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Inspiring
May 18, 2016
Question

Re: Mac Flash Player Auto update keep revert to Notify me to install

  • May 18, 2016
  • 1 reply
  • 709 views

It's a recurring issue with Flash Player. Last update (what -- two weeks ago?) I went through the same thing: I could not get Flash to install using the standard, user-friendly method. I had to download a standalone installer in order to get it to work.

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer simply begins an endless round of download/install/installation error. Very frustrating and seemingly careless programming, almost as if Adobe wants Flash to die. And personally, with all the vulnerabilities and resulting case-by-case opt-in requirements, Flash is becoming less and less desirable.

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    1 reply

    jeromiec83223024
    Inspiring
    May 18, 2016

    Since your issue is distinct from the thread you posted to (their issue looks like a damaged configuration file, which was solved by an uninstall/reinstall cycle), I've branched it to a new thread so that we can give you personalized advice.

    The behavior you're describing is obviously not correct.  Flash Player is installed on about 2.5 billion systems at this point, and there's always a comparatively tiny number of people that experience installation issues with every update.  For Mac users, those issues typically come down to some kind of filesystem corruption or permission problem.

    It's relatively easy (although ensuring that you have a decent working backup is probably wise before giving the disk a workout) to rule out the filesystem and permission issues.

    See the "Try Disk Utility" section:

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203176

    While you're there, choose Repair Filesystem Permissions (Verify will frequently return clean, but then Repair will still fix a bunch of problems).

    At that point, run the uninstaller, and give the regular installer a shot again.

    Uninstall Flash Player - Mac:

    https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html

    If the problem persists, check out the installation troubleshooting guide:

    https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/installation-problems-flash-player-mac.html

    Engineering is an exercise in details, and if you're still stuck, collecting and posting the diagnostic logs will tell us why the installation is failing, at which point, we should be able to tell you what's wrong, or improve the product, if the issue is within our sphere of control. 

    Once you've collected the logs, the guide has links to the offline installers at the bottom, which will get you going.

    Also, if the installation process is too annoying, you might consider simply enabling Automatic Updates (you can do this from Control Panel > Flash Player > Updates > Allow Adobe to install Updates), which are now completely silent, or consider switching to Google Chrome, which includes Flash as a bundled component. In that instance, the Chrome updater manages all of the update stuff for you, and should be totally seamless.