Flash 10 only works for Admin, not User accounts

[eadolphson]

My computer is running windows XP r3, IE 8. I have made 2 user accounts for my kids.  I can get Flash to work for the administrator account, but not either of the user accounts.  When I go to a web site with Flash content, IE8 responds that Flash is not installed.

I have tried:

  Solution at http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/191/tn_19166.html

  Solution at http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/494/cpsid_49419.html

What can I do get get Flash installed for the user accounts? 

Thanks

[Guest]

Hello, this poster was having a problem about User Accounts so maybe this will be helpful, link follows

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/538209?tstart=0

[eadolphson]

I went to http://forums.adobe.com/thread/538209?tstart=0

I could not run www.adobe.com/go/full_flashplayer_win_msi. for each user, because users do not have administrator privileges.

[pwillener]

You do not mention the Flash Player version you have, so I'm going to assume that you have the latest one.

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/191/tn_19166.html is a bit old (Flash Player 9), but this step from the article will probably solve the problem:

• from the user account, open Windows Explorer
• in folder %WINDIR%\System32\Macromed\Flash right-click FlashUtil10d.exe *
• select 'Run as Administrator'
• follow the steps to complete the Flash Player installation
• restart Windows

*) character 'd' could be different, depending on your installed Flash Player version.

[eadolphson]

Tried running %WINDIR%\System32\Macromed\Flash right-click FlashUtil10d.exe

Ran as Adminsitrator, but still no luck

I can only use Flash sites when logged in as Administrator, not of of the other users.

[eadolphson]

I also found these instructions.  But they did not work either

0. Go to this page:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html
and download the latest windows flash uninstaller. (uninstall_flash_player.exe).
1. Close down all browsers.
2. Go to control panel, and then to add/remove programs.
3. Uninstall Adobe Flash ActiveX.
4. Uninstall Adobe Flash Player.
5. Close Add/Remove Programs and Control Panel.
6. Open the Command box [Start/Run will bring up the command box] and change to the directory to where you
downloaded the flash uninstaller.
e.g: cd C:\Downloads\Software
7. Type this in [command box]:
"uninstall_flash_player.exe /clean" (No quotes & notice the space between the .exe and /clean)
and press enter.
8. Click Yes.
9. Click Close.
10. Repeat steps 7-9 once. Close the Command window.
11. Go to:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed
and delete Flash directory.
12. Go to:
C:\Documents and Settings\your name\Application Data\Adobe
and delete the "Flash Player" directory.(yes, this includes the Asset cache)
13. Go to:
C:\Documents and Settings\your name\Application Data\Macromedia
and delete the "Flash Player" directory.
14. Start MSIE and open this address:
http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer
15. Be sure to UNtick "Free Google Toolbar"
and click Agree.
16. Allow the ActiveX popup.
17. Click Install.
18. Close MSIE.
19. Open either Firefox/SeaMonkey/Opera/etc and open this address:
http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer
20. Click Agree
21. When the file finishes downloading close your browser.
22. Navigate to where you saved the file and double click it:
install_flash_player.exe
23. Click Close.
24. Open any browser and go to:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/docum ... ger03.html (this link is no longer good, no matter, this step is optional)
and drag the bar all the way to the right to Unlimited
25. Close the browser.
26. Flash should be working, if not, wait for the site to update to be compatible (or try using previous versions of flash player at your own risk).
27. The Adobe test page is here:
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome/

[pwillener]

From the user account, go to http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/ - can you see the Flash animation, and a version information below?

[eadolphson]

Yes I can see version information.  I see:

  You have version 10,0,42,34 installed

Another note:

The web page: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

In IE 8, I get the error message:

     This content requires Flash

     To view this content, JavaScript must be enabled, and you need the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player.

In Firefox 3.5, I get the Flash animation

The web page: http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

In IE 8, I get the text message, but no animation:

     Adobe Flash Player - A lightweight, robust runtime environment for rich media and rich Internet applications

If Firefox 3.5, I get the Flash animation.

In both, the version is 10,0,42,34

[pwillener]

Sorry, I have no more ideas.  When BWolfe was still here, he suggested to raise a support case with Adobe in such situations.  Unfortuately I don't have that link available; can you try to locate it yourself?

[Guest]

Hi, I've read the comments on your thread. From several forums and blogs there seems to be problems with IE8.

Microsoft has a site that may be of help. It would seem that if while using IE8 that if you wanted to install any plugin

or program into a user account there would be an issue, not only with Adobe. I have read that users think it is not just one

Company problem. Just thought I'd pass this on, I know if I had this issue, MS would be the first one I would call.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/support/call-us.aspx

From what I read on their site, there is no charge for this.

Hope it helps.

[social_care1549]

It also happens with IE6.  I'm running XP Home and IE6, and have the same problem (Flash Player 10 plays YouTube videos in Admin Account, but not in a "Name" Account, even though the "Name" Account has admin priviledges and the Flash Player test page shows that Flash was installed correctly).

I had the same problem with my other laptop running IE6 and XP Pro.  I successfully used the secedit fix (thread 433846) to make Flash Player 10 work on that laptop.

Still stumped as to how to get Flash Player 10 to work on my XP Home / IE6 laptop.  Upgrading to IE8 did not solve the problem.

[Guest]

Hi BruceTR, Well at least we have 2 things in common. XPsp3/IE6 here:-) Adobe, Microsoft, forums, blogs are full of the problems of IE8. I do enough research on Adobe, Microsoft and FF, IE8 would only be on my PC by gunpoint, if that!

I don't know if I can offer any solutions to the User/Administrator problems or not. I run as Admin, don't use any other accounts.

After installing IE8, did you go back to IE6?

[social_care1549]

I installed IE8. No luck.

Uninstalled Flash and reinstalled. No luck.

Restored back to the point at which Flash Player 10 HAD BEEN operating correctly on my XP Home/IE6 laptop. This reverted to IE6. No luck. Very weird.

Re-restored back to today's IE8 install. Uninstalled Flash. Reinstalled. No luck.

I'm not wedded to IE6, IE7, or IE8. I just want something to work so You Tube videos will play.

Any ideas?

[Guest]

I'll just relate what I have read and some users have experienced. IE8 does not work the best on XP. Most users have problems with IE8 on XP. Most go back to IE7 and IE6. Most say it is a simple process, done through Add/Remove, remove IE8 and IE reverts back automatically to the previous version and then do a reboot. Ever Microsoft has a KB on doing it.

I read the thread you said you used to get the other laptop running FP, but some of it made no sense to me.

I'll send you a couple of links that may be helpful on this Admin/User issue. A lot of it is Microsoft/Windows related since IE8 is involved.

Have you decided which IE you would prefer to use?

[social_care1549]

I'm going to continue trying to get Flash 10 to work with IE8 and XP Home. If I have no success in a day or two, I'll try reverting to IE6. If no success there, I may try Chrome.

Regarding getting my other laptop running using the advice in http://forums.adobe.com/thread/ 433846, I didn't understand it either, but it worked.

Thanks.

I prefer IE, but if Chrome fixes the problem, I'll use it. Firefox is probably last on my list.

[Guest]

Ok, thanks. Following are links that pertain to IE8 and phone support (toll free from Microsoft)

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/support/call-us.aspx

This one is about XP and the differences in setting up Administrator Accounts, User Accounts and what each can and cannot do. Very informative.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/usercpl_overview.mspx...

The more I read, my opinion is that first and foremost the problems that people are encountering is Windows/IE related.

For example, beginning with Vista and IE7 MS made changes for security reasons. In IE8 they added more. Therefore,

these changes dictate which account classification can uninstall, install, remove and add programs of any kind to the computer. So, if these permissions are not met, then none of these actions just mentioned are going to be accomplished

and it doesn't matter what program it is or what company it is.

So I have sort of revised my thinking on all of these issues. When someone says "I can't install FP" or "can't uninstall" etc., the question should be "Do you have permission to do so?"  When IE7 and IE8 dictate what you as a user can or cannot do, then no program has any choice in the matter either. Even back to XP, the User/Administrator accounts were defined and since then with IE7 and IE8 more restrictions have been added.

I don't mean to imply that these restrictions are not needed or beneficial, but to simply say they are there and are not understood.

Maybe these links will give you some information about them and how they work.

Thanks

Message was edited by: eidnolb  add'l

[eadolphson]

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

In IE 8, I get the error message:

     This content requires Flash
     To view this content, JavaScript must be enabled, and you need the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player.

The web page: http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

In IE 8, I get the text message, but no animation:
     Adobe Flash Player - A lightweight, robust runtime environment for rich media and rich Internet applications, the version is 10,0,42,34

So, Adobe Flash is installed

I have gone to http://support.microsoft.com/gp/noscript
and followed the instructions to make sure JavaScript is turned on

The web page: http://www.mistered.us/test/alert.shtml

I click on the [Simply Click This Button] button, and I get a popup window saying "Your JavaScript Is Working  Thank You"

So JavaScript is working

But I still get the error for user accounts on the web page:
http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

Everything is working for Administrator Account

[Guest]

Hi eadolphson, Administrator privileges are REQUIRED for the Windows System registry and for the C:\Windows\

system32\Macromed\Flash (folder) Only an Administrator or one with those privileges have permission to Uninstall,

Install, or make any other changes to the system. These are some of the restrictions that IE7 and more so with IE8 have

implemented and it is all about Security and keeping the system as secure as possible. These restrictions apply to any

Company or Program that might want to install on a system. They need permission to do so. This is not an Adobe Flash

Player issue, you would have the same issue if you tried to install  any program using a User account. The User account does not have permission, what they can do is limited and Installing programs is not one of them.

You or the Administrator must give them these privileges.

Following is a link from Microsoft with screenshots that helps explain this with XP.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/winxp/accounts.mspx

Granted, it is complicated, but I think I linked the Microsoft site with an 800 toll free support # for IE8 problems.

I would give them a call and let them explain this to you.

You could think of it this way, no one can withdraw money out of your Savings account at the bank, unless they are a joint owner. Doesn't matter if they are your Son, Dtr, or Wife or even if some of the money is theirs. They can deposit all they want, but they can't withdraw without your permission in writing as joint owner. 🙂 Likewise a User Account can't install programs without Administrative Privileges.

[social_care1549]

After 2-hours on the phone with MS Tech Support, it appears to be a user accounts problem, not an Adobe Flash Player problem, and not a Java problem.  MS Support was very helpful in that they uninstalled and installed the latest versions of Java and Flash, reset the settings in IE8, enabled active scripting, etc., etc.

I can view Flash presentations in my Administrator User Account and two of my "Name" User Accounts.  In the problematic user account, I can view Flash at CNN.com and Yahoo! Finance, but not at YouTube.com.  Thus, according to MS, the problem appears to be a virus or some malware.  I'm running their Safety tool and MRT tool now to see what comes up.

[Guest]

Hi BruceTR, I am glad you called and were able to get it resolved. Have always found MS Tech to be very helpful, having spent time on the phone with them regarding the SP3 upgrade on XP. It turned out that the EULA didn't get signed:-)

Just got back from work or I would have responded sooner. It is sort of strange that you don't have a problem on those 2 sites, but on youtube. One would think a problem would be on any site using flash(and which aren't nowadays?)

Hope you get to the bottom of that problem.

I do appreciate it very much for your feed back as this will help other users as well to understand this.

I use the MRT also and use the custom feature, where you can select various files to be scanned.

Thanks

[social_care1549]

The final fix was to run the Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner while logged-in to the user account that wouldn't play videos at You Tube. That fixed it. I believe that the registry scanner (part of the OneCare Safety Scanner) is what actually fixed the problem because no malware nor viruses were found.

For anyone experiencing a successful Flash Player 10 installation, having recent Java installed, and having the Java settings set correctly, but getting the "Can't play" message at You Tube, I highly recommend running the Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner while logged-in to the user account that is experiencing the problem.

[Guest]

Hi BruceTR, That is most interesting. Appreciate you posting back this information. Evidently Microsoft has added to the

Live One Safety Scanner.

That is certainly a good suggestion and will be helpful to those with the user accounts. Glad you figured this out and thanks for sharing how you did it.

eidnolb

[chuckssite]

I have just had this problem for the past week, and only on one computer.  And, I have not tried the suggestion listed at or near the end of this section.  I believe some of the updates made for June, 2010 by MS have made a change in how user accounts are handled.  The 10.1 upgrade works on a computer I have that did not install the updates, but does not work on some sites on the computer that did install the updates.  Chuck