Unable to Update Adobe Flash

[sleddriver]

FF has been adding an additional header at the top indicating "some of your plug-ins are out-of-date."

When I click the button, it takes me to Mozilla's site, with another button to 'update', I click and instead of the link taking me to where I CAN update, it's some security bulletin that appears for 0.5sec, then the window turns into a black screen. I can barely make out "Search" written in a dark gray against the black background.

I opened Flash in XP's control panel. It says I'm using ver. 11.7.700.202 and that ActiveX Ver is "not installed." When I click "Check Now", it takes me again to Adobe, where some content quickly flashes onto the screen, then it goes black.

I searched on an Adobe forum where others had noticed this behavior and the Adobe rep said in her reply that off-line updaters were located under the HELP link at the bottom of the page. When I clicked on it, same old, same old....quick flash to black.

Something's FUBAR'd but I'm not sure what, nor how to get around it. Suggestions?

 

[sleddriver]

Quote:
Hello,


This is a known issue with the online shim installer. Please use the standalone installer (applicable to your browser) posted at the bottom of the Installation help page applicable to your OS:

Installation problems | Flash Player | Windows
Installation problems | Flash Player | Mac


I click the link for "Windows", I CAN see the page displayed properly, click "Help" at the bottom, new page opens and it goes black.....arrrrrrgh.

 

[GrtArtiste]

Have you tried to get it directly from Adobe?

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

If it works, bookmark that page and use it--NOT ANYTHING ELSE---

Relying on other sources to help you do updates like this is almost certainly begging for trouble.

 

[sleddriver]

I thought you were onto something, as that page worked...initially. It downloaded a 1MB 'downloader', when I clicked on it, a small windown opened up filled with black...just like the previous Adobe page.

BTW, I tried to post a few screen shots (alt-printscreen), but no joy. Do I have to "host" them somewhere else like photos?

Thanks for responding!

 

[GrtArtiste]

Are you able to download other things from other sites and do installs? Given the behaviour you've described, it's hard to think that this is an Adobe problem only.

As far as pics are concerned, you have to do whatever each different site requires. I think BITOG does require a third-party host.

 

[sleddriver]

The below is the best I can currently do. Not sure how to make it bigger or clearer. This mess has already hijacked enough of my Sunday and I'm seizing control back as I have planned things to do!

Others have reported problems as recently as Dec 2014, thus I'm not alone. Further, I don't know if Flash depends on Java for execution.

Below screen-shot shows "Inspect element" FF tool enabled as I was attempting to see what was going on underneath. If you look very closely at the top, just to left of center, you'll see "Search" in faint, gray letters. You might have to crank your black-level control up.

 

[SHOZ]

Maybe you anti virus is stopping it or you have active content disabled?

 

[sleddriver]

Chose to update FF (from 14.0xx to current 34.0.5...lol). Sure is snappier! I was able to see the get.flash page. Downloaded the installer, clicked on it....opens up a black window....no indication anything is going on.

At one time I saw a msg from FF saying "FF has disabled flash 11.xxx through 11.xxx from running. Flash is disabled". Perhaps that was the problem.

I may have to remove all instances of Flash and start over fresh.I'll try it later....

 

[sleddriver]

Update:
Removed all instances of Flash via add/remove programs. I get the impression that one has to HAVE Flash in order to access the Flash page to update it!

So I keep getting the dark window where nothing happens. So I'm thinking that the server isn't available, the link is bad, or north korea doesn't like adobe either.....

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Have you tried updating Flash from their webpage?

Player Download Center Link

 

[sleddriver]

Yeah, it wouldn't work. Originally the ver of FF I was running was really, really old (14.0.x). Flash req'd FF >= ver 17. So I updated FF, then thought I had removed it via cntrol pnl. No joy. I fired up Process Explorer and it indicated the node the installer was to come through was "Listening", ie no action. PE showed no activity.

Then I stumbled upon another site that gave an address to "developer distritbution" saying you needed a license to dwnld. I don't have one, but clicked the 'get' button and suddenly it worked. It was installed within 30sec.

What a royal PITA! Stupid confusers......Not to mention Mozilla auto-disabling Flash and Java, which the former is req'd to see the window contents on Adobe's site. I didn't even work when I gave it temporary permission to use the older version....it just didn't do anything. What a time waster........

 

[Drew99GT]

Try and clean uninstall and reinstall Flash.

http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/clean-install-flash-player.html

If you have a really old version of Firefox, I'd do the same; clean uninstall and reinstall Firefox, making sure you backup your bookmarks and profile before hand. I can give you instructions on how to do that if you want to.

I have issues with both flash and Firefox after it auto updates several times and Just clean uninstall and reinstall and it runs like a champ afterwards.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

I have never let Flash or Firefox auto-update. I always do it manually. No problems using either one. I check for updates about every 2-3 weeks.

 

[Drew99GT]

Same here; I do all updates manually to avoid problems.

 

[sleddriver]

Thanks for chiming in all! I've largely been away from the confuser since my last post, thus my absence.