How to update or install Adobe Flash Player.
Adobe Flash is installed on nearly every computer. It does not show up as a program unless you check in your Control Panel under Add/Remove Programs. Unless you have an iPhone or iPad, you probably have it installed (many websites need it to look right).
With malware targeting Adobe Flash Player vulnerabilities to install on your computer it is very important to keep it updated.
Also, many social engineered exploits use a pop-up window telling you to click to update your Flash Player to the latest version to show content. Instead of updating Flash, you install the malware to your computer. Knowing how to install Flash by going to adobe.com and downloading and installing Flash yourself can give you peace of mind that you have the latest version an don’t install malware by mistake.
After my post about updating Flash, I relalized that not everyone knows how to update Flash.
In fact, most people don’t realize it is installed, even when you tell them nearly every computer has it. When I say nearly every computer has it, I mean your computer almost is guaranteed to have Flash on it.
What does Adobe Flash Player do?
Flash allows animation in your browser. All sorts of things from animated photos to games use Flash to work. Even the YouTube video in this post showing you how to install Flash uses Flash! Because Flash works on so many computers, a software developer can just write a program or develop a media presentation once and it works on nearly every type of computer.
Anyway, here is the video on how to install Adobe Flash Player.
I show how to install Flash using Internet Explorer and how to install Flash using Google Chrome. There is enough of a difference that it could confuse someone. Actually, it did confuse someone, so that is why I made the video.
[mc src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPh77cIOXiM" type="youtube"]How To Install or Update Adobe Flash Player[/mc]
Just a note, the install failed in Internet Explorer in the video. I actually did this video several times over and it did not want to install over again the last time I did it. The step are still the same, you’ll just get a green installed message where mine was red.
Good tutorial, but i would recommend anyone to actually use Mozilla rather than try to improve IE. For all its efforts Microsoft will never be able to get IE on the same level as Mozilla on performance or security issue. IE is the most used because people are ignorant or lazy to get it.
And at the same time its strange that chrome doesn’t have inbuilt capabilities for flash player upgradation.
@Scott Brim from winnipeg real estate:
This tutorial is for a manual update of Flash. I distrust any icon in Windows advising of an upgrade as I have seen some that were malware. I would do a manual update for Firefox too. The Flash update is system wide and not browser specific. The reason for demonstrating in both browsers is that some people simply refuse (with very poor judgement) to try and work outside of Internet Explorer.
I believe Google is working on a complete Flash integration in Chrome where Flash will be updated with Chrome updates.
I recommend Chrome over Firefox for most users as it does have some potential security advantages and auto updates make it simpler for the average user. Firefox does have its place though.
If you ran a non-Adobe fix tool or any type of registry cleaner to resolve Flash player problems, run the clean uninstaller, and then reinstall Flash Player. For details on the clean uninstaller, see “Safe versions security restrictions when installing Flash Player”
I usually do the manual updates just to be on the safe side, but I’ve never had malware installed from an automatic update as Thoenes is afraid of.
Bropas´s last [type] ..BroPas
@Bropas: Not that an automatic update will install malware, but that some types of malware can imitate an update icon getting you to further install more malware.
also if you do not have internet connection, you may download the msi installer externally and then you can install it later on from a setup file
Eric@Jacksonville news channel´s last [type] ..Mullaney takes lead in Jacksonville mayoral money race – Florida Times-Union
why didn’t you included firefox? its what I am using.
I don’t get any difficulty dealing with it.
thanks for sharing.
JMontes´s last [type] ..How to Restore from a Backup made by Cobian Backup
Updating with Firefox or IE will do the same. Chrome has it’s own Flash now and no longer needs to update Flash.