netflix without a hitch on my MacBook, and just recently my browser won’t even go to the Netflix home screen. Is there something I should be aware of that took place within the last few days concerning Apple users? Any would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Jay, What exactly happens when you try to access Netflix? Do you see a black screen for example? Which browser are you using and are you sure that the Silverlight add-on needed to play Netflix is activated and up to date?

My status bar freezes for an extended amount of time before entering the Netflix home page. Once there, I log on…and nothing.

I’m currently using Safari and running Mac OS X Software. According to my Plug-ins list I am up to date with Silverlight. I’m assuming the list is accurate considering I was able to watch several movies just last week.

I would suggest trying another browser before going any further. Try installing Firefox or Chrome and see if you have the same problem. Let us know what happens.

I am having the same problem and I tried it on Firefox and Chrome and the same things happen. I’ve tried everything you’ve listed above, but the netflix homepage won’t even load.

Megdauman, Can you first confirm which version of OS X you are using?

Hello , i have a an old mac book and i am unable to download silverlight because it says that i need the MACOS X 10.5 or higher. is there any way to go around this or fix it ? please help !!

Hi Michelle, I’m afraid not. The best thing to do is to upgrade directly to Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 as it’s not worth upgrading to 10.5. Snow Leopard only costs $19.99 from Apple.

Hi, I installed Silverlight using the method you’ve provided here, every time I go to use netflix, it either does not play in HD or the picture quality gets choppy when I go to full screen mode. I am currently using Mac OSX 10.7.5. Can you tell me what might be wrong?

Hi Ronald, First I would try using a different browser such as Firefox or Chrome and see if it works better. Second, I would test the speed of your broadband connection and see if it is fast enough to stream HD smoothly. Finally, I would try reinstalling OS X Lion completely. Let me know if you need help with any of these.

I’ve done everything listed here and it still does not work. There are not extensions blocking Silverlight because the two I have were disabled. It was working fine yesterday morning before centurylink’s internet outage.

Hi Maya, Try following the instructions I’ve given to Inga above using Safari. If you’re using Firefox, to do the same thing go to Preferences, Advanced, Network and Settings.. Make sure that Auto-Detect is selected and click OK. Restart Firefox if necessary and let me know if it works.

I’ve tried these and they still do not work

Krystal, Can you give us a bit more information. What exactly are you seeing when you try to play Netflix films on your Mac? Which browser are you using?

I am using Safari browser on a Macbook Pro computer. I just recently installed updates and prior to that it had been working just fine. The message that I receive from Netflix is that I need to download silverlight (which I already have). I’ve tried uninstalling it by the ways indicated above and I have attempted to chance the settings that you suggested to Inga.

Any feedback?

Hi Krystal, Are you sure that the Silverlight plugin is activated in Safari? Go to Preferences, Extensions and check that Silverlight is enabled.

If this doesn’t work, I highly recommend trying another browser such as Firefox or Google Chrome instead for playing Netflix movies.

hi, we tried deleting and installing silverlight and still no luck on safari, we get blank screen, get stuck on movies.netflix.com. tried the option with firefox, did not work either. Any other ideas?

Hi Inga, It could be a proxy issue. Go to Preferences in Safari and select Advanced . Click on Change Settings next to Proxies . Make sure Auto Proxy Discovery is selected and click OK . Try again, and restart the browser if it doesn’t work first time and let me know what happens.

hi im having the same problem and i tried to do this but my macbook isnt allowing me to check the auto proxy discovery box..

Are you using Safari? Try downloading and installing Firefox instead.

Hi, there is no Auto Proxy Discovery option under my Proxies. I tried selecting ‘Automatic Proxy configuration’ but it appears it needs some sort of file.

Lilyanne, Try the solutions suggested in the comments below. It is important all traces of Silverlight are removed from your Mac before reinstalling. In particular, make sure that the following are definitely removed:

I did as you said by searching for the above documents and extensions, and used App Cleaner to remove the app. Reinstalled, restarted the computer, and still get the same error. ??

I’m having the same issue as Lilyanne: On my advanced settings for Proxies, I just have the option ‘Automatic Proxy configuration’ (not discovery) and it doesn’t allow me to select it. I mean, i does, but when I go back to the main menu it gets automatically deselected. I get black page, no control players. I’m using IMac with Mac OS 10.5.8, Safari version 5.0.6… Apparently, it should work…

Flavia and Lilyanne, The reason you can’t seen the Auto Proxy Discovery option is because you are using OS X 10.5.8 Leopard. It is strongly advised that to help Netflix run properly on your Mac, you upgrade to at least OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or preferably OS X 10.7 Lion. You may find this fixes the problems you are having anyway because OS X 10.5 is quite dated now and has issues with Silverlight and Netflix.

Hello. I am having troulbe getting Silverlight to show up on my MacBook pro using Firefox, in order to stream Netflix movies. I tried all of the above. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Hi Brett, I’ve updated the post with more detailed instructions about how to fix Netflix for Mac Silverlight problems in Firefox. If it still doesn’t help you, let me know exactly what happens when you try to watch Netflix in Firefox on your Mac and I’ll try to help.

Thanks, Mac How. Still having trouble- Silverlight does not show up in my Tools/Add Ons/Plugins, it’s as if Firefox cannot see it. Thus, I am unable to Enable it. Brett

Hi Brett, If you can’t see the Silverlight Add-On in Firefox then it’s a bug. Uninstall both Silverlight and Firefox. Reinstall them both and it should work. Let me know if not.

Mac OS ePlan Setup

Install Microsoft Silverlight. In order to upload files using ePlan, you must install Silverlight. Please click here for Microsoft Silverlight compatibility and installation details .

Safari Users. If you plan to use the Safari browser for Mac, please use the following steps to enable Silverlight:

First you have to install Silverlight for Mac
Then open Safari and select Preferences.
Then Security -> Web Content
Then select Allow for the unsecure mode for Silverlight.
Open Safari
Select Settings
Select Security
Select Internet-Plugins: Allow Plugins
Organize Website Settings and then select Silverlight on the left side, on the right side select hostname, then "Execute in unsecure mode".

Firefox Users. There are no additional steps to enable Silverlight following install.

Once you've completed these steps, your computer will be properly set up to use ePlan Review.

Continue to the ePlan Review login .

How To Remove Blocked Plug-In on Mac (2024 Updated Guide)

Safari’s plugin management system heavily impacts your overall internet browsing experience. People use it to enhance privacy and security, improve productivity, and automate certain tasks. However, constantly having the “Blocked Plug-In” error pop up on your Mac when viewing PDF files can quickly become a major headache.

It prevents certain web content, like PDFs, webpages, videos, or other interactive features, from loading correctly. This issue indicates faulty plugins or Safari browser glitches. That said, you don’t necessarily have to switch to another default browser—here are some troubleshooting steps to try.

If you’re concerned about add-ons, plugins, or extensions that can create pop-ups and potentially compromise your data, the best solution would be an app with robust defense. For example, Intego can protect sensitive data by blocking digital intruders, thanks to its proactive monitoring that allows you to browse the web with your privacy intact.

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How To Remove Blocked Plug-In On Your Mac

1. disable or remove all safari plugins.

Time needed: 5 minutes

Try disabling all your active plugins on Safari. It’s a drastic yet effective way to pinpoint whatever is stopping your browser from displaying web content properly:

Next, if you want to remove all the plugins from the system. Simply visit /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ to access the files. Then, you can drag all the plugins to the trash and it will be deleted permanently.

To identify if the issue is isolated to any particular plugin, try adding them individually and check if it is resolved.

2. Try Another Browser

Since users are primarily seeing this error on Safari, you can try using a different browser, such as Opera One . See if the issue persists. While it doesn’t actually solve the problem at hand, it’s a quick, easy solution if you need to access something only urgently.

3. Update Plugins

An outdated plugin could also cause these errors. Updating your plugins to their latest versions might resolve the incompatibility issues that are blocking specific web content. Make sure you visit the official websites of your extensions, of course.

4. Update Your Browser

Lastly, you can also update your Safari browser . If this is a known issue on older Safari versions, Apple might have already resolved it in its more recent releases. Whatever the case, using the latest version improves security, performance, and compatibility with web content, including plugins.

Go to the Apple menu and open System Preferences.

Wait for a few seconds while the system checks for any available updates.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.

Contact Apple Support if you still can’t remove the Blocked Plug-In error on your Mac. Although unlikely a hardware defect, certified technicians can still guide you through more complex, personalized troubleshooting solutions.