Question
FIX - IE Flash & Shockwave install for XP SP2
I make no guarantees this will work for you, but it was the
ONLY thing that worked for ME. I had already gotten Authorware to
install from the Adobe site prior to these measures -- Authorware
install issues may or may not be resolved by the procedure outlined
herein.
WARNING: some of the steps taken herein create serious security holes, albeit only temporarily. The risk will be much greater if you don't have a decent hardware firewall, since your software firewall will be disabled. If you are particularly paranoid about that, I suggest you DON'T DO THIS and simply live without Flash in IE. If, OTOH, you want to dive in, you might want to print this page so you can refer to it during certain steps.
After having tried everything in the forums, KB's and tech supports w/o success installing Flash or Shockwave Players into IE, I got it to install after an XP Repair install. This may or may not work with other versions of XP. Yabbut.. reinstalling XP is kinda extreme, ain't it? Ubetcha! But thanks to Microsux, as with thousands of other users, Windows Installer 3.1 was giving me no end of grief, and, after reading everything the MS support guys had to say, I got fed up and did it out of frustration. Ironically, this is the one action none of the so-called experts at MS bothered suggesting!
This fix IS GOING TO TAKE TIME, so be prepared for that. It takes about an hour to do the XP repair installation, plus about half an hour for Microsoft Update to get the system up to speed, plus the time it takes the registry cleaners to do their job, plus all the reboots, etc. If you're the impatient type, I suggest you give up now and live without Flash in IE. But then, if you're the impatient type, you probably shouldn't be using Windows in the first place.
Having said that, if you're ready to try it, the following sequence worked for me:
1) Uninstall Flash and Shockwave players. Flash uninstaller is here: www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_14157
Use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall Shockwave. If Shockwave is currently working and you don't want to uninstall it, you may be able to get Flash installed w/o removing Shockwave. I didn't try that and therefore cannot say for sure. Like Flash, Shockwave also wouldn't install on my machine, so I made sure traces of both were removed.
2) Download the stand-alone Shockwave Player installer from: www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/alternates/#sp but don't install it yet.
3) Use one or more good registry cleaners, such as the freeware RegSeeker: www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm or Registry Mechanic or jv16 PowerTools to get rid of remaining potentially troublesome entries.
4) Reboot.
5) Load the XP SP2 disc and select New installation; select No when prompted to change drive configs. When it reboots itself, remember to choose "R" to repair XP -- you don't want to remove your existing programs and settings -- and remember, this is NOT a repair using the Recovery Console, so don't choose that by mistake. You shouldn't need to reactivate after the repair if you're using a legit copy of XP -- and I just know you are!
DO NOT TOUCH THE REGISTRY AFTER THE REPAIR INSTALL!! Do not manually change entries. Do not run registry cleaners.
You'll have to install Windows Installer 3.1 after the XP repair, in order to download updates with Microsoft Update. Get the stand-alone installer here: www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=889482fc-5f56-4a38-b838-de776fd4138c&DisplayLang=en and then do steps 6, 8 & 9 below prior to running. After Installer 3.1 is successfully installed, reboot, then go get your system updated via Microsoft Update, then come back to this document.
6) Disconnect from the internet for safety's sake (I software disabled my Ethernet).
7) Open IE and use Tools>>Internet Options>>Security>>Internet Zone>>Custom Level to make sure ActiveX is permitted. Following are my exact Custom Security settings in IE6. You can change yours back right after you get your players installed. Please don't bother telling me that some of these settings aren't safe (I pointed that out above), other settings might work or some changes may not be necessary. I am well aware of this. I'm simply stating what MINE were at the time that I got Flash and Shockwave to install:
.Net Framework-reliant components -- both Enabled.
ActiveX controls and plugins -- all Enabled, except:
a) Download unsigned ActiveX controls = Prompt
b) Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe = Prompt
Downloads -- all Enabled.
Java VM -- High Safety
Miscellaneous:
a) Access data sources across domains = Disable
b) Allow META REFRESH = Enable
c) Allow scripting of Internet Explorer Webbrowser control = Disable
d) Allow script-initiated windows without size or position constraints = Disable
e) Allow Web pages to use restricted protocols for active content = Prompt
f) Display mixed content = Prompt
g) Don't prompt for client certificate selection when no certificates or only one certificate exists = Disable
h) Drag and drop or copy and paste files = Enable
i) Installation of desktop items = Prompt
j) Launching programs and files in an IFRAME = Prompt
k) Navigate sub-frames across different domains = Disable
l) Open files based on content, not file extension = Enable
m) Software channel permissions = Medium safety
n) Submit nonencrypted form data = Enable
o) Use Pop-up Blocker = Disable
p) Userdata persistence = Enable
q) Web sites in less privileged web content zone can navigate into this zone = Enable
Scripting -- all Enabled.
User Authentication:
Logon = Automatic logon only in Intranet zone
😎 Close ALL programs.
9) Ctrl-Alt-Del to open Task Manager and END ALL REMAINING NON-CRITICAL PROCESSES. This means every last entry relating to anti-virus, firewalls, pop-up blockers, spam blockers, anti-spyware and any others not essential to keeping the desktop up. When I was done, for example, I had only 15 processes (including task manager) remaining. DO NOT end svchost.exe processes, as killing certain ones will shut down the desktop. Once done, close Task Manager.
Steps 10 thru 13 involve risk, as your software firewall is down.
10) Reconnect to the internet.
11) Open IE and go to www.adobe.com
12) Click Get Flash Player icon and Download Now the player on the next page.
13) If your Options aren't set correctly, you may get a yellow bar to click on to allow installation. Otherwise, you should next see the Flash movie, indicating success.
14) Disconnect from the internet (step 6).
15) Run the Shockwave Player stand-alone installer you downloaded earlier.
16) Reboot.
17) Go to www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome/ and test Shockwave, Flash and Authorware players.
18) If it all works, rejoice while simultaneously cursing Gates & Co.
19) Run your spyware scans -- and a virus scan if it'll make you feel better.
The above should work, but if Flash Player still won't install from the web, you can try this:
a) Again uninstall it using www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_14157
b) Get the Flash stand-alone installer at: www.softwarepatch.com/internet/flash.html
c) Repeat steps 6, 8 & 9.
d) Run the Flash stand-alone installer.
e) Repeat steps 16 thru 19.
Using ONLY the stand-alone Flash installer MIGHT work after an XP repair installation. This would, of course, minimize the risk of being open on the internet during the install attempt. However, Adobe frowns on regular folk using the stand-alone Flash installer, so I mention it only as a last resort. It may or may not work, depending on whether the registry has been corrupted by the web install attempt.
Anyway, HTH and good luck!
WARNING: some of the steps taken herein create serious security holes, albeit only temporarily. The risk will be much greater if you don't have a decent hardware firewall, since your software firewall will be disabled. If you are particularly paranoid about that, I suggest you DON'T DO THIS and simply live without Flash in IE. If, OTOH, you want to dive in, you might want to print this page so you can refer to it during certain steps.
After having tried everything in the forums, KB's and tech supports w/o success installing Flash or Shockwave Players into IE, I got it to install after an XP Repair install. This may or may not work with other versions of XP. Yabbut.. reinstalling XP is kinda extreme, ain't it? Ubetcha! But thanks to Microsux, as with thousands of other users, Windows Installer 3.1 was giving me no end of grief, and, after reading everything the MS support guys had to say, I got fed up and did it out of frustration. Ironically, this is the one action none of the so-called experts at MS bothered suggesting!
This fix IS GOING TO TAKE TIME, so be prepared for that. It takes about an hour to do the XP repair installation, plus about half an hour for Microsoft Update to get the system up to speed, plus the time it takes the registry cleaners to do their job, plus all the reboots, etc. If you're the impatient type, I suggest you give up now and live without Flash in IE. But then, if you're the impatient type, you probably shouldn't be using Windows in the first place.
Having said that, if you're ready to try it, the following sequence worked for me:
1) Uninstall Flash and Shockwave players. Flash uninstaller is here: www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_14157
Use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall Shockwave. If Shockwave is currently working and you don't want to uninstall it, you may be able to get Flash installed w/o removing Shockwave. I didn't try that and therefore cannot say for sure. Like Flash, Shockwave also wouldn't install on my machine, so I made sure traces of both were removed.
2) Download the stand-alone Shockwave Player installer from: www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/alternates/#sp but don't install it yet.
3) Use one or more good registry cleaners, such as the freeware RegSeeker: www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm or Registry Mechanic or jv16 PowerTools to get rid of remaining potentially troublesome entries.
4) Reboot.
5) Load the XP SP2 disc and select New installation; select No when prompted to change drive configs. When it reboots itself, remember to choose "R" to repair XP -- you don't want to remove your existing programs and settings -- and remember, this is NOT a repair using the Recovery Console, so don't choose that by mistake. You shouldn't need to reactivate after the repair if you're using a legit copy of XP -- and I just know you are!
DO NOT TOUCH THE REGISTRY AFTER THE REPAIR INSTALL!! Do not manually change entries. Do not run registry cleaners.
You'll have to install Windows Installer 3.1 after the XP repair, in order to download updates with Microsoft Update. Get the stand-alone installer here: www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=889482fc-5f56-4a38-b838-de776fd4138c&DisplayLang=en and then do steps 6, 8 & 9 below prior to running. After Installer 3.1 is successfully installed, reboot, then go get your system updated via Microsoft Update, then come back to this document.
6) Disconnect from the internet for safety's sake (I software disabled my Ethernet).
7) Open IE and use Tools>>Internet Options>>Security>>Internet Zone>>Custom Level to make sure ActiveX is permitted. Following are my exact Custom Security settings in IE6. You can change yours back right after you get your players installed. Please don't bother telling me that some of these settings aren't safe (I pointed that out above), other settings might work or some changes may not be necessary. I am well aware of this. I'm simply stating what MINE were at the time that I got Flash and Shockwave to install:
.Net Framework-reliant components -- both Enabled.
ActiveX controls and plugins -- all Enabled, except:
a) Download unsigned ActiveX controls = Prompt
b) Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe = Prompt
Downloads -- all Enabled.
Java VM -- High Safety
Miscellaneous:
a) Access data sources across domains = Disable
b) Allow META REFRESH = Enable
c) Allow scripting of Internet Explorer Webbrowser control = Disable
d) Allow script-initiated windows without size or position constraints = Disable
e) Allow Web pages to use restricted protocols for active content = Prompt
f) Display mixed content = Prompt
g) Don't prompt for client certificate selection when no certificates or only one certificate exists = Disable
h) Drag and drop or copy and paste files = Enable
i) Installation of desktop items = Prompt
j) Launching programs and files in an IFRAME = Prompt
k) Navigate sub-frames across different domains = Disable
l) Open files based on content, not file extension = Enable
m) Software channel permissions = Medium safety
n) Submit nonencrypted form data = Enable
o) Use Pop-up Blocker = Disable
p) Userdata persistence = Enable
q) Web sites in less privileged web content zone can navigate into this zone = Enable
Scripting -- all Enabled.
User Authentication:
Logon = Automatic logon only in Intranet zone
😎 Close ALL programs.
9) Ctrl-Alt-Del to open Task Manager and END ALL REMAINING NON-CRITICAL PROCESSES. This means every last entry relating to anti-virus, firewalls, pop-up blockers, spam blockers, anti-spyware and any others not essential to keeping the desktop up. When I was done, for example, I had only 15 processes (including task manager) remaining. DO NOT end svchost.exe processes, as killing certain ones will shut down the desktop. Once done, close Task Manager.
Steps 10 thru 13 involve risk, as your software firewall is down.
10) Reconnect to the internet.
11) Open IE and go to www.adobe.com
12) Click Get Flash Player icon and Download Now the player on the next page.
13) If your Options aren't set correctly, you may get a yellow bar to click on to allow installation. Otherwise, you should next see the Flash movie, indicating success.
14) Disconnect from the internet (step 6).
15) Run the Shockwave Player stand-alone installer you downloaded earlier.
16) Reboot.
17) Go to www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome/ and test Shockwave, Flash and Authorware players.
18) If it all works, rejoice while simultaneously cursing Gates & Co.
19) Run your spyware scans -- and a virus scan if it'll make you feel better.
The above should work, but if Flash Player still won't install from the web, you can try this:
a) Again uninstall it using www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_14157
b) Get the Flash stand-alone installer at: www.softwarepatch.com/internet/flash.html
c) Repeat steps 6, 8 & 9.
d) Run the Flash stand-alone installer.
e) Repeat steps 16 thru 19.
Using ONLY the stand-alone Flash installer MIGHT work after an XP repair installation. This would, of course, minimize the risk of being open on the internet during the install attempt. However, Adobe frowns on regular folk using the stand-alone Flash installer, so I mention it only as a last resort. It may or may not work, depending on whether the registry has been corrupted by the web install attempt.
Anyway, HTH and good luck!
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