Flashplayer & Flashplugin Update message

[Shrek4445914]

We have Installed Flashplayer and Flashplugin in Version 29.0.0.113. We Update Flash with SCCM/SCUP or as an Package. This installation last month has overriden our Configuration File (mms.cfg) with AutoUpdateDisable=0. So we hat to deploy mms.cfg to all client with GPO with AutoUpdateDisable=1. But since the Flashplayer & Flashplugin 29.0.0.140 are available all User/ Customers get the Update Messsage.

If I check the Configuration it is set correctly.

But we still get the Update message! How could we configurate Flashpalyer and Flashplugin to surpress this message?

OS W7; W8.1; and W10 in all Versions as well as Server 2008 R2; 2012 R2 and 2016 in 64 bit.

Thanks

Reto

[_maria_]

This installation last month has overriden our Configuration File (mms.cfg) with AutoUpdateDisable=0.

Do you run the standalone uninstaller as part of your deployment workflow?

Please upload the mms.cfg file from an impacted system to cloud.acrobat.com/send using the instructions at How to share a file using Adobe Document Cloud and post the link to the uploaded file in your reply.  Please do upload the file, instead of copying the contents into your reply.

[Shrek4445914]

I habe Uploaded the file.
File after Installation from Flashplayer 29.0.0.113 with ; install_flash_player_29_active_x.msi; or install_flash_player_29_plugin.msi.
Then I have also Uploaded our configuration file our_standard_file_mms.cfg.

But this is only the first issue, that we have. This we have fixed over distribution with the configuration file over group policy.
The second Problem is that the the Update message even though we have deactivated the Update procedure over this configuration file. You also see in Printscreen that never check for Update is activated.

[Shrek4445914]

Link Shared Files - Acrobat.com

[_maria_]

Thank you for providing the mms.cfg file.  The behaviour your observing is due to a mms.cfg file encoding (UTF-8 w/BOM) issue.  We recently fixed a bug where the update workflow was not working correctly with mms.cfg files saved in this format.  This bug was fixed in 29.0.0.140. Please upgrade to 29.0.0.140 and/or save the file in ANSI format

[Petr_Sanda]

Hello Maria, we have been using mms.cfg formatted as UTF-8 with BOM since 2014 and never experienced such issue until April 2018.

What exactly has been changed regarding the mms.cfg file and why a formatting of the file actually matters?

I have also noticed the scheduled task changed from "Adobe Flash Player Updater" to "Adobe Flash Player NPAPI Notifier". This was never reflected in release notes. Strangely, even though the scheduled task is disabled the end user receives the auto update notification. Why is that? Is there some hidden auto-update feature?

Could you please provide technical details about managing the mms.cfg file? Can we use UTF-8 and ANSI formatting or just ANSI?

If we change the file to ANSI it is likely the older not updated versions will start producing the auto update pop up.

**note we are updating Flash and Shockwave through an enterprise system and desire to have the auto update popups disabled.

[_maria_]

What exactly has been changed regarding the mms.cfg file and why a formatting of the file actually matters?

Nothing changed in the mms.cfg file itself.  The bug was introduced in the new 'Adobe Flash Player NPAPI Notifier Task' in version 29.0.0.113

I have also noticed the scheduled task changed from "Adobe Flash Player Updater" to "Adobe Flash Player NPAPI Notifier". This was never reflected in release notes. Strangely, even though the scheduled task is disabled the end user receives the auto update notification. Why is that? Is there some hidden auto-update feature?

'Adobe Flash Player Updater' was not changed to 'Adobe Flash Player NPAPI Notifier' - these are two completely different Tasks for two different update workflows.

'Adobe Flash Player Updater' is the Background Updater Task.

'Adobe Flash Player NPAPI Notifier Task' is a new Task (in 29.0.0.113) for Notification Updates for the NPAPI plugin.  In the past, the Notification Update workflow was driven by Flash Player itself, when viewing Flash content.  Due to security limitations in 64-bit Firefox, the Notification Update workflow was moved from the Flash Player itself to the new Adobe Flash Player NPAPI Notifier Task, in version 29.0.0.113.  It was in this change that the mms.cfg file saved in UTF-8 w/BOM bug was introduced, as the Task was not properly parsing the contents of the mms.cfg file saved in UTF-8 w/BOM.  The bug was fixed in 29.0.0.140. 

Could you please provide technical details about managing the mms.cfg file? Can we use UTF-8 and ANSI formatting or just ANSI?

If the client has 29.0.0.113 installed, use ANSI format.  The UTF-8 w/BOM bug was introduced in 29.0.0.113 and fixed in 29.0.0.140

If we change the file to ANSI it is likely the older not updated versions will start producing the auto update pop up.

No, they will not, especially if the older version is 29.0.0.113, which is where the UTF-8 w/BOM bug was introduced.  The bug is reproducible in version 29.0.0.113 with mms.cfg file saved w/BOM.  ANSI does not have a BOM, therefore, the bug is not present in ANSI formatted files.

Hope this answers your questions.  Glad to provide more information if necessary.

--

Maria

[Petr_Sanda]

Thanks for your prompt response.

What I still fail to understand is why the original auto update scheduled task disappeared and was replaced (or it seems) with the "NPAPI" scheduled task. If you say the new scheduled task should be only additional one and serving other purpose then I should also see the former one which is definitely not the case for >10 computers I have visited so far. Or would the original scheduled task disappear when auto update is disabled in mms.cfg? Please explain the logic in more details.

Regarding the mms.cfg -> we have always used UTF-8 as mentioned because ANSI did not seem to work back in 2014 and never had a problem with it till version 29.0.0.113. When we upgrade to newer version we theoretically can keep generating UTF-8 file, correct?

It is obvious now but to be sure: ANSI is the preferred file formatting, correct?

Could you please paste here a technical whitepaper or similar on the whole mms.cfg creation process with all the options available?

Thank you for your time and patience!

Petr

[_maria_]

What I still fail to understand is why the original auto update scheduled task disappeared and was replaced (or it seems) with the "NPAPI" scheduled task.

When the system was updated via Notification Update, if the user selected 'do not install updates' then the Task would not have been installed.

You're most likely used to seeing the Task, because it is created when using MSI installer, which is what you're using based on your 2nd post.  While the Task is created when using the MSI installer, it isn't utilized unless the system is opted into Background Updates (either via deploying a custom mms.cfg file, manually editing the mms.cfg file, or modifying the update options in the Flash Player Settings Manager).  This is because the MSI installer doesn't provide the option for a user to select whether or not they want to opt into background updates, and normally enterprise customers do this (opt into background updates) by deploying a custom mms.cfg file.  If the Task wasn't present, the mere act of deploying the mms.cfg file would not create the Task, thus, the Task needs to exist for customers that want to utilize this workflow.  I hope this explanation doesn't confuse the issue further.  If so, I'll try to explain better in a subsequent reply.

Could you please paste here a technical whitepaper or similar on the whole mms.cfg creation process with all the options available?

The Flash Player Administrator's Guide contains information on the various mms.cfg file options, however, I'm not sure if it contains the level of detail you are requesting.  We regularly update the Admin Guide.  If there is information missing you would like to see, please provide the feedback and we'll take it into consideration for future updates.