WTF, Adobe?

My adobe flash needs to be updated on my computer, but every time I try to download the newest version it tells me it cannot be installed. And because I don’t have the newest form of adobe it keeps causing my computer to hang and then asking me to stop the plug-in to continue.

I can’t figure out how to get the new adobe to install or how to uninstall the old one so the new one can be downloaded. Can anyone explain to me how to fix this problem?

I just got a new computer with Windows 8 (ugh) and I’m having the same problem. I’m not very computer savvy so I hope you get some help that I can also use.

The normal installer for Adobe Reader and some of their other programs doesn’t include the actual program, but instead just a small loader that then pulls down the rest of the program. You might have better luck if you download the Adobe Acrobat offline installer. Google for that phrase for the page from which to download it.

I think it’s Flash that they’re having issues with, though.

Here’s a troubleshooting page for Windows. If you’re not running windows, try searching for your OS and “adobe flash troubleshoot” or post it here and someone may have more info.

Sorry about that. I think Flash downloads in the same way, though, and the offline installer might still work better.

Uninstall Flash manually and then do a clean install.

Also, keep in mind there’s a couple of fake Adobe notifications floating around out there. If you’re getting a pop up that tells you your flash player is out of date, and then sends you to a screen that allows you to update to Flash Player Pro, don’t do it. That’d not an Adobe product, and more than likely is a phishing site and malware. Here’s a link to the Adobe forums discussing it: http://forums.adobe.com/message/5347494

Thanks. I’ll see if any of this advice helps.

Huzzah! I noticed that my computer was telling me to restart so windows could do some updates so I restarted and that completely fixed my problem. Apparently it wasn’t Adobe acting up, it was Windows.

Windows 8 has been less self-initiating. I’ve already given it a few weeks to discover its inadequacy and add the program but no such luck. Good for you. Don’t you love self-healing machines?

When I first got it I was having the usual middle-aged slowness in making the shift and my husband just plain hated it. I gave him words of encouragement thinking we’d adjust. But even as a low tech user I can see many difficulties in using it.

I’m waiting for the moment when I have sufficient frustration tolerance built up to tackle the suggestions here!

BTW, it’s quite unlikely for a site to actually need any version of Flash beyond version 11. If I see a site saying otherwise, I always just assume it’s a scam, and I’ve not been wrong yet. The updates to 11 are mostly security and stability fixes–they don’t add new functionality. And, unfortunately, the latest versions keep having problems with stuff like hanging.