How to Download an Embedded SWF/Flash File to Your Computer

We've probably all wanted to do it one time or another. A site is hosting a flash file that you would really like to save to your computer to view offline, or move elsewhere - but you have no idea on how to download it. Well, here's your solution, without expensive programs, only using free software.

Firstly, get Firefox, as it is the program I will use for this tutorial. It is highly superior to Internet Explorer in security, speed, and features. (You may just about be able to replicate this in Internet Explorer, but the buttons have different names and the key combinations tend to be different. Anyway, you'd have to have problems to want to keep IE after Firefox was released.)

Now, in Firefox, go to the page with the embedded flash file you want to download. Then go to the 'view' tab, and select 'View Source', or 'Page Source' in later versions. Now, press CTRL + F and type in the box that now appears at the bottom left of the window 'swf', minus quotes. Search for the SWF file you want, and then copy the whole of the address of it (the rest of the address from the highlighted bit that says 'swf') into your address bar. Then once that is open, you should have a full screen SWF playing. If it is not the one you wanted, search through the source again, and copy the next SWF. If it is, go File, then Save As, and a window will come up asking where you want to save it. Save it where you like, and now it is on your computer.