Installer has a memory like a bottomless, Teflon-coated sieve!

[TheFuzzy0ne1]

After the first time I installed Adobe Flash Player, I was asked if I wanted to have updates installed automatically, whether I wanted to be notified of updates, or whether I wanted to ignore updates. I opted to install updates myself.

When Adobe Flash Player had an update available, I was notified, so I installed it. I was asked if I wanted to have updates installed automatically, whether I wanted to be notified of updates, or whether I wanted to ignore updates. I opted to install updates myself.

When Adobe Flash Player had another update available, I was notified, so I installed it. I was asked if I wanted to have updates installed automatically, whether I wanted to be notified of updates, or whether I wanted to ignore updates. I opted to install updates myself.

When Adobe Flash Player had yet another update available, I was notified, so I installed it. I was asked if I wanted to have updates installed automatically, whether I wanted to be notified of updates, or whether I wanted to ignore updates. I opted to install updates myself.

Can you see the pattern emerging here?

When Adobe Flash Player had another update available, I was notified, so I installed it. I was asked if I wanted to have updates installed automatically, whether I wanted to be notified of updates, or whether I wanted to ignore updates. Guess what? NOTHING HAS CHANGED! I STILL WANT CONTROL OVER WHEN UPDATE ARE PERFORMED!

Please, please, PLEASE fix the installer to remember the last option selected, and have it select that option by default.

THANK YOU.

[pwillener]

What is your operating system?

This has never happened to me on either Windows 7 or XP; I was asked once (years ago!) how I want updates to be handled.  The information is stored in mms.cfg, and the installer should remember the choice made.

[TheFuzzy0ne1]

Hello.

Thanks for your response.

I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate (x64), on both my PC and my laptop, and I have the same problem on both.

[pwillener]

What is the contents of the mms.cfg file in C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash ?

[pwillener]

Sorry, on a 64-bit system the mms.cfg file is in C:\WINDOWS\syswow64\Macromed\Flash

[TheFuzzy0ne1]

SilentAutoUpdateEnable=0

AutoUpdateDisable=0

I also checked on my laptop, and curiously, the file is different, although installation of Flash Player still has the same symptoms:

.

SilentAutoUpdateEnable=0

AutoUpdateDisable=1

Just to clarify, Flash Player does NOT automatically install itself - it notifies me when an update is available, exactly as I'd expect. However, during installation, the default option is always "Allow Adobe to install updates (recommended)"

Thanks for your response.

[_maria_]

Hello,

The behaviour described in the first comment is by design (and not a bug).  Selecting 'notify me when updates are available' or 'never notify me' will result in Flash Player prompting for the update option in future installations.  Selecting 'update automatically' will not display the update options in future installations.  Also, completely uninstalling Flash Player resets the options, resulting in Flash Player prompting for the update options in a future instalaltion.

--

Maria

[TheFuzzy0ne1]

Thanks for your response. I suspected it was a design decision, but it's one that doesn't make a lot of sense, which is why I felt I should get some clarification on the matter.

Why should I have to repeatedly tell the installer the same thing? To me, it just seems like a tactic employed to make people accidentally select that option. I can totally understand why it would be the default, since it's recommended, but I've now told the installer at least 10 times over that I want control over when updates are installed. Why can't the installer trust my judgement, and not make out I'm an idiot who doesn't know what he's doing, and just select the last option I selected when the installer was run. I'm not suggesting that the entire screen should be bypassed, so we'd still be able to change it if I ever changed my mind.

I'm sure I'm not alone here, but to me it's just as annoying as having to uncheck a box every time I download Flash Player so it doesn't install McAfee Security Scan Plus on my system. I already have a good Anti-Virus and firewall which I pay for. Why would I want McAfee Security Scan Plus? It can cause all kinds of problems if it clashes with my existing security suite, and can also cause my system to slow-down. It would make much more sense to make a point about why the software is so good, and let the user choose "yes" or "no", rather than assume they want it, and trick them into installing it if they don't pay enough attention to what they're doing.

Yes, I know that McAfee are paying you, but you guys are already making tons of money (I've seen how much you charge for Photoshop!), and you've cornered the market with Flash Player, but it seems as if you're abusing that status. This is a common complaint I've heard from loads of people, so I'm sure you've also heard it. Why don't you act on it? It just seems to me that you're doing things differently for the sake of it.

As another example, why does the installer I downloaded delete itself once I start installing? If I put something on my PC, I expect it to stay there unless I delete it or uninstall it! What gives you the right to remove it? I don't know of any other installers that work that way. What's wrong with the way other installers work?? Obviously it's by design to, but what's the reasoning behind it besides "because we could" or "to be clever"? When I first discovered it, I spent weeks thinking I'd gone mad, searching for an installer I could have swore I downloaded, but couldn't find! Well, as it turns out I am mad, but that's not the point! If I download the installer and installation fails for some reason, or I decide to abort the installation and continue later, I have to download the installer again. If you really want to be clever, have the stub update itself automatically when it's run. But wait, of course not, then you can't palm McAfee Security Scan Plus on people...

I'm sorry, I've recently quit smoking... Happy new year!