02/18/13 Flash Player Update Has Scripting Errors

[Tigerflower1]

Win XP

IE 8

11.6.602.168

Attempted to install the Flash Player update that apparently released this morning and my install was interrupted by the following scripting error.

Line 1

Char 13128

'ActionGtbCheck' is undefined

Code 0

URL" http://127.0.0.1:2318/app/_js/adobe.js

Do you want to continue running scripts on this page?

I used the link to the install that the Update Notifier gave me. It appears that I actually have a version installed already that is for IE9 not IE8. Not sure why Adobe would have had me upgrade to an incompatible version or why the Update Notifier is telling me to patch if I already have the most recent version installed Either way, this needs to be fixed. My scripting options are all checked as directed in your tutorial. My Java is also patched and active.

Downloads should be quick and pain free. All I should have to do is click Install and it should happen. Whatever is going on here needs to be fixed on YOUR end. Customer service chat told me that they are unable to help and suggested I purchase a $39 phone call in order to notify Adobe about the problems with their install. LOLOLOL

[Tigerflower1]

Hi Tiger,

We'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that we're having issues with our Flash installer and you're not alone in experiencing difficulties. Rest assured the Adobe dev team is doing all in their power to resolve the problems in a timely manner. We apologize for any inconvenience you may be experiencing regarding this issue.

There. See how easy that was? It's a bad darn thing when a big company like Adobe can't even take the time to be POLITE to the people who struggle with it's products.    Shame on you.

[chris.campbell]

You posted on a holiday in the US, so I'm not totally surprised that you hadn't heard back from anyone yet.  Regardless, sorry you've encountered problems with the online installer.  Please try installing from the appropriate stand alone Windows installers located in our Windows Installer help document:

Installation Problems - Flash Player - Windows

[pwillener]

Tigerflower1 wrote:

It's a bad darn thing when a big company like Adobe can't even take the time to be POLITE to the people who struggle with it's products.    Shame on you.

What is this supposed to mean?  Can you point me to a post where an Adobe employee was not POLITE while helping a user?

[Tigerflower1]

If Adobe is one of the few non-public sector companies left in the US who still observe President's Day by closing their doors and giving staff a holiday then kudo's to them! If this was the case, then might I suggest that releasing a patch the day before the holiday closure might not have been the wisest course of action?

Pat, I could begin with the on-line chat individual who tried to sell me troubleshooting for a properly functioning system when I was trying to report an issue with the patcher and perhaps also receive some acknowledgement that the issue was known (or not) and being addressed. But let's not go there. I will suggest, that if you believe ignoring those who have questions about your product for an extended length of time is an acceptable way to engage in business, then perhaps you have a bright and promising future at the local mall. End of that topic.

Chris, I don't understand what you mean by "appropriate stand alone Windows installers". I clicked the link embedded in the update notification and it took me directly to the installer that I attempted to use and that subsequently returned the scripting error. So how could that not be appropriate? But comparing the version the site says is already on my system to the version numbers given on the patch it appears that I already have the most recent version installed.

If this is the case then perhaps the error was actually in the program that checks for the patches thinking I even needed a patch? Also when I checked the system specs for the download I don't think it listed it as being appropriate for IE 8, which is the most current version available for XP, so perhaps that's causing errors? So I'm confused as to what's going on.

At this point I'm not certain I need to do anything other than wait for Adobe developers to troubleshoot the patcher? The version of Flash I have installed, though it has the memory issues that have been the topic on this thread for months (http://forums.adobe.com/message/5089040#5089040), seems to be performing the same as it usually does. It still takes 15 minutes or longer to load the thumbnails on the Netflix homepage and Hulu, but I can at least use the Hulu player if I'm willing to ignore the flickering and occasional freezing. Silverlight, as always, runs beautifully.

Of more concern are potential security loopholes that might still be unplugged if my version isn't correctly updated. I was actually hacked just viewing a fan site and had a game account stolen about a year and a half ago June, when a newly released Flash version left out a security correction included in the older code.

Thanks to both of you for taking the time to respond to my posts. I realize I was not at my sweetest and most adorable while posting. 

[chris.campbell]

It sounds like you have the latest version, but you can always verify this by going to our "About Flash Player" page.  If you have 11.6.602.168 installed, you are good to go.

My reference to the "appropriate" stand alone installer was for the link I included in my post.  When clicking that link, you are brought to a page that looks like this:

Please note the highlighted section where both Flash Player for ActiveX and Flash Player Plug-in links are listed.  Given that you are using IE 8, you would want to click the Flash Player for ActiveX link.

[Tigerflower1]

I'm hoping that a "stand alone installer" is one monitored by Adobe and not a third party unsupported site. Since it also seems to link from their webpages I'll take it on faith and your recomendation that it's affiliated and OK to use. When reading through the Help content I thought they were just furnishing another way to link to the same downloader the patch update linked to instead of suggesting a mirror site.

I only know that Active X is some kind of programming language that can add content to web pages but have no idea at all what a Plug-in is or how the two differentiate.

The technical level of the vocabulary on the Adobe troubleshooting pages exacerbates the installation issues because it's only somewhat comprehensible for button pushing end users like myself. God help those who just bought their first box at Costco yesterday! But anyways, I'll give your suggestion a walk through and see what happens. I notice that an updated patch went out this am for Adobe Reader (which had multiple scripting errors in the previous update) and it seemed to install without issue just now.

Thanks again for the helpful reply. Much appreciated!!

[pwillener]

The link that Chris posted is on the adobe.com website, and is obviously not some 3rd-party download site.

The link points to the standalone (or offline) installers, as opposed to the download manager on the "official" Flash Player download link.  The offline installers contain the full Flash Player installer, whereas the download manager still needs to download some stuff during the installation.  This can sometimes lead to errors, such as you were experiencing.

ActiveX is the method used for browser add-ons on Internet Explorer.

Plugins are add-ons on other browsers like Firefox.

[Tigerflower1]

I'm pleased it was so obvious to you. Since I don't know what a standalone or off line installer is, it made no sense to me at all. My perception of the process was that there was one live patch living on an Adobe server somewhere and that the download link they send us via the update notification, is the way to connect to it. I know an installer is the portion of the program controlling the install but thought it was bundled with the patch. It might help for those of us less educated and outside the technical loop if the troubleshooting pages explained a bit more. (This IS the program that allows the unwashed masses to watch free content on sites like Hulu correct?)

I don't think I use any browser add-ons but thank you for the clarifications. As previously mentioned I'm not the least bit technical so am voyaging in foreign waters here. Obviously.

[pwillener]

Tigerflower1 wrote:

This IS the program that allows the unwashed masses to watch free content on sites like Hulu correct?

That is correct.  Web browsers by themselves cannot stream Flash content, that is why they need the Flash Player add-on.  Other websites use different formats, which will require different add-ons like Microsoft Silverlight.  Only sites that offer their content in HTML5 format do not require any add-ons.

[Tigerflower1]

I never realized Flash was considered a mod or add-on. Somehow I thought since the player works across multiple browser platforms that it was more of a stand alone tool. But since the vid players seem to run within a browser and thumbnails using it are embedded within web pages, I suppose it makes sense. Thanks for the additional info.