Update Adobe Flash Player

Updating Adobe Flash Player is usually a fairly simple process that can be completed by following the prompts on your computer. For more detailed instructions, however, keep reading.

Steps

Quick Update Adobe Flash on Windows

  1. Verify that you need an update.[1] If you do not know for certain whether or not your version of Adobe Flash is up to date, check it by visiting the "Find Version" page on the Adobe site. This page will automatically tell you which version you have and whether or not it needs an update.
    • This page can be found at: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/find-version-flash-player.html
    • Chances are, if you are wondering about how to update your version of Adobe Flash, the issue has been brought to your attention because your Internet browser notified you that a new update must be installed to view certain content. If this happens, you can probably skip this verification step. If the alert box has a button that reads "Download Flash", click on that button to continue.
  2. Close all open applications. Close all open windows and applications to prevent anything from interfering with the download and installation processes. The only window you should have open right now is your Internet browser, and you should not have any tabs open within the browser other than the tab used to download the installation file.
    • You might be able to get away with keeping other applications, folders, and files open, but since the installation process will be making a few changes to your computer, it is always recommended that you close out of everything not needed to complete the process to avoid any loss of information or installation errors.
  3. Download the most recent version. Go to the Adobe Flash Player download page to download the most updated version of Flash for your machine.
    • Access the page at: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
    • Choose your operating system and and the version of Flash you want to download for your machine from the corresponding drop-down menus on the page.
    • Click on the "Download Now" button to begin the download.
  4. Open the installer and follow the instructions. After the installer downloads, it might open automatically. If it does not, navigate to the location of the downloaded installer file on your computer and double-click the file to start the installer. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.
    • To minimize clutter and installation time, un-check any extra toolbars offered along with the Flash installation.
    • Read over any terms or conditions presented and click on the "Agree and install now" button to begin the installation.
    • If asked to choose your update method for further Flash updates, consider choosing the "Install updates automatically when available" option. This option will cause your browser to automatically download future updates so you will not need to go through this process in the future.
  5. Check your version again. Once the process completes itself, you should restart your browser by closing out of it and opening it back up again. You can check your version to verify that the update took hold by visiting the same “Find Version” page listed earlier in these instructions.
    • Note that in some rare cases, this process will not work. If the update fails, you should try a clean update of Adobe Flash, in which you will uninstall any old version manually before re-installing a new version.

Clean Update Adobe Flash on Windows

  1. Verify that you need an update. If you do not know for certain whether or not your version of Adobe Flash is up to date, check it by visiting the "Find Version" page on the Adobe site. This page will automatically tell you which version you have and whether or not it needs an update.
  2. Download the uninstaller.[2] You can download the current uninstaller from the Adobe support website: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html
    • The uninstaller download link is near the top of the page. Click on this to have the uninstaller automatically downloaded to your computer.
  3. Close all open applications. Close all open windows and applications to prevent anything from interfering with the uninstalling process. The only window you should have open right now is your uninstaller program.
    • It is strongly recommended that you close out of everything not needed to complete the process to avoid any loss of information or installation errors.
  4. Run the uninstaller. Navigate to the uninstaller file you just downloaded and double-click the file to open it. The program will usually begin automatically, but if there are any on-screen instructions presented to you, follow them to complete the process.
    • Check the status bar as the program uninstalls. When done, the uninstaller should state that the process is "Completed."
  5. Restart the computer. You will usually receive an output box stating whether or not you need to restart Windows. Even if you do not get this box, however, it is still recommended that you restart your computer.
    • Sometimes, some programs and files only allow themselves to be deleted upon reboot. Restarting your computer wipes as many of these files out of your system as possible.
  6. Delete any remaining Flash files.[3] Unless you are using Windows 8 or 8.1, there are a few files and folders that you will need to delete manually.
    • If using Windows 8 or 8.1, you can skip this step. Otherwise, navigate to the following directories by copying and pasting the paths into your path bar in an Explorer window:
      • C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash
      • C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash (if you are using a 64-bit system)
      • %appdata%\Adobe\Flash Player
      • %appdata%\Macromedia\Flash Player
    • You should also navigate to the C:\Windows\system32\ or C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ directory to verify that files “FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl," "FlashPlayerApp.exe," and "FlashPlayerInstaller.exe" have been deleted.
  7. Download and install the most recent version. Follow the instructions used in the quick install method for Windows to download the installation file and install the latest version of Adobe Flash. The instructions from this point on are exactly the same as those used in the “quick update” section.

Quick Update Adobe Flash on Mac

  1. Verify that you need an update. If you do not know for certain whether or not your version of Adobe Flash is up to date, check it by visiting the "Find Version" page on the Adobe site. This page will automatically tell you which version you have and whether or not it needs an update.
    • This page can be found at: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/find-version-flash-player.html
    • Chances are, if you are wondering about how to update your version of Adobe Flash, the issue has been brought to your attention because your Internet browser notified you that of a “Blocked Plug-in” when you tried viewing Flash content.[4]
      • Click on this notice to bring up a window stating “'Adobe Flash Player' is out of date.”
      • In this alert box, click on the button that reads "Download Flash.”
  2. Close all open applications. Close all open applications to prevent anything from interfering with the download and installation processes. The only program you should have open is your Internet browser, and you should not have any tabs open within the browser other than the tab used to download the installation file.
    • The installation process will make several changes to your computer, so it is always recommended that you close out all applications, folders, and files not needed to complete the process. Doing so can help prevent installation errors and the loss of information.
  3. Download the most recent version. If you do not click on a "Download Flash" button in an alert box, you will need to navigate to the Adobe download page to download the correct file.
    • Access the page at: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
    • Choose your operating system and the version of flash you want to download from the corresponding drop-down menus.
    • Click on the "Download Now" button to start the download.
  4. Open the installer and follow the instructions. A Flash Player window should appear in the Finder after the installation file finishes its download. Click on the disk image to open the installer, and follow the on-screen instructions to finish installing the update.[5]
    • If asked whether or not you want to open the installer, click on the "Open" button in the alert box.
    • When prompted, enter the user name and password you use to log into your computer. This is necessary since Adobe Flash Player will be making changes to your computer.
    • When asked to update your Flash Player Preferences, check the "Allow Adobe to install updates" option and click on the "Next" button in the window.
    • Let the installation process finish on its own from this point. When done, you should see a message that says "Installation succeeded." Click on the "Finish" button to complete the process.
  5. Check your version again. Once the process is done, you should restart your browser by closing out of it and opening it back up again. You can check your version to verify that the update took hold by visiting the same “Find Version” page listed earlier in these instructions.
    • Note that in some cases, this quick process will not work. If the update fails, you should try a clean update of Adobe Flash, in which you will uninstall any old version manually before re-installing a new version.

Clean Update Adobe Flash on Mac

  1. Verify that you need an update. If you do not know for certain whether or not your version of Adobe Flash is up to date, check it by visiting the "Find Version" page on the Adobe site. This page will automatically tell you which version you have and whether or not it needs an update.
  2. Download the uninstaller. The appropriate uninstaller can be downloaded from the following page: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html
    • Read through the instructions on the page to determine which uninstaller file is right for your system. Click on the uninstaller file name to start your download.
  3. Close all open applications. Close all open windows and applications to prevent anything from interfering with the uninstalling process. Open the Finder window and mount the uninstaller.
    • It is strongly recommended that you close out of everything not needed to complete the process to avoid any loss of information or installation errors.
  4. Run the uninstaller. Double-click the file icon to run the uninstaller. When done, the uninstaller should let you know that the process has been completed.
  5. Restart the computer. Some programs and files will only allow themselves to be removed after the Mac OS X reboots, so even if you do not get an alert box notifying you to restart your computer, you should still do so.
  6. Delete any remaining Flash files. A few files and folders will need to be removed manually even after restarting your computer. Navigate to the following folders and delete the files and directories:
    • \Library\Internet Plug-Ins\Flash Player.plugin
    • \Library\Internet Plug-Ins\flashplayer.xpt
    • ~\Library\Preferences\Macromedia\Flash Player\
    • ~\Library\Caches\Adobe\Flash Player\
  7. Download the most recent version. Follow the instructions used in the quick install method for Mac to download the installation file and install the latest version of Adobe Flash. The instructions from this point on are exactly the same as those used in the “quick update” section.

Graphically Update Adobe Flash on Linux

  1. Check your plug-in status. If you run Adobe Flash on a Linux machine, you likely use a Mozilla plug-in for Flash. Check whether or not this plug-in needs an update by going to: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/
    • Even though this plug-in was originally created for use with Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and other Internet browsers use this plug-in, as well. Therefore, even if you do not use Firefox as your browser, you can still check on the status of this plug-in using the same URL.
    • Scroll down to the plug-in labeled as "Shockwave Flash." If you need to update this plug-in, the status will be listed as "Outdated Version" and a yellow "Update" button will appear beside it.
  2. Click on the "Update" button. All you need to do is to click on the yellow "Update" button to begin the update. Follow any on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
    • This process should remove the installed plug-in if it is insecure and replace it with a safer, updated version that is downloaded from the Adobe website.
    • If asked whether or not you want any extra toolbars, un-check any of these extra features to prevent a delay in download time.
    • When asked if you agree to any terms or conditions, read those conditions and click on the "Agree and install now" option.
  3. Restart your browser. After you get a message stating that your Flash player has updated, close your Internet browser completely. Open it back up again for the Flash player update to take effect.
    • The update may not take effect if you do not restart your browser.
    • To verify that the update worked correctly, revisit the plug-in check page. The button that previously read “Update” should be grayed out and the status should indicate that no further updates are needed.

Update Adobe Flash on Linus from the Terminal

  1. Check your plug-in status, if desired. If you are not sure about the status of your plug-in, check it online. Check whether or not this plug-in needs an update by going to: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/
    • Even if you plan on updating your version of the Adobe plug-in via your terminal, you can still check on the status from this webpage. Note that it might be a little redundant, however, to go through the effort of visiting this website without using the download method available through the site. As such, this method generally skips this plug-in status check.
    • This plug-in was originally created for use with Mozilla Firefox, but Google Chrome and other Internet browsers use this plug-in, as well. If you do not use Firefox as your browser, you can still check on the status of this plug-in using the same URL.
    • Scroll down to the plug-in labeled as "Shockwave Flash." If you need to update this plug-in, the status will be listed as "Outdated Version" and a yellow "Update" button will appear beside it.
  2. Open a terminal window. Close out of your Internet browser, if it is currently open, and open a terminal window.
    • Note that you must be connected to the Internet, even though your browser does not need to be opened.
    • Open a terminal window by selecting Applications.
      • From the Applications menu, select Accessories.
      • Finally, select Terminal to open the terminal window.
  3. Switch to the root user. This can be done by typing in "su -" and hitting the "Enter" key on your keyboard.
    • The exact line should look like: $ su -
    • This command allows you to enter root passwords and update your plug-ins and other applications.
  4. Run the Adobe Flash plug-in command.[6] Type "update-flashplugin-nonfree --install" and hit the "Enter" key on your keyboard.
    • The exact line should look like: # update-flashplugin-nonfree --install
    • Alternatively you can skip over the "su" prompt and type the following command in the terminal window to run the install automatically: $ sudo /sbin/update-flashplugin-nonfree --install
    • After running this command, the process should remove the installed plug-in and replace it with an updated version that gets downloaded from the Adobe website.
  5. Open your browser. You should get a message stating that your Flash player has updated. Open your browser after this for the update to complete itself.
    • The update may not take effect if you do not close out of your browser. If you did not close your browser at the beginning of the process, you need to restart it now by closing out of it and opening it back up again.
    • To verify that the update worked correctly, revisit the plug-in check page. The button that previously read “Update” should be grayed out and the status should indicate that no further updates are needed.

Tips

  • Note that you will need to be logged in as an administrator or as a user who has permission to install software in order to update Adobe Flash on your machine.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://agsci.psu.edu/it/how-to/install-updates-to-adobe-flash-player
  2. ↑ http://news.cnet.com/seven-steps-to-update-the-adobe-flash-player-on-windows/
  3. ↑ http://forums.adobe.com/message/4041846#4041846
  4. ↑ http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5655?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
  5. ↑ http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/installation-problems-flash-player-mac.html
  6. ↑ http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/debian-ubuntu-mint-linux-upgrade-flash-player.html
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