Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Why no automatic update of Shockwave Flash or any plugin for that matter?

more options

As of today I'm getting "Firefox has blocked Adobe Flash Player blah blah". When I click "update" it takes me to me plug-in check page. When I click "update" on Shockwave Flash (14.0.0.179), it takes me to a Security Bulletin from Adobe (!): http://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb14-21.html Which basicaly says, "Chrome and IE are updated automatically". "Firefox user? you're out of luck. Go to the download center, for which we give you no link either. "

So basically we're on our own if we use FF? Isn't that a little amateurish on the part of FF and grossly negligent on the part of Adobe?

Shouldn't the update button take us to a link where we can actually....you know, UPDATE??

I'm using FF v 31 (and no thanks, I'm not updating for now the FF version).

As of today I'm getting "Firefox has blocked Adobe Flash Player blah blah". When I click "update" it takes me to me plug-in check page. When I click "update" on Shockwave Flash (14.0.0.179), it takes me to a Security Bulletin from Adobe (!): http://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb14-21.html Which basicaly says, "Chrome and IE are updated automatically". "Firefox user? you're out of luck. Go to the download center, for which we give you no link either. " So basically we're on our own if we use FF? Isn't that a little amateurish on the part of FF and grossly negligent on the part of Adobe? Shouldn't the update button take us to a link where we can actually....you know, UPDATE?? I'm using FF v 31 (and no thanks, I'm not updating for now the FF version).

All Replies (6)

more options

hello elzach, adobe flash is a third-party product - firefox can't automatically update it but it will disable versions of it that are known to be vulnerable by default.

you can download the latest version of flashplayer from https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html (use the windows & plugin-based browsers link)

more options

Plugins are not installed in Firefox but on OS. The IE uses a ActiveX version and Chrome comes with its own Pepper Flash plugin which is one of the reasons for its frequent updates.

more options

Thank you. Do I use the MSI or EXE installer?

Also, if this security bulletin is from September, why FF started blocking it now?

more options
more options

Well, I do eventually get to the update page after going through all types of hoops, and I perform the update, and then Firefox WILL NOT register that the update has been performed, or it "loses" the update when restarted. So no, NONE of these "answers" have been helpful. This has been an issue since Summer of 2013, and since this website would never let me retrieve or reset my password for my account, yes, it has been an issue for that long. So finally, after updating to the latest and "greatest" it STILL will not accept the update, I am so fed up that I had to create a new account. But of course I can't use my original screen name, even though I can;t get into the damn account. And yeah, I've been up for thirty-six hours now so I am a little peeved about... pretty much Everything.

more options

-AGAIN,

Don't be peeved at Mozilla or us for problems with Adobe Flash not updating properly or making your life difficult - Adobe supplies Flash and the Plugin for Firefox, and makes it available for the web browsers you have installed.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1039178 - says that you have two Flash plugins for Firefox installed. Shockwave Flash 11.8 r800 Shockwave Flash 16.0 r0

Along with two Adobe PDF plugins Adobe PDF Plug-In For Firefox and Netscape 11.0.10 Adobe PDF Plug-In For Firefox and Netscape 10.1.13 Looks like you have some New Year housekeeping to do.

Two versions of the same Plugin may cause unexpected issues with their programs.


First, grab the Adobe uninstaller from here: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html

Then download the latest Flash Plugin version [when using Firefox] from here: https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html

Run the Flash uninstaller program, then reboot your PC. Then install the Plugin version of Flash. So you'll have a clean installation of Flash for Firefox.