Cannot download a working version of Flash

I've been working for several days to rid my computer of spyware and maleware and now that we are finished with that (i hope) i still can't get flash to work on my computer… i had been showing it as downloaded and then when i go to play whatever i wanted it for - it still tells me i need to download it… now - that i've cleaned up the computer - i downloaded a program to uninstall and then tried to reinstall from the adobe site - now i'm showing quotes and no download appears to be happening… i don't know what's happened because as little as a month ago all was well and fine w/flash on this computer…. please let me know where to start in order to fix this issue … thanks so much! Rachel

hey Rachel. You're talking about the program 'Flash' that allows you to make flash design type things…? Well, once you've registered at their site and downloaded it, why can't you install it? what is the exact message you get? thanks

no - i'm talking about flashplayer that lets you view flash content all over the internet

Hi rachelfran, I see you've done some hard work and heavy lifting over in our HJT Forum, assisted by Ken545. I understand that you've visited at least one other forum and became discouraged with the lack of responses. Being the father of 4 Sons (all adult now) I am quite familiar with the importance of taking the interests and needs of a 5 year old quite seriously. You may feel "quite under the gun" right now. We'll stick with you. I've read your question/request for help and will be replying. Best Regards

Hi rachealfran,

Sorry about my delay in responding.

Regarding your JAVA Runtime Environment:

Your Java is out of date and leaving your system vunerable. Update your Java:
Go to Start > Control Panel > Add-Remove Programs.
Search in the list for all previous installed versions of Java. (J2SE Runtime Environment)

Select it and click Remove.

The current version can be downloaded from Sun here:
http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
Scroll down the page to 'Java Runtime Environment Version 5.0 Update 6 and press the Download' button.
On the new web page, click the Accept License Agreement' button.
Then select 'Windows Offline Installation' in the Window's Platform
area just below the Accept button.

Please "delete" any downloaded components of Macromedia Flash Player which you may find on your machine, here:
C:\windows\downloaded program files\(any file referring to Flash Player)
leave the Folder C:\windows\downloaded program files\ in place as it is a legitimate OS folder
and
C:\windows\Downloaded Installations\(any file referring to Flash Player)
leave the Folder C:\windows\downloaded Installations\ in place as it is a legitimate OS folder

Now let's "turn off" the various applications and processes that may be interferring with the installation of Macromedia Flash Player.

GoTo:
Start - Run - (type)MSCONFIG - Enter - Select the StartUp(tab)

You will now be looking at a list of items & applications and processes that start when you boot your machine.
In Windows XP almost all of these can be "disabled" with no adverse effect on your machine.
(Disabling an item is performed by "unchecking" the little box in front of the item)

Please "Disable" all items with reference to
AOL
Webeye
Norton/Symantec
svcwinra.exe (your monitoring program)
resfilter32.exe (your monitoring program)

Please leave in "enabled" all references to AVG (your antiVirus)
It should be OK and I want you to be protected when we go back Online to download/install Flash Player.
(I just practiced installing Flash Player on machines with AVG, Running Win98, WinME, and XP pro with no problem)

I am presuming that you are Running with XP FireWall active?
Leave it ON (active). ( unless you have another software firewall that I didn't notice?)

If you have any questions about additional items that you "wonder" if you should Disable, please post a question in your next reply.

Alright. We're ready to attempt the Macromedia Flash Player installation again.

Go to their website here:
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/in…=ShockwaveFlash

Click on the "Install Now" button.
Be Patient, it can take a while depending on your internet connection and how busy their site is.
Wait until the "Installation Completed" animation is displayed before doing "anything" else with your machine.

Please post back with your progress.

Best Regards

thanks for taking the time …. i believe i've followed all your instructions and the same thing keeps happening

i installed the flash - it took about 2 seconds for the little movie to show and for it to claim that flash is successfully loaded — i then went to nickjr.com where i'm greeted with this page http://www.nickjr.com/common/detect/flash_dir/index.jhtml … takes me back to the same download page and the whole thing begins again…

it just doesn't want to work!
what can i do?


rachel

Two (2) seconds is awfully fast, and makes me suspicious that either you have a corrupt version of Flash Player already installed, or something is still interferring.

Please go to PCPitstop to Run a Full Test
http://www.pcpitstop.com

Click on Full Test in the left hand column.
You'll be asked to register with a legitimate email address and to create your own password.
After you get your Registration Validation, return to PCPitstop.com (takes a few minutes only)
Click on Full Tests, again.

You will be asked to accept an ActiveX to allow the Test to run on your machine.
It's safe.

Run the Full Test.
When the test is complete and you review your Results, you will see a TechExpress Link item in the upper right hand portion of the Results page.
Click on TechExpress to take you to your TechExpress Link.
Copy and Paste the entire TechExpress information link into a reply in this thread here at TomCoyote.

Maybe we can get a better picture of what's happening on your machine with that information.
Note: there is only one (1) item of personal information reported in the Full Test
That is your IP. Only the Owner can "see" the reported IP, and then only when logged in with password
Your IP is "blanked out" when sending your TechExpress, so there is nothing of a personal information nature that is included in the TechExpress.

I'll review that Full Test, in hopes of discovering something we may be overlooking.

Best Regards

here's the link requested :

http://www.pcpitstop.com/techexpress.asp?id=NACKPW3W19JSPGHC

i sure hope it helps!

rachel

Hi RachealFran,

Please follow/correct the items in the Tune Up Tips of the Pit Test
• Upgrade disk space (Drive C, D)
• Check IE Restricted Sites zone
• Defragment files (Drive C)
• Install more memory <—–This is the only one that will "cost money" but would be well advised, particularly for Media recording/management.
• Adjust IE browser cache size
• Adjust Receive Buffer Size
• Enable HTTP 1.1

Feel free to post questions here, about how to do the above, as needed.

First Priority is to get those Hard Drives cleaned up!
We have seen other Members bring other "application failure" problems to the Forums here, only to discover that their Hard Drive "free space" was so low as to cripple their machine's performance, thus causing the application failures.

Save as much of your Media files to CD/DVD.
Here's what I would do.
When "saving" Media files like .wav, .mp3, .mpg, etc., "SAVE" them as DATA Disk.
Why? Because you can generally SAVE many more files on any one CD when "saving as data"
When a user "Saves as Audio Disk" I think they can get maybe 12 tunes on a CD, and then they are in Audio CD format ready to play in most automobile CD players, BUT they are no longer "data" that can easily be editied/managed by your computer's media software applications. It's sort of a "one-way-street" when you Create Audio Disk.
Therefore, for simple STORAGE of media material, SAVE AS DATA DISK will preserve your ability to edit/manage/transfer various of the tunes that you may eventually want to compile onto Audio CD or transfer to your iPod.

The basic point of all the above is to get as much DATA removed from your Hard Drives as possible.

Set an initial goal of creating 25-50% (FREE SPACE) on each Hard Drive.

Note: Sims2 is a HUGE installation. Did you know that Sims insists upon installing its entire application/characters/background features in 14 LANGUAGES!!! regardless of the Language Preference that the User selects during installation. Eventually, if you're going to have Sims on your machine, install it to your D:\ drive if it is not already over there.

Once you get to your goal of 25-50% free space, reboot into SAFE Mode and Run your Disk Defragmenter.

There are other recommendations that I may offer later, after getting the Hard Drives cleaned up.
Now, with all that said…………..

I don't see DIRECTX 9.0C anywhere on that machine.
Maybe I just don't see it?
Go get it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx

Just installing DirectX 9.0c "may or may not" solve the Flash Player issue all by itself, but you should also follow through with the other recommendations above.

After you've completed the steps in this post, I will make various "specific and general" recommendations about items to disable from Services and StartUp, as well as possible additional tools to deal directly with Flash Player.

Best Regards