Another failed Adobe update for flash

Question

Once again, what should be a simple installation of the released Flash update for an xp sp3 system caused Flash to fail completely.  I don't have the time or patience to apply your so-called security updates, if you can't devise one that doesn't sabotage the workings of flash for all websites.  Thank goodness I set a restore point on the system before allowing Adobe to update itself.  That has prevented me from hours of headaches I'm sure you'll be reading about in this forum for weeks to come...
Funny that only the updates from Adobe corp seem to encounter this problem with my system, which otherwise works flawlessly...

Answer 1

Hi perpends, just wanted to let you know I did read that entire thread, particularly what you went through. To go through
that you have a lot more patience than you think, or I perhaps should say did have. Looks like you spent a lot.
That is awful that you did not get the proper guidance in solving the FP issue. And no, I don't blame you for not wanting to go thru that again. I wouldn't go thru it either.
On any forum there is a lot of advice that contains much guesswork. To correct any Flash Player problem, there is an orderly process and a step by step series of questions that anyone knowledgable would ask you.  To offer a solution without knowing the problem is just a guess and mostly not even an educated guess. Some think if you try this or try that
and google this or that, everything will just magically fall in place. Far from it, you dig a deeper hole.
Never would I advise you or anyone else seeking help to do or try anything that I myself would not apply to my own computer. The monthly Patch Tuesdays from Microsoft are not downloaded and installed on my computer without researching and reading to understand what they are for and does my computer need them. And I trust Microsoft. But I want to understand the security bulletins, after all it is my computer.
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html This I am sure you know is the Adobe Uninstaller. I am including it not to have you uninstall, but to read it. Prep work is very important. Especially the last 2 notes. The last note is of the utmost
importance, because the "show details" window shows you what is still there (the ActiveX) If you see the old one still there, that means the first Uninstall did not yet remove it, then proceed to follow the instructions on what to do until it is removed. At that time you proceed and not until. It is these details that can make the difference between success and failure and it is here that it is critical. If that old ActiveX is not removed, the Install will fail.
Thanks for listening and I don't mean to make light of what you went through. I knew that when the prompt to install on my computer failed(although I did not do a manual uninstall) I had to apply that. I went to my Flash folder and saw the old ActiveX still there. The Uninstaller did not remove it for some reason or the other, and so I knew I had to.
Regards,
eidnolb