Steam and other Executables can't start, YouTube only works on Chrome.

Recently, I've just installed a few updates for my laptop and suddenly things went haywire. The Steam icon on the right hand of the taskbar was missing, so I attempted to start Steam and it wouldn't pop up. The loading and updating windows appeared, but not steam itself. The same thing happens to Weather Bug, War Thunder (independently), and Windows Media Center so I assume it has something to do with how the executable is launched.

There's also a problem with Adobe Flash Player as well. I also just installed an update for it and right now the only way for me to watch YouTube videos is only on chrome. On other browsers, it crashes.

Any ideas on how to fix these issues?

If you have a restore point from before this occurred, roll your system back to that time.

See: System Restore

The tutorial (tut) name is a little confusing, but that's the term MS uses - you're not doing an re-install, so don't worry about that.

Both options in the tut do the same thing in different ways.

Go to the folder you have steam installed on and find the application with the Steam logo which says application, that is the exe file and start it and see if Steam starts.

Just a thought.

Be very careful where and how you update Adobe Flash Player.
Their are many false Adobe Updates.
Only use the Adobe website.

...interestingly I just did an update for Adobe Reader - which promptly crashed Explorer, and forced me to reboot (for the first time in a week) ...and yes, it was a real update! I then had to do a repair of the Adobe installation (which broke my preferred settings - for Foxit) to stop getting 'Adobe reader' crashes every time I clicked on an Explorer page.

You should be able to change from automatic updates in Adobe to let me decide, which I have, but the last update didn't bother anything, so I'll be on the lookout for the next one and do a restore setting before.

Most people don't realize you can set options for flash player and a lot of other settings including privatization settings here http://www.macromedia.com/support/do...manager06.html

Menus are on the left

I have with Firefox Adobe Shock Wave Flash 14.0.0.125 with no problems.

essenbe said:

You should be able to change from automatic updates in Adobe to let me decide, which I have, but the last update didn't bother anything, so I'll be on the lookout for the next one and do a restore setting before.

Most people don't realize you can set options for flash player and a lot of other settings including privatization settings here Adobe - Flash Player : Settings Manager - Website Privacy Settings panel

Menus are on the left

Hi Steve,

I recently recommended (in the past week) the Flash Global settings in another thread and while I was posting links, I came across this:
Adobe - Flash Player : Settings Manager

Adobe Flash Player said:

Who uses this Settings Manager?

Beginning with Flash Player 10.3, the Local Settings Manager supersedes this Online Settings Manager for managing global settings on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
The Local Settings Manager can be accessed in the Control Panel on Windows and in System Preferences on Mac. Users of other operating systems and earlier versions of Flash Player can continue to use the Online Settings Manager described here.

To access the local Flash Player Settings Manager that is native to your operating system:
•Windows: click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Flash Player
•Macintosh: System Preferences (under Other) click Flash Player
•Linux Gnome: System > Preferences > Adobe Flash Player
•Linux KDE: System Settings > Adobe Flash Player

To access Help for the local Settings Manager, click any of the individual Learn more…. links on the Settings Manager tabs, or click any of these links:

Flash Player Local Settings Manager * Storage
Flash Player Local Settings Manager * Camera and Mic
Flash Player Local Settings Manager * Playback
Flash Player Local Settings Manager * Advanced

This is contrary to what I knew, Global Settings used to supersede Local Settings.

Just thought I'd pass that tidbit along.

Bill
.

Thanks, I appreciate that. I didn't know that. Another one to add to my list of, I didn't know.

essenbe said:

Thanks, I appreciate that. I didn't know that. Another one to add to my list of, I didn't know.

It's a wash - you add something to the list of things you know and add something to the list of things you thought you knew.

Adobe should post that information on every Global Settings page in big red letters!