Flash Player Update Dialogue

[stitchhead]

I have Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with IE and Firefox and am still confused as to what the Flash Player Update Dialogue updates so I'll explain this as best I can. I realize IE uses Flash Player ActiveX and Firefox uses the Flash Player Plugin. Now in the past I've clicked "Install" in the Flash Player Update Dialogue window when it appears and IE opens the download page for the latest Flash release. I then install the update from the download page and that updates the Flash plugin that FF uses even though IE is set as my default browser. I have to manually update Flash Player ActiveX by opening IE, going to Adobe's website and downloading it from there. THIS IS the method I've always preferred however with the last 2 Flash releases the Flash Player Update prompt has followed the same procedure as always by opening the download page in IE but instead my Flash Player ActiveX is updated and I'd have to manually download the update for the Flash Plugin in Firefox. This has never happened with previous versions of Flash so why is the Flash's updater suddenly doing the opposite of what it had been doing? Has Adobe changed which plugin the Flash Player Update Dialogue downloads or is this a problem with my computer, perhaps the result of 1 or 2 registry entries I had CCleaner delete? Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you!

[C_F_McBlob]

Flash Player for ActiveX (Internet Explorer)

Flash Player Plug-in (All other browsers)

Direct links, downloadable by right click. Bypass the downloader/installer. Much quicker, and easier.

[stitchhead]

No I'm not looking for alternative installation methods I'd rather just install updates from the Flash Player's updater. Do you know why it's updating Flash Player ActiveX and not the Flash Player plugin?

[C_F_McBlob]

Have you tried checking for plugin updates in the Add-ons manager of Firefox?

Setting IE as your default browser may be the issue. I have Firefox set as my default, and I have to manually update the ActiveX because Windows chooses the default to update only. That's on Windows XP (SP3), Vista Ultimate (SP2), and 7 (SP1).

[stitchhead]

It says here on Adobe's website that the Flash Player Update Dialogue you see when major updates are available "will update the Flash Player Plugin only". It doesn't say ActiveX and in the past the Flash Player Plugin was always what it updated even if IE was set as my default browser. I've always had to manually update ActiveX. So in your above comment, Windows chooses the default to update what only?

[C_F_McBlob]

On my Windows 7 machine, if I set IE as the default browser, when I open the Flash Player (32bit) settings manager in the Control Panel, the ONLY plug-in that appears in the Advanced tab is the ActiveX version for some reason.

If I set Firefox as my default, BOTH plug-ins appear. My system may be screwed up, but it's only two months old and aside from Office 2010 and Creative Suite 5.5, four browsers, Reader and Flash Player are ALL that's installed on it, so it's not likely.

When the ActiveX is the only plug-in that shows, the updater takes me directly to the ActiveX download page. When Firefox is the default, it goes to the page with dropdowns to choose the OS, and browser.

[stitchhead]

I don't understand it there's no consistent pattern here. In my Flash Player (32 bit) settings manager BOTH plugins and the versions for each plugin appear. When IE is set as your default browser and only ActiveX appears in your settings manager does the download page that the updater opens say "IE" as your browser? Also do you have Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit?

[C_F_McBlob]

If I set IE as my default browser, YES, it does, because Windows opens the page WITH IE.

Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit (SP1)

[stitchhead]

Has Adobe's updater changed which plugin it updates when it prompts you to install major updates? If it updates ActiveX will either Adobe or Firefox automatically update the Flash Player plugin eventually? Also do you use any registry cleaners?

[C_F_McBlob]

The updater updates the pluign for whichever browser I have set as default, but I RARELY if ever have IE set as my default, unless I need to for testing something.

I don't use any registry cleaners. I used to use RegCure, but I do most of my reg mods myself these days.

[stitchhead]

So if the updater updates ActiveX will either Adobe or Firefox automatically update the Flash Player plugin eventually if you don't manually download it?