Adobe Flash Player

[kcmoroyals]

     I was instructed by Yahoo Messenger's customer care to uninstall and reinstall Adobe Flash Player. I am operating a Windows Vista 32 bit, and use Firefox as my browser, their latest version. I uninstalled Flash Player with no problems, and the download was just as easy. However, I cannot get it to install. I tell the system to Run the installer, then when windows asks the security question, I answer Yes to let the installer run. At that point, nothing happens. I never see the installer at all. I wait several hours, then try to download and install again, only to be told, "only one instance of this application can run at a time." I have tried this several times this week with no success. I also have Windows Security Essentials anti-virus and Malwarebytes malware program on my system. I've tried to install Flash Player both with them turned on and with them turned off. What else do I need to try to get a successful install?

John

[C_F_McBlob]

Download the Adobe Flash Player installer directly by right clicking the following link and selecting "Save link as".

Flash Player Plug-in (All other browsers)

Save it to your downloads folder or your desktop (your choice, but save it where you can find it easliy).

Reboot your system.

BEFORE you open anything else, locate the saved installer and run it (double click it).

[kcmoroyals]

CF,

   Thanks for your suggestion. I had planned to reply that it worked. It did, but not sufficiently. I followed your suggestions exactly and Flash Player DID install, BUT now I get a message that the version is incompatible with my windows o/s, which is vista. Any new suggestions?

John

[pwillener]

Can you post a screenshot of that message; see http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1195540

All Flash Player versions are compatible with Vista.

[pwillener]

Sorry, I posted an incorrect link above.  The screenshot instructions are http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1070933

[kcmoroyals]

Here is the screenshot.

[pwillener]

Thank you for the screenshot.  This is most unusual; I will refer this to the Flash Player team.

[C_F_McBlob]

That message is odd... It DOESN'T say the Flash Player is incompatible but the ActiveX control.

I'm thinking you may need to repair Internet Explorer.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318378

[kcmoroyals]

What if I don't use IE? I almost exclusively use Firefox as my browser. Also, while it says it's the Active X control that's incompatible, Windows Problem Reports and Solutions sends me to the link at Adobe to download the Adobe Flash Player. At least, that's where the link in the screenshot directs me to. Also, I've run both Malwarebytes and Microsoft Security Essentials scans last weekend. Malwarebytes found 4 popups, and Security Essentials found no malware of any kind.

[pwillener]

Flash Player for Windows comes with two installers

ActiveX for Internet Explorer: http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/current/support/install_flash_player_ax.exe

plugin for other browsers like Firefox: http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/current/support/install_flash_player.exe

[C_F_McBlob]

kcmoroyals wrote:

What if I don't use IE? I almost exclusively use Firefox as my browser.

Internet Explorer is the only browser that uses ActiveX controls, so the error MUST be IE related.

[JustIneTyme]

This is not directed @ C F McBlob, THIS IS DIRECTED AT ADOBE: STOP FORCING PEOPLE TO UPDATE THE FLASH PLAYER, IF I WANTED TO UPDATE I WOULD DO IT MYSELF.

[pwillener]

Adobe is not forcing anyone to do anything; the decision to update (auto-update or manual update) is entirely the users' choice.

I never auto-update any software; I always update manually.

[kcmoroyals]

CFand Pat, apparently I have a bigger issue. It looks like I had my IE set to auto-update, and it installed IE 10 on my computer. However, I have a Vista operating system, and IE 10 IS NOT compatible. How do I get IE 10 off of a Vista machine? I went to the microsoft site, and can't find a solution. In fact, when I type in IE 10 as the issue, it only gives me Windows 7 and later as possible operating systems, not Vista.

[pwillener]

Sorry, I don't know anything about Vista.  Does IE10 actually work?  If not, can you uninstall from Control Panel?

[C_F_McBlob]

You DO have some serious issues, because the IE10 installer uses a script to determine the Operating System and it NEVER should have even downloaded onto a Vista computer. I've tried intentially to circumvent it to no avail.

First of all, click on the “Start” button  and type “Programs and Features” in the search box. Click on the “View installed updates” in the left pane of the menu.

Go over to the “Uninstall an update” screen and scroll down to the “Microsoft Windows” section. Simply select Internet Explorer 10 and click “Uninstall.”

It usually takes a while until the process comes to an end, so you’re strongly recommended to avoid stopping or cancelling it. A reboot is necessary to complete the removal and restore IE9.

BEFORE you uninstall 10 download the IE9 offline installer here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/ie-9-worldwide-languages so you can reinnstall without having to connect.

[kcmoroyals]

I went to the microsoft site for IE and it claims that I AM running IE 10. However, I just went through the first part of your instructions, and when I went to the installed updates, the only one referencing IE was for IE 8! I'm enclosing a screen shot of the section where it is. Should I uninstall 8 and then try reinstalling IE 8?

[C_F_McBlob]

kcmoroyals wrote:

I went to the microsoft site for IE and it claims that I AM running IE 10.

Help>About Internet Explorer - THAT tells you what version you're running. You can't rely on a webpage from an unreliable source (Microshaft) to tell you LOCAL app info.

[kcmoroyals]

So should my next step be to uninstall and reinstall IE8? Also, remember that this started with my being told that I was running an incompatible version of Active X controls.

[C_F_McBlob · Accepted solution]

I'd try a repair first http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318378

if that fails, install IE 9 using the offline installer linked above

[kcmoroyals]

CF, the repair worked, but now I get a message that Yahoo Messenger needs flash.ocx which is not available in Vista. So now it looks like I need to uninstall Messenger and install an earlier version.

[C_F_McBlob]

That's "out of my arena". I don't use ANY messaging service anymore. I learned years ago that ANYTHING you send or receive is the property of the message service provider (be it Google, Yahoo, AOL or MSN or whoever) and they can do whatever they want with it. That includes text, photos, and links. NOTHING you do with a messenger is private.

[pwillener]

'flash.ocx' is a very old Flash Player version (6 or so), which indicates that your messenger application is very old.  You should install a newer version, not an older one.

[kcmoroyals]

I thought once Flash Player was installed, that my problems were over. Apparently there are two different Flash Players. One is a plug-on for Firefox, which I have installed but does NOT include Active X controls. The other is Flash Player WITH Active X controls. Can any one guide me to that one, as I cannot use Yahoo Messenger without the Active X component of Flash Player?

[C_F_McBlob]

Yes, there are two different versions:

Flash Player for ActiveX (Internet Explorer)

Flash Player Plug-in (All other browsers)

Internet Exploder is the ONLY browser in existence that still uses ActiveX Controls (circa 1993). They are the reason IE is the most flawed and unsafe browser anyone can ever use.

To access the settings for Flash Playe ActiveX see:Enabling Flash Player in Internet Explorer