Install Adobe Flash Player to watch video

Q I would like to install Adobe Flash on my Windows Vista computer but every time I try it says it has downloaded, yet it does not show up on the desktop. I tried BBC iPlayer and it still said I have to download Flash. I went into the control panel which shows it has downloaded, but it is not installed. What should I do?

J Dean

A Adobe Flash is installed in different ways depending on which browser you are using and it must be installed separately for Firefox and Internet Explorer.

For Internet Explorer, go to a website that uses Flash such as Youtube. Click on a video and if Flash is not installed the following message will appear ‘Hello, either you have Javascript turned off or an old version of Adobe’s Flash Player. Get the latest Flash Player.’

The last sentence is a link, so click on it. This link will take you to the Adobe website. Click in the box labelled ‘Free Google Toolbar (optional)’ to make the tick disappear (unless you really want this toolbar), scroll down and click on the yellow Agree and install now button.

Depending on the security settings of Internet Explorer, there may be a warning message that appears at the very top of the web page that says ‘This website wants to install the following add-on: Adobe DLM from Adobe Systems i ncorporated. If you trust the website and the add-on and want to install it, click here’.

It’s not a big message, so this might be where you are missing the installation. Left-click on this message and then on ‘Install this Add-on for All Users on This Computer’. Click on Install in the next security warning window.

The Adobe Download Manager will be installed and that will then download the Flash software. You may need to give it permission to access the internet depending on your firewall settings. Click on the orange Close Download Manager button when the download manager reports that the installation of Adobe Flash Player 10 is complete.

Internet Explorer should now load a confirmation page on the Adobe website that includes a small Flash animation to check that it is working properly.

The procedure is similar for Firefox. Go to Youtube and click on a video. The same message will appear as for Internet Explorer so click on the ‘Get the latest Flash Player’ link. You will go to the Adobe Flash Player website to download the Flash plug-in for Firefox, Safari and Opera. Instead of the Google toolbar there is an option to also install the McAfee Security Scan.

Decide whether to also install this and then click on the ‘Agree and install now’ button at the bottom of the page. A message will appear that says ‘Firefox prevented this site (get.adobe.com) from asking you to install software on your computer’. Click the Allow button at the far right of this message and the Software Installation window will appear. Click on the Install Now button when it becomes active; there is a short delay.

The Add-ons window will appear showing the progress of the installation. Click on the Restart Firefox button when it has completed. The Adobe Download Manager will appear and install the Flash Player. Click on Close Download Manager when it has finished. Firefox will start again showing the Flash animation.

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