Flash Player is not being recognized anywhere

Report · Apr 13, 2012

I have uninstalled and reinstalled the Flash player repeatedly today, to no avail. I have deleted the files in C:/Windows/system32/Macromedia/Flash, %appdata%/Macromedia/Flash Player, and %appdata%/Adobe/Flash Player. I have tried the regular installer as well as the firewall/proxy version. All of the installations have reported complete success.

I use 32-bit Windows 7 and Firefox 11.0. I have been trying to install Flash Player version 11.2.202.233 (though if the firewall/proxy version is a different one, I've tried that too).

If I am on a page with an embedded YouTube video or Flash game or such, that Flash item will not load, telling me I need to have the Flash plugin. (Oddly, I can watch YouTube videos on their actual YouTube page. I do not know why.) When I go to the pages on adobe.com that check the version of Flash I am using, they do not show me the version. But they also do not show an error message. It's just a grey box. When I go to about:plugins, Flash is not listed anywhere.

All of the above is also true for my Internet Explorer, version 9.0.6. (If I can only get this fixed for Firefox, though, I guess I'd be okay with that.)

Report · Apr 13, 2012

hmm, lets start by listing out the contents of c:\windows\system32\macromed\flash. In addition, can you also paste the contents of your flashinstall.log file (inside of that folder).

Report · Apr 13, 2012

Folder contents:

Flash32_11_2_202_233.ocx

FlashInstall.log

flashplayer.xpt

FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe

FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_ActiveX.dll

FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_ActiveX.exe

FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_Plugin.exe

mms.cfg

MPSWF32_11_2_202_233.dll

FlashInstall.log contents:

=O====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+19-55-37.148 ========

0000 00000010 "C:\Users\Max\Downloads\install_flash_player_ax_32bit.exe"

0001 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayer\SafeVersions/11.0 2

0002 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerActiveX/PlayerPath 2

0003 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayer\SafeVersions/11.0 2

0004 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerActiveX/PlayerPath 2

0005 00000020 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl

0006 00001037 SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe Flash Player ActiveX/ 2

0007 00000013 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\Flash32_11_2_202_233.ocx

0008 00000015 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_ActiveX.exe

0009 00000016 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_ActiveX.dll

0010 00000019 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl

0011 00000021 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe

0012 00001102

0013 00001106

0014 00001032 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\Flash32_11_2_202_233.ocx 80070005

0015 00000018

0016 00001032 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\Flash32_11_2_202_233.ocx 80070005

=X====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+19-56-19.111 ========

=O====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+19-56-45.477 ========

0000 00000010 "C:\Users\Max\Downloads\install_flash_player_32bit.exe"

0001 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/Version 2

0002 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0003 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0004 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0005 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0006 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0007 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0008 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0009 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0010 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0011 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/Version 2

0012 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0013 00000020 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl

0014 00001037 SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins\@adobe.com/FlashPlayer/ 5

0015 00001037 SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe Flash Player Plugin/ 2

0016 00001036 Software\Mozilla\Firefox\extensions/Plugins 2

0017 00001036 Software\Mozilla\Mozilla Firefox\extensions/Plugins 2

0018 00001036 Software\Mozilla\Mozilla Thunderbird\extensions/Plugins 2

0019 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2

0020 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2

0021 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2

0022 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2

0023 00000014 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF32_11_2_202_233.dll

0024 00000015 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_Plugin.exe

0025 00000017 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash

0026 00000019 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl

0027 00001024 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl 183

0028 00001024 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerApp.exe 183

0029 00000021 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe

0030 00001106

0031 00001106

0032 00001024 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe 183

0033 00001035 SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins\@adobe.com/FlashPlayer/Path 5

=X====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+19-57-01.454 ========

=O====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+20-29-39.422 ========

0000 00000010 "C:\Users\Max\AppData\Local\Temp\install_flash_player_32bit.exe" -iv 8 -install

0001 00001041

=X====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+20-29-39.917 ========

=O====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+20-29-41.848 ========

0000 00000010 "C:\Users\Max\AppData\Local\Temp\install_flash_player_32bit.exe" -iv 8 -install

0001 00000020 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl

0002 00001037 SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins\@adobe.com/FlashPlayer/ 5

0003 00001036 Software\Mozilla\Firefox\extensions/Plugins 2

0004 00001036 Software\Mozilla\Mozilla Firefox\extensions/Plugins 2

0005 00001036 Software\Mozilla\Mozilla Thunderbird\extensions/Plugins 2

0006 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2

0007 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2

0008 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2

0009 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2

0010 00000014 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF32_11_2_202_233.dll

0011 00000015 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_Plugin.exe

0012 00000017 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash

0013 00000019 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl

0014 00001024 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl 183

0015 00001024 C:\Windows\system32\FlashPlayerApp.exe 183

0016 00000021 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe

0017 00001106

0018 00001106

0019 00001024 C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe 183

0020 00001035 SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins\@adobe.com/FlashPlayer/Path 5

0021 00000012

=X====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+20-29-44.776 ========

=O====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+21-11-01.269 ========

0000 00000010 "C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_Plugin.exe"

=X====== M/11.2.202.233 2012-04-13+21-11-04.981 ========

Report · Apr 13, 2012

Thanks for posting this info, I'm going to foward it along to our installer team. My hunch is you're running into a permissions issue but I'll let you know what they say. In the meantime, try going through the steps listed in this FAQ. However, at the end do a uninstall and install of Flash Player again.

How do I fix Windows permission problems with Flash Player?

If it still fails, try installing from these files:

http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/licensing/win/install_flash_player_11_activ...

http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/licensing/win/install_flash_player_11_plugi...

Report · Apr 13, 2012

Question for you, in your statement

But they also do not show an error message. It's just a grey box. When I go to about:plugins, Flash is not listed anywhere.

if you right click on the grey box, do you get the Flash Player context menu?

Report · Apr 13, 2012

No, just the same menu as if I clicked on empty space or text.

I've now also run the permission-fixer and installed from the links you provided, to no avail.

EDIT: I don't know if this provides additional information or just confuses the issue, but: The forum page that has the permission-fixer also has an embedded YouTube video explaining how to use it. I can view that video just fine. But my browser, on that page, still tells me, "Additional plugins are required to display all the media on this page." (And embedded YouTube videos on pages outside adobe.com and youtube.com still fail to load.)

Report · Apr 15, 2012

UPDATE: For no reason I can determine, things seem to be working on Internet Explorer now - at least, as far as I can tell. So the problem, at this point, seems to be limited to Firefox, which still seems to think I have no Flash Player at all.

Report · Apr 15, 2012

notfromnebraska wrote:
Folder contents:
Flash32_11_2_202_233.ocx
FlashInstall.log
flashplayer.xpt
FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe
FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_ActiveX.dll
FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_ActiveX.exe
FlashUtil32_11_2_202_233_Plugin.exe
mms.cfg
MPSWF32_11_2_202_233.dll

Is that correct? The last file should be NPSWF32_11_2_202_233.dll

Report · Apr 15, 2012

Well, I have NPSWF... now, so I think it was probably a typo on my part, although it's possible that it got replaced at some point during my various uninstalls and reinstalls. (I don't seem to have mms.cfg in that folder anymore, so something certainly has changed since that post.)

Report · Apr 16, 2012

Can you again try a clean install, as described in http://forums.adobe.com/thread/928315

After you restarted Windows, go to C:\Windows\system32 and check that the following files have been removed

FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl
FlashPlayerApp.exe
FlashPlayerInstaller.exe

Next download and run the installers from http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/installation-problems-flash-player-windows.html#Install_in_a_...

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Flash Player is not being recognized anywhere