Help with Flash Player- Not Playing

Question

I recently went to a website where it said that i needed to
download the latest version of Flash Player. I followed the
directions and installed it, and the movie came up after
installation, but on the website it still said i needed to install
flash player again. I went through the other forum posts and tried
everything, but it still wouldn't show up. Then today i was on the
website and finally the video came up, but then when i refreshed
the page the video was gone and it again said i needed to install
the latest version of Flash Player. The video has shown up twice in
the past day, then says i need to reinstall again. I've tried
everything, but the videos just wont show up. Does anyone know how
to fix this for good?

Answer 1

JDB... your problems and solutions are different (and much
more complex). Read this CAREFULLY.
Printable, lovingly formatted versions of these steps, valid
as of 9/15/2007 are available. I recommend printing them and
following along with the print version:
.doc:
http://www.supportflash.com/bent/flash_player_ocx_troubleshooting.doc
.pdf:
http://www.supportflash.com/bent/flash_player_ocx_troubleshooting.pdf
The issue is this: You have multiple accounts on your XP
machine. One account plays Flash no problem, the other doesn't,
although both are Administrator accounts. Or possibly you have only
one account, and that account fails to play any Flash content. In
any case if you have ANY odd trouble with the Flash Player ActiveX
control for Windows as of September 2007, these should be your
steps. And yes, you need to do both sets of steps, in order!
The cause: This is usually caused by either or BOTH of the
following problems:
1. Leftover locked bits of an old Flash Player installation
2. Registry permission errors (aka 'ACL's)
OK so what do you do about this?
ONE: Identify possibly leftover Flash player bits
a. Open C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash folder.
b. Download the latest FP uninstaller from
http://www.adobe.com/go/tn_14157.
c. Run the uninstaller. If you get a notice saying you need
to reboot, then reboot.
d. Look at C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash folder.
e. Does any file ending in .ocx remain? (flash.ocx,
flasha.ocs, flash9d.ocx etc...)
e1. If no, then you don't usually have any leftover locked
bits.
You're done with this part of the problem, proceed to TWO.
e2. If yes, then that remaining .ocx file may be locked.
Right click it
and select properties and look at the version tab.
What is the version number?
f. Is the version number Flash Player 9.0.16.0 or earlier?
f1. Use the uninstaller instructions from this technote:
http://www.adobe.com/go/4da116d3
-- section "Flash Player 9.0.16.0 and earlier"
-- DO NOT re-register the uninstaller. ONLY do this
UninstFl.exe part.
Yes, you'll need to know how to use the command line to do
this. If you're not
comfortable with that then take your machine to someone who
is!
g. Is the version number Flash Player 9.0.28.0 or higher?
g1. Use the uninstaller instructions from this technote:
http://www.adobe.com/go/4da116d3
-- section "Flash Player 9 (9.0.28.0) and later"
-- DO NOT re-register the uninstaller. ONLY do this
UninstFl.exe part.
In both the D and E sections above you'll need to use the
specific name of the control that remains
in the C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash. So if you had a
stuck flash9b.ocx[DJM1] in the folder
and version was 9.0.28.0, your uninstall command would look
like this:
UninstFl.exe -u
c:\windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\Flash9b.ocx
That said, if you have trouble running these commands it
really is necessary to find someone who knows how
to use the command line, either a friend or a local
professional. Or spend some time learning about the
command line yourself.
h. RERUN the uninstaller you downloaded earlier. This should
get rid of the remaining (now unlocked) .ocx file and fix any
registry keys associated with it.
ALL of section "ONE: Identify possibly leftover Flash player
bits" is important. BUT this locked bit problem only happens on
maybe one out of 50 machines. So most people with installation
problems such as this are not going to have locked bits.
AND even after reinstalling you may still have continued
problems with Flash Player not being recognized.
Then we have to move on to section two..
TWO: Registry Permission Problems
We have been working on Flash Player failures caused by
Windows System Registry issues. We have not been able to determine
what’s causing these permissions to change. But that change
prevents the successful installation of Flash Player ActiveX
control (used by IE Windows).
Registry permission problems can be resolved using a tool
called SubInACL, built by Microsoft to correct system registry
issues.
Symptoms: What to look for:
1. If you install Flash Player on IE and are unable to see
Flash content on any webpage
2. After installation C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash
will have flash 9c.ocx in it but it failed to register
3. It appears that Flash Player installed correctly, but
unable to view Flash content
4. Flash Player works on other browsers, but NOT Internet
Explorer
5. If you are missing groups in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Advanced
Permissions
6. If you have run registry cleaners in the past, this may
have corrupted your system
Warning: The following solution involves the Windows System
Registry. Editing or manipulating the registry incorrectly can
result in serious system damage which may require re-installation
of the operating system. If you are not comfortable editing the
registry, then take your system to a professional. If you choose to
proceed, then it is essential that you create a complete system
backup and a Windows System Restore Point before proceeding. Adobe
Systems cannot be held responsible for damage resulting from this
information.
1. Select Start > Run
2. Type in “regedit”
3. Right click on HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
4. Select Permissions
5. Select Advanced
For Vista
Compare your permissions with the ones in this screenshot.
http://www.supportflash.com/vista_key.png
For Window XP Pro or other flavors of XP
Compare your permissions with the ones in this document
“Troubleshooting system registry issues that prevent Flash
Player installation” (scroll down to the bottom of page).
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=kb400116
Notice any major differences, missing groups, incorrect
permissions?
How can you repair the System Registry, what's the fix
Download SubInACL from Microsoft to fix permission issues
that prevent the Flash Player Installation.
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=fb1634cb
NOTE: The Microsoft version of the .cmd script run by
SubInACL is not be run on any XP version other than Pro. HOWEVER,
the Adobe .cmd script in the above technote is tested safe for ALL
VERSIONS OF XP!!!
If you have a Windows System Registry permission issue that
sounds like the one described above, SubINACL may be the solution.
Please note that if you have this issue on multiple accounts on one
machine you’ll need to fix each machine individually.