Can't download via the direct link for IE (HTTP 403 Forbidden)

[GordonOla]

Win7 Pro SP1 32-bit
IE 10.0.9200.16635

When I try to download/install from  http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ I get the "cannot contact reliable source", so I then tried the Direct link for ActiveX/IE:

http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/current/support/install_flash_player_ax.exe

and I get a HTTP 403 Forbidden. I have also tried that link in Firefox and Opera, but all I get is an empty page. I've also tried with antivirus off, firewall off etc... no luck.

BUT... If I try the second direct link(Plug-in/All other browsers)

http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/current/support/install_flash_player.exe

it works in both IE, Firefox and Opera.

Then I started up an old XP PC just to compare, and the download ActiveX version were succesful.
Why doesn't the direct link for ActiveX work on my Win7 PC, regardless what browser I use?

(I have never had any problems with updating/installing Flash Player before, on any computer including my Win7)

[C_F_McBlob]

Download the offline installer

Windows: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/installation-problems-flash-player-windows.html#main-pars_hea...

[GordonOla]

Maybe I was unclear: The "Direct Links" I referred to, ARE the offline installer links.

The link Flash Player for ActiveX (Internet Explorer) doesn't work(forbidden access),

but the link Flash Player Plug-in (All other browsers) works.

BTW, is there perhaps any other URL to a offline installer, besides the one that doesn't work on my PC?

(http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/current/support/install_flash_player_ax.exe)

Added screenshot of trying to download offline installer

[C_F_McBlob]

That's a problem with YOUR IE on YOUR machine.
To support that claim, I have XP (SP3 - IE8), Vista Ultimate (SP2 - IE9), Windows 7 (SP1 - IE10), WIndows 8 (IE10), and Mac OS X (10.8.4) and I can access the link in ALL of them.

BTW since it's a .exe link (the actual downloader), have you tried right clicking and saving it? My browsers ALL save it directly by clicking it but I can also do it by right click.

[GordonOla]

Right click and save doesn't work, since I can't access the URL at all, so I get an almost empty file if I try that.

It can't be my IE since I've tried Firefox and Opera too without luck.

But the strangest of all is: if I remove "_ax" from the URL, too instead download the offline installer for plug-ins, then it works!

(URL with install_flash_player.exe instead of install_flash_player_ax.exe)

If one of the 2 offline installer links works on my pc, why is there a problem with the other link? The only difference in the URL's is that "_ax" is removed in the link that works, but they both refer to an .exe

It just makes no sense...

[C_F_McBlob]

Removing AX from the url takes you to a DIFFERENT download. The AX is the IE plugin, but you probably already know that. You've most likely got a setting that BLOCKS ActiveX downloads or links to them.

If you can go to a wi-fi hot spot or download from another system (like a public library) onto a flash drive and then copy the file from there, you can work around it, but this is definitely a setting on your system that's preventing access.

[GordonOla]

Thanks for your time and response.

You're probably right, guess I have some kind of system block for Active-X, since I can't download in other browsers either.(although I've never heard of such)

I checked my router logs as well, and strangely none of the attempts to download the ActiveX version were there. Only the Plug-in URL. Very strange!!!

But how can my PC know from just a file name in a URL that it is an ActiveX I'm ttrying to download? Not possible, must be something else....

(I'm not expecting an answer to that )

Anyway, thanks again.

Logging out.

[C_F_McBlob]

You got me there. I'm without a clue.

[pwillener]

The first thing I would try if I encountered such a strange problem was to clear the browser cache, then try again.

If that still does not let you download, then here are two alternate downloads for the ActiveX installer

http://download.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/licensing/win/install_flash_player_11_active_...

http://download.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/licensing/win/install_flash_player_11_active_...

[GordonOla]

Finally a link that works: the .msi Thanks!

FYI, the blocking of download an exe for ActiveX seems to be related to F-secure in my case. I tried turning off everything incl realtime virusscan, firewall, deepguard etc but no luck. Then suddenly F-secure crashed, and then I was able to download the exe(in all my 3 browsers even). So it seems to be something in F-secure, but that is not possible for me to turn off within the F-secure GUI...

But I rather have F-secure blocking too much than too little

[C_F_McBlob]

GordonOla wrote:

But I rather have F-secure blocking too much than too little

Until the day it "decides" your email is an attacker.   LOL