HELP!!

HEY I HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP ME!! I AM NOT A TOTAL COMPUTER IDIOT BUT I HAVE WINDOWSXP AND EVERY TIME I CLICK ON INSTALL FOR FLASH, THE INSTALLATION SUCESSFULL BOX COMES UP BUT IT WAS NEVER INSTALLED. I NEVER GET AN ERROR MESSAGE OR ANYTHING. THERE ARE ALOT OF WEBSITES I CANNOT GET ON WITHOUT FLASH AND I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING IN THE SUPPORT SUGGESTIONS. MY COMPUTER IS NEWER AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS IS WORKING PROPERLY. I FIGURED MAYBE I AM OVERLOOKING SOMETHING REALLY SILLY.
THANKS ALOT SARAH