There is an inbuilt security bug when using Internet Explorer version 8 and Adobe Flash Player; flash files are not being played in certain sites and a small cross symbol comes out at the top left side of the image. Merely uninstalling Internet Explorer or Flash Player won't solve the problem. It is still in debate whether this is the fault of Microsoft or Adobe, but regardless the issue remains the same. Digital signature process has been changed by Microsoft for security reasons and Adobe may not follow the same procedure, resulting in this problem. System Restore is the only option left, or alternatively a change in browser might also help.

IE 8 - Adobe Flash Player trouble

Issue

Hello,
ever since I installed the latest Internet Explorer (8), Adobe Flash Player won't work at all. For example - On sites such as: www.allsp.net and www.explosm.net - any video that requires flash won't play, and comes up with a small image in the top left hand corner of a few colorful shapes.

What can I do? I don't know how to uninstall INX 8, and I really want flash to work.
I have tried re-installing it, but it just says "save file" and not install, or run.

Suggestions please? I also tried it using the Firefox browser, same problem.

Solution

It is amazing how so many answers to this problem on the Web are wrong. People giving advice should test it first.

Anyway, I found the answer in an obscure posting: it's a security bug. One can argue whether it is Microsoft's fault or Adobe's fault, but I wish they'd fix it already. Weird how days are passing and no fix has been pushed to the users.

Anyway, Microsoft changed the way that certain packages are signed with security certificates. Adobe didn't get the word, and continued to sign their releases in the same old way. The result is that current Internet Explorer browsers, versions 7 and 8, report an error for any website running Flash, and refuse to download the latest version. That is why System Restore, a drastic measure, can work. There is no fix that the user can apply. Changing user Security settings won't work. The only workaround is to switch to another browser. ANY other kind of browser.

David Spector
Springtime Software

Note

Thanks to David Spector for this tip on the forum.

See also

Knowledge communities.

• Forum
• Software forum
• Nokia forum
• Windows forum

This document entitled « IE 8 - Adobe Flash Player trouble » from Kioskea (en.kioskea.net) is made available under the Creative Commons license. You can copy, modify copies of this page, under the conditions stipulated by the license, as this note appears clearly.