Control Panel shows Flash Player icon but not listed in Programs and Features

Report · Oct 07, 2014

Several sites such as Hulu.com and my university homework page keep telling me that I require Flash Player 10 or higher and to download and install before continuing. So when I try, this is the message I get: Flash Player is pre-installed with Internet Explorer in Windows 8. And then in the box below, it says: Flash Player is disabled. I've tried all of the steps to correct this issue, but nothing is working for me. Also the control panel shows the Flash Player icon, but when I go into the programs and features, Flash Player is not listed at all. What am I doing wrong??

OS WINDOWS 8 and IE 8

Report · Oct 07, 2014

Hi,

Microsoft embeds Flash Player in Internet Explorer on Windows 8.x so you won't see a separate item in Programs and Features for Flash Player ActiveX (the version used by IE). If you install Flash Player Plug-in for non-IE browsers it'll create an entry in Programs and Features.

Since you didn't specify which troubleshooting steps you've taken, have you tried the ones listed here Flash Player Issues | Windows 8? Also, when you go to this page, Adobe - Flash Player do you see the Flash animation at the top of the page? If so, what version is detected as being installed in the 'Version Information' widget? The latest Flash Player version for IE is 15.0.0.167. If that's not the version listed, please run Windows Update to get the latest version of Internet Explorer or use the link at the bottom of the Flash Player Issues | Windows 8 page.

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Maria

Report · Oct 08, 2014

You wrote IE8, but I'm pretty sure you meant IE10, or you're using Windows 8.1 (it's worth the free upgrade if you haven't done it) and IE11. Both browser introduce a bunch of changes to how the browser identifies itself to websites that cause the correct detection of Flash to fail. Until the web catches up with the latest IE, things are going to be a little funky in that browser.

You can add individual websites to Compatibility Mode and they'll usually work correctly:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/use-compatibility-view#ie=ie-11

If that doesn't cut it, you might try an alternative browser, like http://www.google.com/chrome