Adobe Community: Why is Adobe force installing their new Flash player when it's causing browsers to not play video?

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1. Araija,

Jun 24, 2012 2:07 PM in reply to digiday

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By any chance, do you also happen to have RealPlayer installed on your machine?

If so, the issue is this in a nutshell:

Flash 11.3.x is a protected mode plugin (think sandboxing).

RealPlayer has a browser plugin that captures video content by hooking the Flash plugin, but it's not a protected mode plugin.

Flash is, justifiably, not going to run like that.

The cause for this is not entirely Adobe's fault, for once, but is caused by a piece of software that can honestly be lived without (RealPlayer).

Interestingly enough, the issue will persist if you create a new profile in Firefox (firefox.exe -p).

Check the troubleshooting page for working with Protected Mode plugins here: http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1018071?tstart=0

The too long, didn't read, make it work now answer for others that might stop in:

Either disable RealPlayer's Browser Record plugin from within RealPlayer itself (preferred), or manually disable Protected Mode for Flash by editing the mms.cfg file in:

Windows 32bit: %SystemRoot%\system32\macromed\flash

Windows 64bit: %SystemRoot%syswow64\macromed\flash

On versions newer than XP, you may need to elevate your text editor at launch (Start pearl, and in the search box, type the name of the editor, eg: notepad. While holding Control and Shift, press enter to request elevated permissions. Alternately, with that same search, right-click the program, choose Run as Administrator.) so that changes made to the text file can be saved.

Disabling Protected Mode in this manner is achieved by adding this line to the document:

ProtectedMode=0

Once you have done this and saved, then restart Firefox (or its derivatives), Protected Mode is disabled.

Hope this helps you out.

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2. digiday,

Jun 24, 2012 2:16 PM in reply to Araija

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No, I read about the Real Player conflict... I don't have Real Player installed AT ALL on this computer.

And anyway, why is Adobe FORCE INSTALLING the new broken Flash Player on computers? The Flash player installer that came across my desktop Friday was not installed, yet it still forces it's way in to my computer and screws it up.

Who cares WHY it screws it up and what the conflict is? The fact is, it is screwing up millions of computers and it was force installed on a lot of them.

I just had to UNINSTALL the new broken Flash Player v 11.3.300.262 that got FORCE INSTALLED by Adobe, then I had to download my slightly older previous Flash Player v 11.2.202.228 from 3/28 that I was trying to keep, and I installed it and it works now... Firefox will play Flash video and Flash content once again, unlike with the stupid new v 11.3.300.262 that has apparently been reeking havoc on so many computers around the world.

I started hearing from friends about new problems with a force installed Flash player yesterday and I gave them advice about installing an older Flash player, then I checked my own computer today only to see that now I had been sobotaged by Adobe on Friday 6/22. I thought to myself "Wow, I didn't even install that new Flash Player... how could it have gotten on my computer?."

But why is Adobe force installing their new Flash player on billions of computers when it's causing so many web browsers to not play video?

When I first just tried to install my previous Flash Player v 11.2.202.228, the installer gave me a very cryptic, indistint message saying...

"Error 1722. There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program run as part of the setup did not finish as expercted. Contact your support personnel or package vendor. Action NewCustomerAction 1, location: ...\InstallPlugin.exe,c..."

So the stupid Adobe installer isn't even smart enough to give a message saying, "You need to uninstall your existing Flash player plugin before you install this one."

And could I advise the appropriately named "Jive" forum software people to work on this forum interface a little more? Jeezus, this cursor is jumping all over the place when I backspace or delete.

What's up Adobe?

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3. Mockingcrow,

Jun 24, 2012 2:48 PM in reply to digiday

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Well its not FORCE installing anything, you select the option when you install the program... so thats entirely on you, if you want it to auto update, or ask you before updating.

Yea, im pissed they didnt catch these problems, cause im having a few myself... but dont start throwing out rather ignorant accusations and statements, when its really YOUR doing(not fault.)

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4. digiday,

Jun 24, 2012 2:59 PM in reply to Mockingcrow

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Well mockingcrow,

You are wrong. I was able to see through the Programs and Features panel before I had to uninstall the new broken Flash Player that it had been installed Friday on the whole Windows 7 system, not just in one web browser, yet when the installer for the new broken Flash player appeared on my desktop on Friday, I chose NOT to install it... I wrote that before.

The Flash player didn't just install itself in my Firefox browser, which in fact is set NOT to self install any updates or plugin updates, it was installed in Windows 7 by the Adobe installer that I clicked closed when I saw it because it is my desire NOT to install ANY new Flash player for the very reasons that we are discussing now.

I can "throw out" my own "ignorant accusations" if I choose to since I'm sure of the way I have things set-up on this computer. Don't try to tell me what to do or what not to do.

I've dealt with ignorant forum answer doofs before who think they are the know all and end all for every forum question that comes along, and that's what you appear to be.

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5. digiday,

Jun 28, 2012 5:04 PM in reply to digiday

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[ personal attack removed by admin ]

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6. Mockingcrow,

Jun 25, 2012 2:08 PM in reply to digiday

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Says the person kicking and screaming on a forum, regarding troubleshoot.

Cute come back though, kid.

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7. Chris Campbell,

Jun 25, 2012 2:44 PM in reply to Mockingcrow

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Build 11.3.300.262 is a hotfix that should fix stability problems with Firefox. Digiday, if you are having problems with it can you create a new thread and give us a description of the problems and steps to reproduce?

While not recommended, you can also disable the auto silent update mechanism via the Flash Player control panel (How does the automatic update feature in Flash Player 11.2 work on Windows?).

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8. digiday,

Jun 28, 2012 4:57 PM in reply to Chris Campbell

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[ personal attack removed by admin ]

@ Chris Campbell. Thanks for your reply. But, as I wrote above, I uninstalled the broken v 11.3.300.262 Flash Player and then re-installed the older v 11.2.202.228 Flash player that I was trying to keep to begin with because the one's after that crash a lot.

Just a suggestion for Flash player installers that are downloaded from the Flash player archive page... give them a message to display that says something like "You need to first uninstall the previous Flash player plugin before installing this one." Even though it was obvious to me what I needed to do, the cryptic error messages that most Adobe software displays are useless.

Thanks.

PS: Tell "Jive" software that their forum software needs a little work... the cursor is jumping all over in this interface and I don't have that problem typing in any other interface on any other site with this browser.

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9. digiday,

Jun 25, 2012 3:13 PM in reply to digiday

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Hmmm, and thanks Chis Campbell for that tip about the "auto silent update mechanism via the Flash Player control panel"... seems the troll mockingcrow didn't know about that.

@ crow... see this linked article titled..."Hello, Adobe Flash Player Background Updater (Windows)!"

http://blogs.adobe.com/spohl/2012/03/30/hello-adobe-flash-player-backg round-updater-windows/

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10. Chris Campbell,

Jun 25, 2012 3:17 PM in reply to digiday

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digiday - 11.2 includes the silent auto updater, so it's expected that you would be updated within 24 hours once an update is made available (regardless of the version number).

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11. digiday,

Jun 25, 2012 3:22 PM in reply to Chris Campbell

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Thanks Chris! It seems that's something else crow didn't know about.

Can you tell me please where to turn that silent auto updater off?... I'm reading that aritcle you linked, but I haven't found that nugget of info yet...

Thanks again.

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12. digiday,

Jun 25, 2012 3:29 PM in reply to digiday

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Wait, I think I found it... CONTROL PANEL>FLASH PLAYER>ADVANCED>NOTIFY ME TO INSTALL UPDATES>CLOSE WINDOW

Is that the right one?

One would think that when an Flash update interface comes across your desktop and your choose NOT to install it, that would be it... but then the default Flash player control panel setting is contrary to that.

I think I got it... let me know if there is someplace else to change it again.

Thanks Chris.

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13. digiday,

Jun 25, 2012 3:32 PM in reply to digiday

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Correction on that Flash player control panel path...

CONTROL PANEL>FLASH PLAYER>ADVANCED>CHANGE UPDATE SETTINGS>NOTIFY ME TO INSTALL UPDATES>CLOSE WINDOW

Did ya get that, crow?

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14. digiday,

Jun 25, 2012 3:58 PM in reply to digiday

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@ Chris Campbell... a friend of mine just asked about the same Flash player control panel in Windows Vista and she doesn't see the Flash player button in her Vista control panel.

Is there a similar way to turn off the background updater in the Flash player in Vista?

Thanks again.

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15. Chris Campbell,

Jun 25, 2012 4:14 PM in reply to digiday

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Have her click Classic View on the left side of the control panel window, that should display all of the icons and allow her to see the Flash Player icon. The alternative is to type "flash player" in the control panel search field which should also find it.

Also note that changing auto update to "notify me to install updates" will only delay the process by 30 days. After 30 days, the update will be installed automatically. You can totally disable this by changing it to "never check" but I would definitely recommend against this.

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16. digiday,

Jun 25, 2012 4:25 PM in reply to digiday

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@ Chris... where do you select "never check"?... I didn't see that option.

In fact, since I just changed that setting to "Notify me to install updates" it had already updated to the new broken Flash player in the last 24 hours again, even after I went to the trouble to uninstall the new broken one and intall my previous reliable version from March again.

Jeezus! I just had to go through the process again. How do you stop this monster?

Chris, where to I select "never check"?... please, Adobe has created a indefensible process of installing broken software.

Thanks.

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17. digiday,

Jun 25, 2012 5:03 PM in reply to digiday

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Okay, I just found "never check"... seems that is the ONLY solution since this monster broken update system that replaces my good working Flash player with a new broken one ever 24 hours unless I select "never check".

Thanks again Chris.

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18. digiday,

Jun 25, 2012 5:02 PM in reply to digiday

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Thanks Chris... good thing for REAL Adobe employees.

Whatya' got to say now, Mocking-troll?

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19. fixthisstutterplayer11,

Jun 25, 2012 5:06 PM in reply to digiday

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CRash.. crash.. stutter, stutter, stutter, crash, stutter, stutter.CRASH

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20. Mockingcrow,

Jun 28, 2012 5:03 PM in reply to digiday

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[ abuse removed by admin ] What are you expecting? I was right, you didnt have it set to "not auto update." The man JUST said that if you have it set to notify you, it will still auto install AFTER 30 days, regardless, OR you could have it set to NEVER install auto updates, regardless. Guess what nimrod, it hasnt been 30 days since this new versions release, meaning it didnt FORCE install. You had it set to auto update.

Auto update, is the first option, it will install within 24 hours without notifying you that it did anything, HENCE THE PHRASE "SILENT." Its no different than the thousands of other auto updaters in the world, and plenty of people have their pros and cons about them, from taking up memory, to "beta testing" poorly coded patches, or flat out ignorance of "forced install!"

Read chris' posts again and learn how to use a computer beyond pressing buttons on your keyboard.

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21. Pat Willener,

Jun 25, 2012 7:10 PM in reply to fixthisstutterplayer11

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This topic does no longer serve any purpose.

[topic closed]

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Why is Adobe force installing their new Flash player when it's causing browsers to not play video?

Jun 24, 2012 1:41 PM

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