Flash player install failure

[Ken5C1C]

I am trying to install Intuit Quickbooks on a Windows 10 desktop . I get the 'fail to  install' message for the Flash player. There is 'App installer' by Microsoft present in the computer. The Qbooks is from 2010.  

[_maria_]

QBooks installer probably includes a copy of Flash Player ActiveX Control that it's trying to install.  As of Windows 8.x, Microsoft embeds Flash Player ActiveX Control in IE (and Edge on Windows 10),  Since it embeds Flash Player in the browser it locks Flash Player and prevents any other app from over-riding the installed version.  All Flash Player ActiveX Control updates are also released by Microsoft via Windows Update.

Also, if this is from 2010 and it does include Flash Player ActiveX Control it is a version that is 10 years old and contains many, many security vulnerabilities which have since been fixed.  Not something I recommend installing, especially on an internet connected device.

[Ken5C1C]

Thanks for the quick reply, Maria.  So does this mean I cannot install the quickbooks at all?  I use it mostly offline for keeping track of our residents assn. books.  I suspect there is a better solution to my needs, but I don't know it is.  Ken

[_maria_]

I performed an internet search for 'install quickbooks on windows 10 with flash player error' and got some hits.

The 1st one from quickbooks user forums recommended downgrading the OS to be able to install.  I don't recommend this option especially if you didn't upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 (Microsoft also embeds Flash Player ActiveX Control) in Windows 8.x

Another option recommended to run the installer in compatibility mode with information on how to do so.

I would recommend you search for solutions on the quickbooks support site as there are quite a few questions there with the same issue you have and those folks are more equipped to assist you installing Quickbooks than I am.

However, before attempting anything, I recommend performing a full backup of your system and/or creating a system restore point in case one of the solutions you try goes awry and messes up your system.

[jeromiec83223024 · Accepted solution]

Yeah, this is a case where you're trying to install an ancient copy of Quickbooks on a modern operating system.  There are a few well-loved programs that fall into this category (one of the old Lego design programs has a dedicated following).   

There's a modern version of Quickbooks that works great on Windows 10, but you'd need to pay Intuit for the upgrade.  The larger computing ecosystem is constantly evolving, and it takes a lot of effort (and money) to keep software working.  Windows tends to move much slower than Mac, but software is simply not write-once-run-forever, even boring stuff like accounting software.  Last time I checked, it was $250-300 for the perpetual license, and it will run great for the forseeable future.

The old version of Quickbooks has dependencies on Flash, and the installer makes assumptions about where Flash lives that no longer hold true on modern versions of Windows.  It's just not going to work, and it's going to get harder and harder to run over time.

You choices are basically to stay on an old operating system (and if you're wise, make and check regular backups, and keep it off the Internet), or move to a modern operating system and upgrade your software accordingly.  It might also be worth asking your bookkeeper and accountant what would make their lives easiest before you do anything, assuming you have folks helping with the books.