Solved How do I stop adobe flashplayer 11.8.800.175 update reminder popups?

[solutions]

I don't know if anyone else has encountered this issue with the adobe flashplayer 11.8.800.175 which I recently installed, about 2 weeks ago.

Despite choosing not to automatically update itself at installation, it keeps popping up every few days to ask me to update at Windows startup.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled to no avail.

Even in the Control Panel the settings are to 'Never check for updates'

If anyone has a solution, it would be very helpful.

Also for now, I have disabled it in Firefox because the plugin kept crashing all the time.

 

[Yard Dog]

Hello solutions , Welcome to the forums.. I find it actually needed to keep that updated to prevent security issues.. you may want to keep flashplayer upgraded.. might solve the crash issue also..

 

[A Guy]

I would also suggest installing the latest version, which always includes various security updates.

Adobe - Install Adobe Flash Player

There is some concern whether the popup is legit, and not malware. When you install Flash, it will give the choice to Never check for updates (Not recommended)

This is marked not recommended as many don't keep their programs updated, and Flash is one of those programs that is actively targeted for exploits in older versions (such as yours).

A Guy

 

[ThrashZone]

This is a good read about Adobe flash,
How to configure your Flash Player settings for maximum privacy and security
Next time you get a popup message take a screen shot of it,
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Use-Snipping-Tool-to-capture-screen-shots
I have my settings to notify me to install updates and haven't got any lately so the messages could be coming from the webpages and not Adobe which I wouldn't update Adobe products just because a website popup with the message,
Cheers.

 

[solutions]

This is a good read about Adobe flash,
How to configure your Flash Player settings for maximum privacy and security
Next time you get a popup message take a screen shot of it,
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Use-Snipping-Tool-to-capture-screen-shots
I have my settings to notify me to install updates and haven't got any lately so the messages could be coming from the webpages and not Adobe which I wouldn't update Adobe products just because a website popup with the message,
Cheers.

Thanks for the links.

I found much of the same information before posting the issue here and checked and re-checked it out with the settings on my machine.

The popup doesn't come from a webpage, but at Windows startup, before any other program starts running.

 

[solutions]

Thanks all for your replies.

I will uninstall and install the latest version and see if it happens again.

Having said that, a reputable company like Adobe should be capable of producing software that respects settings as announced to the user at installation.

It may simply be a bug that needs to be fixed, but I'm not so sure. With everything happening in the world of technology about tracking and surveillance, you can never be sure of anything these days.

Will report back with the outcome with the new version installation in a few days.

 

[Yard Dog]

You may want to run free Malwarebytes and free Superantispyware to check for any issues.. beside your anti virus program.. then when they say you are clean. make a restore pt.. then try a fresh install of adobe products from adobe.com

 

[solutions]

I would also suggest installing the latest version, which always includes various security updates.

Adobe - Install Adobe Flash Player

There is some concern whether the popup is legit, and not malware. When you install Flash, it will give the choice to Never check for updates (Not recommended)

This is marked not recommended as many don't keep their programs updated, and Flash is one of those programs that is actively targeted for exploits in older versions (such as yours).

A Guy

You may want to run free Malwarebytes and free Superantispyware to check for any issues.. beside your anti virus program.. then when they say you are clean. make a restore pt.. then try a fresh install of adobe products from adobe.com

It's my policy to never let a program do automatic updates.
If I were to do that, my computer will never rest and I don't trust any company for that matter.
I choose when it's suitable for me to update.
However, I never go for more than 6 months to a year without updating this particular flashplayer, simply because you use it almost all the time, on almost any website now.

I have a fresh install of Windows 7 only old from about a month.
After installing Windows updates, I then installed flashplayer from the same link you've given above, choosing settings for both Firefox and IE not to automatically updates, like shown from your screenshot above.
About a week or so later, the popup started showing. I supposed that I didn't choose the right settings and therefore uninstalled and re-installed again.
But yet, it keeps happening. That's when I started looking for a solution.

As for Firefox, the plugin will now and then have difficulty starting and running only to end up crashing with an error message.
I got fed up with it last week and disabled it.

My antivirus, MacAFee hasn't found anything.

I see the new version is 11.9.900.117. I will first install it before doing anything else and see if it happens again.

 

[Yard Dog]

Adobe flash usually has a security update once a month.. It would be wise to update it regulary.. not at 6 month intervals. In My Humble Opinion. But.. do as you wish..

 

[andrew129260]

Adobe flash usually has a security update once a month.. It would be wise to update it regulary.. not at 6 month intervals. In My Humble Opinion. But.. do as you wish..

I concur. Doing this is one of the worst things you could do. It is your machine, and if you wish to keep doing so that is your choice. But its not recommended at all. If your worried about surveillance or people poking around in your pc, you should be updating more frequently, not the opposite. Flaw fixes and patches are released for a reason. Unless its the government your worried about, in which case it does not matter what you do. They got your data if they really want it.

If you are a little paranoid, run a Virtual Machine and then do with it what you want, but I would keep your main os up to date.

 

[DavidE]

I agree with the suggestions to keep Adobe Flash up to date for security reasons.
However, if you do want to end the popup reminders you can give this a try.
In Task Scheduler disable the Adobe Flash Player Updater scheduled task.

You might need to "re-disable" this task every time you update Adobe Flash, as I wouldn't be surprised if the update "re-enabled" it.

 

[Layback Bear]

Solutions; welcome to the Forum.

You have got a lot of good information and suggestions.

I also don't like or want auto updates of anything.
That being said one must do it manually and do it often.

I check all my security programs several times a day and it only takes a minute or so because the updates are never behind.

Other programs are check manually using Filehippo Update Checker.

FileHippo.com Update Checker - FileHippo.com

You could also check in msconfig/Startup and NON Microsoft Services to make sure no auto updates are selected.
It's also good to check in msconfig because sometimes after updating something it will install (auto update) there all by itself.

I also recommend completing your System Specs so we know what we are working with. This Tutorial by Brink will help.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html

I also notice that in post#8 you posted that you use McAffe
as your anti virus.
I must say you are one of the few on this Forum that do.
Most have nothing but problems with that anti virus program working with Windows 7.
If you ever start having problems; hopefully not keep that in mind.

 

[UsernameIssues]

~~~
However, I never go for more than 6 months to a year without updating this particular flashplayer, simply because you use it almost all the time, on almost any website now.
~~~

The security flaws have been major and plentiful.

You might want to consider updating a bit more often.



Source.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
two suggestions

1) uninstall the adobe updater - it's probably somewhere installed on your system.

2) Upgrade to IE11 - doesn't use adobe flash -- also since more and more web sites aren't using flash it's a good idea to stop relying on it. BTW IE11 has its own flash support so you don't need the adobe update any more.

IE11 works quite nicely now on W7 - just check the enhanced security options if some web sites cause problems and enable compatibility mode.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[ThrashZone]

You might verify this uninstall process,
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html

 

[solutions]

Adobe flash usually has a security update once a month.. It would be wise to update it regulary.. not at 6 month intervals. In My Humble Opinion. But.. do as you wish..

I concur. Doing this is one of the worst things you could do. It is your machine, and if you wish to keep doing so that is your choice. But its not recommended at all. If your worried about surveillance or people poking around in your pc, you should be updating more frequently, not the opposite. Flaw fixes and patches are released for a reason. Unless its the government your worried about, in which case it does not matter what you do. They got your data if they really want it.

If you are a little paranoid, run a Virtual Machine and then do with it what you want, but I would keep your main os up to date.

When I say 6 month to a year, it could be 3 month or 1 month or 3 weeks, I don't really check, but I do it quite often.
Also I'm not that much worried about security exploits of Flashplayer by some websites, not because I trust anti-malware programs on my machine, but because I don't visit that many websites.
When I know I will be online for intensive search or browsing in unfamiliar territories, I put my computer in virtual mode with Returnil.

As for Adobe Flashplayer having to be updated every month, makes me wonder if it is that good anyway.

I have uninstalled it for now, from both IE and Firefox to see if I could live without it for a while.

Unless its the government your worried about, in which case it does not matter what you do. They got your data if they really want it.

I guess I just said that out of frustration and with all that is making the news here in Europe.
(I live in London. All the news in Europe at the moment are about America spying on our leaders.)

My paranoia about auto updates is to avoid conflicts between programs.
If I update a program manually, I can remember when and which program I updated last if ever I had some problem at some point on my machine.
The other issue is simply to avoid the computer running slow because some program or other is wanting to go online and update itself.

 

[solutions]

I agree with the suggestions to keep Adobe Flash up to date for security reasons.
However, if you do want to end the popup reminders you can give this a try.
In Task Scheduler disable the Adobe Flash Player Updater scheduled task.

You might need to "re-disable" this task every time you update Adobe Flash, as I wouldn't be surprised if the update "re-enabled" it.

Hi DavidW7ncus.

I did check the Task Scheduler yesterday before posting, the Adobe Updater does not appear in the list of tasks.

Still I think I have found a way to stop it as described in my post further below.

 

[solutions]

Solutions; welcome to the Forum.

You have got a lot of good information and suggestions.

I also don't like or want auto updates of anything.
That being said one must do it manually and do it often.

I check all my security programs several times a day and it only takes a minute or so because the updates are never behind.

Other programs are check manually using Filehippo Update Checker.

FileHippo.com Update Checker - FileHippo.com

You could also check in msconfig/Startup and NON Microsoft Services to make sure no auto updates are selected.
It's also good to check in msconfig because sometimes after updating something it will install (auto update) there all by itself.

I also recommend completing your System Specs so we know what we are working with. This Tutorial by Brink will help.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html

I also notice that in post#8 you posted that you use McAffe
as your anti virus.
I must say you are one of the few on this Forum that do.
Most have nothing but problems with that anti virus program working with Windows 7.
If you ever start having problems; hopefully not keep that in mind.

Hi Layback Bear. Thanks for the info about Filehippo Update Checker, I'll definitely be using it.
As for SystemInfo.exe, since my new Windows install, I haven't gotten to install .Net Framework yet, which is required by the program.
So I will install it first and complete the System Specs afterward.

I'm very particular about Startup programs as well and regularly use FreeFixer to find out registry and non-registry Startup programs.
I don't touch Windows programs or services, at the risk of destabilising the system.

About McAfee, I don't like it that much as well. But it comes free with my Broadband package.
Despite having it, I did buy another antivirus (Bullguard), which license ended some time ago.
So I use McAfee while waiting to renew the license.

 

[ThrashZone]

I doubt you'll miss Flash,
All that happens is flash advertisements do not auto download and play,
I usually call that an Improvement

 

[solutions]

Hi there
two suggestions

1) uninstall the adobe updater - it's probably somewhere installed on your system.

2) Upgrade to IE11 - doesn't use adobe flash -- also since more and more web sites aren't using flash it's a good idea to stop relying on it. BTW IE11 has its own flash support so you don't need the adobe update any more.

IE11 works quite nicely now on W7 - just check the enhanced security options if some web sites cause problems and enable compatibility mode.

Cheers
jimbo

You might verify this uninstall process,
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html

Hi jimbo45 and ThrashZone.
I think you are right about the updater being the culprit. I have thought of the same. See my post below.
Thanks for the uninstall cleanup tool.

IE11 coming with flash support is actually music to my ears. I will definitely upgrade as my version is still 10.
As mentioned in a previous post, I have uninstalled flash from both IE and Firefox to see if I can live without it for a while.