Why can't I download videos from youtube with the firefox or chrome extension?

[kuurt]

I've tried downloading several different videos from youtube lately with the firefox extension and it won't let me anymore.  It use to let me, but now it keeps getting an error message during the download where it says "failed aggregating".  And this is with the latest version.  

So I tried downloading youtube videos with the latest version of the chrome extension and I can't get the three balls to turn to colored so it won't work.  Even if I reload the page or play the video.  

So I tried to download another video downloader program extension called Flash Video Downloader and this one wouldn't download youtube videos either.  It gave me an error message saying "Download from YouTube is disabled! The Chrome Web Store (i.e. Google) does not allow extensions to download from YouTube.  Therefore we removed this functionality for the Chrome Web Store."

So what's going on, do none of these programs work with youtube videos anymore?

[mig]

No add-on from the Chrome WebStore have ever been allowed to download from YouTube, so there is nothing new here.

The Firefox version does work ok with YouTube (otherwise this forum would be flooded with messages about this). What version of Firefox, VDH and the CoApp are you running ?

[kuurt]

firefox 58.0.2.  It says it's up to date.  What is VDH and CoApps?  I have no idea what that is.  I can say that here recently video downloadhelper wouldn't download a youtube video until I added something.  I had to add something to it twice.  I'm not sure what it had me add to it, but even after adding those two things it still wouldn't download videos from youtube.  

[mig]

VDH = Video DownloadHelper
Coapp = Companion App (the "something" the add-on asked you to install)

[kuurt]

I got the latest version of VDH - 7.2.1

I'm not sure about the two add-ons that it had me download.  I can look them up if you could tell me where I can find that info.  

[mig]

Make sure you installed the coapp from https://www.downloadhelper.net/install-coapp then open VDH settings to see if the add-on recognizes the coapp.

[kuurt]

Yeah I can see them in my download folder, they are VDHCoAppSetup- 1.1.1 and VDHCoAppSetup-1.1.3.  

When I go into the general tab where it says companion app installed it says "found companion app: VDHCoApp 1.1.3, so I guess it's working.  

[mig]

Ok, so when you get the error message "failed aggregating", there must be other logs that go along. Also there should be more information if you click details.

What YouTube video page are you trying to download from ? Are you also having this problem with, say, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_GkjymuQ9U ?

[kuurt]

Where do I find these other logs?

I tried to download that video you linked to and aggregating failed again.  Here is what it says when I click details:

Failed aggregating "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Circle - YouTube"

ffmpeg version n2.8.13-vdhcoapp Copyright (c) 2000-2017 the FFmpeg developers

  built with gcc 5.3.1 (GCC) 20160211

  configuration: --cross-prefix=x86_64-w64-mingw32- --sysroot=/usr/x86_64-w64-mingw32/ --extra-ldflags=-static-libgcc --target-os=mingw32 --arch=x86_64 --prefix=/home/mig/git/vdhcoapp/converter/src-build/win/64/converter-build --extra-version=vdhcoapp --extra-cflags=-I/home/mig/git/vdhcoapp/converter/src-build/win/64/deps/include --extra-ldflags='-L/home/mig/git/vdhcoapp/converter/src-build/win/64/deps/lib -L/home/mig/git/vdhcoapp/converter/src-build/win/64/zlib' --pkg-config=/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-pkg-config --enable-shared --enable-gpl --enable-pthreads --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libx264 --enable-avresample

  libavutil      54. 31.100 / 54. 31.100

  libavcodec     56. 60.100 / 56. 60.100

  libavformat    56. 40.101 / 56. 40.101

  libavdevice    56.  4.100 / 56.  4.100

  libavfilter     5. 40.101 /  5. 40.101

  libavresample   2.  1.  0 /  2.  1.  0

  libswscale      3.  1.101 /  3.  1.101

  libswresample   1.  2.101 /  1.  2.101

  libpostproc    53.  3.100 / 53.  3.100

Input #0, matroska,webm, from 'C:\Users\David\AppData\Local\Temp\vdh-3136cuTIFmsoRmCV.tmp':

  Metadata:

    encoder         : google

  Duration: 00:03:19.62, start: 0.007000, bitrate: 138 kb/s

    Stream #0:0(eng): Audio: opus, 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp (default)

Input #1, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'C:\Users\David\AppData\Local\Temp\vdh-3136S2xgh5Umxm4d.tmp':

  Metadata:

    major_brand     : dash

    minor_version   : 0

    compatible_brands: iso6avc1mp41

    creation_time   : 2017-10-09 15:00:22

  Duration: 00:03:19.62, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 221 kb/s

    Stream #1:0(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 480x360 [SAR 1:1 DAR 4:3], 3 kb/s, 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 90k tbn, 47.95 tbc (default)

    Metadata:

      creation_time   : 2017-10-09 15:00:22

      handler_name    : VideoHandler

Input #2, gif, from 'C:\Users\David\AppData\Local\Temp\vdh-wm-3136d4bMqMdJW1YL.gif':

  Duration: N/A, bitrate: N/A

    Stream #2:0: Video: gif, bgra, 31x31, 10 tbr, 100 tbn, 100 tbc

C:\Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Circle - YouTube.mkv: Permission denied

[mig]

The error message says:

C:\Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Circle - YouTube.mkv: Permission denied

Basically, you are trying to write the downloaded file to the root of your hard disk. I am not surprised you get an error saying this is not permitted. Can you change the target directory to something in your user space ?

[kuurt]

If you watch the video here on this website that shows how to download a video with VDH, after you click on the down arrow it opens another window which allows you to save the file where ever you want.  But it doesn't work that way for me on my computer.  Instead, when I click the down arrow to download the video it doesn't open a window, it opens another tab in my browser which only seems to let me save the file in the C: directory.  It won't let me save it to my desktop or navigate to my My Documents folder.  You can see in the image I'll share that the drop down arrow on the left of the file name only has one option - the C drive.  If I click the plus sign to the right of the file name it will let you create a sub-directory.  But I don't understand what that is for.  I just want to save the file to my desktop or to my My Documents folder, but it doesn't give me the option.  Here's an screen shot of what I'm talking about.  

[mig]

When you are in the tab you shared a screenshot of, click the "Users" folder, then your user name, then "My Documents" or wherever you want to save your videos to.

[kuurt]

Thank you, that solved my problem.  I have tried downloading a couple of videos since and that got them to download.  Thanks again. 

[anuhea55 00]

Kuurt....I believe that most Windows PC file structure sets the C: drive as Home or Root and the \Users\PCName is where you would have your working stuff like \Downloads, \Desktop, \My Documents or \dwhelper.  In your original 3ball gear setting under the Behavior....I believe that your /DefaultDownloadDir originally said C:\ so that is why when you did a Save to a Folder, the new Tab opened to the ScreenShot you submitted.  As Mig said, selecting the \User folder would show all the folders under it.  The large UpArrow next to the name is where you toggle to your subfolders.  Most likely there is one with your PCName and under this would be all your individual sub-folders.....including one called \dwhelper (a folder that the VDH set up for the original program.)  Now you could have just changed the folder name in the Settings/Behavior/DefaultDownloadDir directly.  I notice that when you select a different folder using the UpArrow, this line in the settings changes accordingly.  This allows the VDH to remember what the previous SaveAs folder is so that the user does not have to go and hunt down a specific location on every Save...until you change it again.  You can also change the name of the output file .....CAUTION, you must add the extension to the end of the changed name (like your .mkv) or you will NOT be able to play or convert the file.  The saved extension no longer get appended to the file name automatically.  There have been many forum comments about this with the new FireFox.  I myself messed up on my no extension.  Started renaming to .mp4 and could not do it.  Now I cannot even delete the file....I get an Win error that the "file cannot be found," even if I see it in my /dwhelper folder and see the size and dates.  You can still do a straight delete this file using your Explorer program, but DO NOT attempt to rename or change the attributes of the file.....something big time goes wrong.  Even after logging off/on...I'm stuck with this entry.