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WMTech314
Participating Frequently
July 9, 2015
Answered

Installation of Flash distributable MSI results in external communication to fpdownload2.macromedia.com flooding WAN links

  • July 9, 2015
  • 2 replies
  • 2641 views

After applying online and receiving the links for flash distribution in our Corporate Environment, we setup a basic distribution of the MSI using BMC's Footprints product. We expected that the installation would install the product on the endpoint without any external communication, after all that is the purpose of applying for and obtaining such an installer. Each installation is generating an external call to fpdownload2.macromedia.com and is pulling back over our Internet  http://fpdownload2.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/update/current/sau/18/install/install_all_win_ax_sgn.z   Endpoints pull 70mb of data a piece to retrieve this installer, saturating our WAN links to our remote sites. We would like to avoid this situation. Why does your distribution installer not install your product, but call an 70MB install back over the internet?

WM

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer _maria_

Hi Carm01,

While the service is created, the user is not opted into Background Updates as the MSI does not write to the mms.cfg file.  You can verify this by doing the following:

  1. uninstall Flash Player
  2. delete (or rename) the mms.cfg file saved at the following location:
    1. 32-bit: C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash
    2. 64-bit: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash
  3. install using the MSI.
  4. Go back to the \Macromed\Flash directory: you'll see the mms.cfg file is not created, confirming the MSI does not write to or create the mms.cfg file.  A user has to opt into Background Updates.  Since the MSI does not offer this option (in the UI) users are not opted into Background Updates when installing using the MSI.

With the above said, the Flash Player default update option is Notification Updates (always has been), so unless AutoUpdates are disabled (AutoUpdateDisable=1) users will get a pop-up notification announcing an update is available.  This is why some Administrator's deploy a custom mms.cfg file to disable updates when installing via SCCM or other tool of choice.

--

Maria

2 replies

_maria_
Community Manager
_maria_Community Manager
Community Manager
July 9, 2015

Hi WMTech314

The link to the .z file in your original post is for the installer downloaded by the Background Update service.  However, since you indicate you installed Flash Player using the MSI installer, Background Updates (aka Silent AutoUpdate) should not be enabled, since the MSI installer does not enable Background Updates.  You also indicate in your most recent post that you have downloaded the EXE installers as well.  Is it possible that when installing using the EXE installer the system was opted into Background Updates resulting in the file downloading?

If you want to control the installation of Flash Player within your organization you can disable updates in the mms.cfg file.  This file manages features related to security, privacy, use of disk space, update, etc.  This file is updated with the user's update options when using the EXE installer, however, the MSI installer does not write to this file and whatever update options were configured in the file prior to using the MSI installer will remain.

Several of our enterprise customers who license and deploy Flash Player to their clients limit Flash Player updates by deploying a custom  mms.cfg file to their client systems immediately after installation as part of their deployment process.  If you haven't done so yet, please review the Flash Player Administrator's Guide‌ as it contains valuable information on installation options (Chapter 3) and Administering Flash Player within your organization (Chapter 4) which includes the location of the mms.cfg file on various platforms (page 24) and enabling/disabling Flash Player automatic updates, either via notification or background (page 31).

Please review the Admin Guide and let me know if you have questions on this.  I'm happy to assist.

--

Maria

Carm01
Carm01
Legend
July 10, 2015

Maria,

I use a utility called process Hacker2, and one of the cool features is it tell you via a pop up in the system tray when a new service is created, and when one is deleted.

I preformed an uninstall of all flash players, then I went and downloaded the most recent msi from the distribution3 page for NPAPI; it does not matter b/c they both do it.

Preformed a /qn install on it and a service was created, a windows task is also created and enabled, and the file C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe  exists.

It seems like it actually does enable updates of some kind, which is the same behavior as the EXE files, from my point of view it does write something to check for updates.

I usually just kill it all together with:

taskkill.exe /im FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe /f

SchTasks /Delete /TN "Adobe Flash Player Updater" /f

sc delete AdobeFlashPlayerUpdateSvc

del "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe"

IF exist C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe del C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe

===============================================================================================

also here is the install part of the log file:

=O====== M/18.0.0.203 2015-07-10+01-08-46.732 ========

0000 00000010 "C:\Users\Carm\AppData\Local\Temp\InstallPlugin_18_0_0_203.exe" -install -msi

0001 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/PlayerPath 2

0002 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerActiveX/PlayerPath 2

0003 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPepper/PlayerPath 2

0004 00001036 Software\Macromedia\FlashPlayerPlugin/Version 2

0005 00000011 1

0006 00000020 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl

0007 00001037 SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins\@adobe.com/FlashPlayer/ 2

0008 00001037 SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe Flash Player NPAPI/ 2

0009 00001037 SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe Flash Player Plugin/ 2

0010 00001036 Software\Mozilla\Firefox\extensions/Plugins 2

0011 00001036 Software\Mozilla\Mozilla Firefox\extensions/Plugins 2

0012 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2

0013 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Last CommandLine 2

0014 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2

0015 00001036 Software\Opera Software/Plugin Path 2

0016 00000014

0017 00000015 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil32_18_0_0_203_Plugin.exe

0018 00000024 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\plugin.vch

0019 00000017 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash

0020 00000022 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerPlugin_18_0_0_203.exe

0021 00000019 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl

0022 00000021 C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe

0023 00000012

=X====== M/18.0.0.203 2015-07-10+01-08-50.465 ========

_maria_
Community Manager
_maria_Community ManagerCorrect answer
Community Manager
July 10, 2015

Hi Carm01,

While the service is created, the user is not opted into Background Updates as the MSI does not write to the mms.cfg file.  You can verify this by doing the following:

  1. uninstall Flash Player
  2. delete (or rename) the mms.cfg file saved at the following location:
    1. 32-bit: C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash
    2. 64-bit: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash
  3. install using the MSI.
  4. Go back to the \Macromed\Flash directory: you'll see the mms.cfg file is not created, confirming the MSI does not write to or create the mms.cfg file.  A user has to opt into Background Updates.  Since the MSI does not offer this option (in the UI) users are not opted into Background Updates when installing using the MSI.

With the above said, the Flash Player default update option is Notification Updates (always has been), so unless AutoUpdates are disabled (AutoUpdateDisable=1) users will get a pop-up notification announcing an update is available.  This is why some Administrator's deploy a custom mms.cfg file to disable updates when installing via SCCM or other tool of choice.

--

Maria

Carm01
Carm01
Legend
July 9, 2015

Take a look at this link:

https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html

Are those the same files you are using , or a different one? I just downloaded one and yanked my network cord and it installs just fine for me.

Best Regards

W
WMTech314Author
Participating Frequently
July 9, 2015

yes... .we are using the MSI files. I'm not able to temporarily disconnect 1500 + endpoints, from the internet, that I'm sending the file to. When they get it, they download an additional 70MBs of data from the macromedia site I listed.

Carm01
Carm01
Legend
July 9, 2015

When I used the files listed above in the link, I had zero internet connection , and installed properly, I also just downloaded and installed msi and seen zero network activity during the install on my end, and didn't download any .z package being downloaded.

Please show as which files you are using and where you got them b/c I cannot see any of that on my network here.

Best Regards

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