Adobe Flash not Starting

[Swayam5EA7]

Adobe Flash CS5.5 and CS 6 worked perfectly on my pc but a few days ago, they suddenly stopped working. They are not responding at startup

[kglad]

first reset your preferences, https://helpx.adobe.com/animate/using/set-preferences.html

[Swayam5EA7]

How can I if it is not even starting

[kglad]

delete the preference files.

[Swayam5EA7]

I could not find the file.....Where is it located?

[kglad]

for cs5.5, Re-create preferences (adobe.com)

[Swayam5EA7 · Accepted solution]

I found the solution. I did reset the preferences but it was of no use.

But editing system variables made it working.

[kglad]

excellent 

[wallmg35]

Can you explain the process for fixing this. I'm having problems getting my CS5 design apps to open. When I click on their icons, nothing happens. They were all working fine just a few days ago.

[kglad]

you're clicking a fla file?

[wallmg35]

No, I'm trying to open my CS5 Design Premium apps, like InDesign, but they suddenly stopped opening. I thought maybe recreating preferences or editing system variable might also work with my problem, but not sure how to go about doing it.

[kglad]

are you trying to open your animate app and having a problem ?

[wallmg35]

No, but I'm trying to open some of the other CS5 apps, like InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, and having what sound like the exact problem the OP was having trying to open the other app. So I thought their solution might help me.

[kglad]

ok, i understand your post now.  

this is old it's unlikely @Swayam5EA7 will respond but flagging them like i just did goves the best chance.

[wallmg35]

You had previously suggested a way to clear preferences without opening the program, but the link you provided is no longer working. Do you remember how to do it?

[kglad]

you would manually delete the preferences files.  i can't recall the locations, but googling it should give an answer.

[liam_0192]

I’ve seen this happen before with older Adobe apps like Flash CS5.5 and CS6, especially on newer systems or after Windows updates. Here’s a step-by-step approach that usually solves the “not responding at startup” issue:

1. Run as Administrator – Right-click the Flash CS executable → Run as Administrator. Sometimes permission issues prevent it from starting.

2. Compatibility Mode – Set the executable to run in compatibility mode for Windows 7 or 8. Right-click → Properties → Compatibility → Run this program in compatibility mode.

3. Delete Preferences / Cache – Corrupted preference files can block startup. Locate the Flash preferences folder (usually under C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Flash CS6) and rename it to something like Flash_CS6_old. Flash will recreate fresh settings on next launch.

4. Check Antivirus / Firewall – Some security software may block older Flash executables. Temporarily disable or whitelist Flash.

5. Reinstall / Repair – If nothing else works, uninstall Flash completely, restart, and reinstall. Make sure to run the installer as Administrator.

Tip: Running very old Adobe software on modern OS versions can trigger startup issues, so combining Compatibility Mode + running as Administrator + clearing prefs usually resolves it.

After doing these steps, Flash should launch without freezing.

[wallmg35]

Hi, Liam. Thanks for the detailed response. I've tried all of these to no avail. The OP for this thread said they solved the problem by editing system variables, but they didn't explain how they did that. Maybe you know? If not, my next step is to reinstall Windows and hope that fixes it.

[kglad]

what's your os?

what compatibility mode dis you use when i stalling?

[wallmg35]

OS is Windows 11. I didn't use a compatibility mode when installing, but I tried opening InDesign in various compatibility modes, including Windows 95, Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 10, etc.

[kglad]

in that case, you probably need more viz c++ versions

[wallmg35]

I don't know what that means, or how to get those.

[kglad]

they're from ms. google it.

[wallmg35]

OK, but which ones, and what do I do with them?

[kglad]

don't do anything with vis c++.  it's too risky for you.