How do I get the Adobe Flash Player 10 to Work (Windows XP SP3)?

Report · Sep 03, 2009

I am a Premiere Elements user who occasionally exports the Timeline to Adobe Flash Video (.flv). And, occasionally I convert the .flv export to .swf with a free .flv to .swf converter. An installed Macromedia Flash Player 8.0 successfully plays back the .swf, and an installed Adobe Media Player 1.7 successfully plays back the .flv.

Right or wrong I got the idea that the Macromedia Flash Player 8.0 was really a very old version of what is now the Adobe Flash Player. So, I decided it was time to update the Macromedia Flash Player 8.0 to Adobe Flash Player 10. At this point, I have the following installed on my Windows XP SP3 computer via Adobe downloads:

Adobe Flash player 10 Active X

Adobe Flash player 10

Adobe Shockwave Player 11.5

The Adobe web site verification tells me that as well as the computer Control Panel Add/Remove program list.

But, no matter what I do, .flv insists on opening only with the Adobe Media Player 1.7 and the .swf only with the Macromedia Flash Player 8.0.

I have tried

a. browsing to another Open With choice

b. changing file association in folder options as well as a few uninstalls/reinstalls and have been unsuccessful in these attempts. At one point I thought that maybe uninstalling the Macromedia Flash Player 8.0 would be an approach, but I cannot find it to uninstall it. I have looked in Program Files, Documents and Settings/Application Data, Local Drive/Windows/System32, tried the computer Search...all with no luck. My browsers are Internet Explorer 6 and Firefox 2.0.0.20. The default browser is Firefox and all the appropriate "allows" are in place.

If anyone could point out the errors of my ways, I would appreciate it.

ATR

Report · Sep 04, 2009

I have resolved the issues presented without having to find and uninstall the Macromedia Flash Player 8.0 in order to get "Adobe Flash Player 10" playback of .swf files on my computer. When I begin this task, I expected to download an "Adobe Flash Player 10" as a player program download instead of the Internet Explorer and Firefox plugin that it appears to be.

This is what I did and what I believe I have:

1. I setup Internet Explorer 6 as my default browser and then used the following site to download Adobe Flash Player 10

http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

2. As I had done before (and also suggested in another thread here), I went to Tools/Manage Add Ons and found Shockwave Flash Object, highlighted it, and clicked on Update Active X. Next, what I did not do before, I restarted the computer immediately after that.

3. Next, I set Mozilla Firefox as my default browser and then used the above site to download Adobe Flash Player 10 again.

4. With Firefox, the critical step included Firefox Tools/Options/Content with File Types (Configure how Firefox handles certain types of files) and the Manage Tab there. SWF Shockware Flash Object/Change Action/and dotting "use this plugin" - Shockwave Flash, followed by a computer restart got the job done.

Now, if I want playback of a .swf file, I can

a. Open With Internet Explorer (assumed with the Adobe Flash 10 "plugin")

b. Open With Mozilla Firefox (assumed with the Adobe Flash 10 "plugin")

c. Open With Macromedia Flash Player 8.0

I am satisfied with those results for my use. Any additional comments on the player vs plugin aspect of the matter would be interesting and helpful.

ATR