Skip to main content
D
Decop42
Participant
December 19, 2018
Answered

unable to clear C: \ Windows \ System32 \ Macromed \ Flash\ FlashUtil_Activex.exe

  • December 19, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 12198 views

Hello !

I uninstalled adobe flash player with the Adobe program.

This program remains in C: \ Windows \ System32 \ Macromed \ .......

Can not delete it, even with administrator rights?

thank you for your collaboration

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer jeromiec83223024

    Yep.

    If you're on Windows 8 and higher, ActiveX Flash Player is a built-in component of Internet Explorer, and you don't have permissions to modify those files.

    What are you trying to accomplish?

    2 replies

    jeromiec83223024
    Community Manager
    jeromiec83223024Community ManagerCorrect answer
    Community Manager
    December 20, 2018

    Yep.

    If you're on Windows 8 and higher, ActiveX Flash Player is a built-in component of Internet Explorer, and you don't have permissions to modify those files.

    What are you trying to accomplish?

    jeromiec83223024
    Community Manager
    jeromiec83223024Community Manager
    Community Manager
    December 19, 2018

    I'm assuming this is Windows 7.  If you're on Windows 8 and higher, ActiveX Flash Player is a built-in component of Internet Explorer, and you don't have permissions to modify those files.  For Windows 7, you should totally be able to delete them as Administrator, and it's probably a sign that the filesystem is corrupt.

    Disk corruption can be an early indicator of impending disk failure.  If you have any critical data on the machine, this is a great time to make sure that you have a working backup.

    Once you have backups, you probably want to scan the disk for errors.

    Check your hard disk for errors - Windows 7:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2641432

    If you *still* can't delete the file, then you may need to use a third-party utility to do it.  We use a little freeware tool called "Unlocker" that gets the job done, but there are others as well.

    D
    Decop42Author
    Participant
    December 20, 2018

    Hello Jerowiec !

    Thank you for your reply.

    I am with Windows 10 1809

    However, when installing Windows 10, there was no such directory C: \ Windows \ System32 \ Macromed \ Flash \ ...

    It was after downloading the Adobe Flash Player uninstall program "FlashUtil_Activex.exe" that this folder was created and it is not normal not to be able to delete it !

    Have a good day !

    _maria_
    Community Manager
    _maria_Community Manager
    Community Manager
    December 20, 2018

    The file name "FlashUtil_Activex.exe" without a version number (in Windows 8 and above) is Microsoft's embedded Flash Player ActiveX for Edge Edge/IE.  It's a component of Edge/IE on Windows 10 and thus Microsoft locks the file so that an end user cannot delete it.  Since it's embedded in Edge/IE and a component of the browser, Adobe's Flash Player uninstaller will not delete the file.

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices