Skip to main content
G
gbye
Known Participant
May 22, 2012
Question

Need Detailed description of the differences between Adobe Flash Player Plugin and Shockwave Flash

  • May 22, 2012
  • 2 replies
  • 5455 views

For many years now I have been in a quandry over Adobe Flash (plugin) and Shockwave flash. The quandry is also somewhat exacerbated by the variety of subsetted versions supplied for each.

You know, it is sorta like the name and namespace dilemna provided by Adobe's continuing use of "Macromedia" when sometimes referring to, or distributing, their products... eg still creating Macromedia folders during installs. 

I have been told that Shockwave Flash actually contains the Flash plugins. If that is the case should I be upgrading to a newer Shockwave Flash version if  Adobe announces or (as recently occurred) denounces

a newer version of Adobe Flash.

Will you please provide me with details for, and distinctions between, these two products?

Hoping you can respond in a flash ... er... two flashes.

Thanks     

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

S
sandyjean1957
Participating Frequently
March 14, 2013

I am so confused. I have a laptop with windows 7 and sometimes i use internet explorer and sometimes google. Although google has been really confusing me lately. Am I to understand that there is not just ONE flash player that will work for all IE, google, firefox, etc.? So if I download the flash while in IE and then try to go to the site I want in google, will I get a message saying that I do not have the flash player plug in installed? This is the message I get and I have downloaded flash player about 5 times in the past few days.

Just off the subject my curser has been jumping all over and moving to other text I have already typed while I am typing. so constantly I have part of the word I am typing moved somewhere else on my page and I have to go up and correct that word as well as move curser back down to my latest point and make a correction there. as soon as i start typing again for awhile it will do the same thing again. Any ideas.

I am not a computer whiz, just trying to chug along and do the best I can with my novice knowledge. Thank you

pwillener
pwillener
Legend
March 14, 2013

Google Chrome comes with Flash Player preinstalled; you don't need to install it.  Update Chrome to update Chrome's Flash Player.

S
sandyjean1957
Participating Frequently
March 14, 2013

how do I update chrome? I am pretty sure that it is but tell me anyway. thank you

Sandra J. Barrientos

[private data removed]

pwillener
pwillener
Legend
May 22, 2012

Shockwave Flash == Flash Player.

Flash Player is a browser add-on that consists of two components:

  • Flash Player ActiveX control for Internet Explorer
  • Flash Player plugin for all other browsers

There is also another product from Macromedia: Shockwave Player, a completely different tool.  Not as widely used as Flash Player.

G
gbyeAuthor
Known Participant
May 23, 2012

OK Thanks I silly-goofed in describing what I meant in my initial post. I needed to say what's the diff between Adobe Flash (=Shockwave Flash) (plugin) and Adobe Shockwave Player. 

So will you please detail the differences between Adobe Flash (=Shockwave Flash) and Shockwave Player?

I have been told that Shockwave Player actually contains the Adobe Flash (=Shockwave Flash) plugins. Is it both

  • Flash Player ActiveX control for Internet Explorer
  • Flash Player plugin for all other browsers

that are contained therein?

If the above is indeed the case, should I be upgrading to a newer Shockwave Player version if  Adobe announces or (as recently occurred) denounces a newer version of Adobe Flash (=Shockwave Flash) .

Here's where I am headed will all this:

I have been asked by one of your coworkers Chris Campbell,  to prepare an Adobe Bug report and paste back to the Adobe Forum thread:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4428382#4428382

Since I have Adobe Shockwave Player 11.6.4.634 and Adobe Flash (aka Adobe Shockwave Flash) ver 11,1,102,55 currently installed and since

Adobe Flash 11.2.202.235 will not install without a "...The  procedure entry point ... kernel32.dll ..." error for my Windows 2000 Professional configuration

I want to uninstall Adobe Flash (=Shockwave Flash) ver 11,1,102,55 and the then further troubleshoot the MLB.TV media player "abnormal spinning circles" problem.

 

Will the MLB NexDef detector actually detect the "Flash version inside Shockwave player"?  Will the MLB.TV NexDef software actually work nicely with Shockwave Player Flash?   

pwillener
pwillener
Legend
May 24, 2012

First, to clarify: I am not an Adobe employee, just a volunteer in these forums.

Regarding Shockwave Player: no, it does not contain the Shockwave Flash plugin.

And about the Windows 2000 install problem: see this topic, especially towards the end http://forums.adobe.com/thread/965334

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices