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Understanding Flash Player Errors

Flash player errors stem from a multitude of sources, some of which you are able to address and rectify on your own.  Some errors, however, are the fault of the Flash programmer and can only be corrected by changing the programming of the Flash object.  Since Flash is such a dynamic and complex language many programmers do not thoroughly test their Flash objects, resulting in many Flash objects that cause errors.

Most Flash player errors can be fixed by simply uninstalling and reinstalling Macromedia Flash.  To do so, follow the steps below:

• Uninstall Flash via the Adobe uninstall tool - Found here (http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html), this tool is the only way to completely remove Macromedia Flash from your system.  Choose the version that is appropriate for your operating system, download, and then run the program.
  
  Once the program has run it will have completely removed Flash from your computer.  You can verify this by trying to visit any Flash-enabled website.

• Reinstall Flash - Once Flash has been completely uninstalled, reinstall Flash by visiting the Adobe Flash website (http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/).  Be sure to download the latest version (as of this writing it was version 10).

Before you can correct your Flash player errors you need to determine what type of error it is and what is causing it.  The most common Flash player errors are:

• Flash failing to load - This is usually due to a corrupt Flash installation, a slow internet connection, or a problem with your internet browser.  In the event that Flash will not render on a webpage you should ensure that you have the latest version of Flash and that the web browser is not set up to restrict scripts from functioning.
  
  If your browser is configured to allow scripts to function, and your internet connection is fast enough to allow Flash objects to stream/load, there may be a problem with an ad blocker blocking Flash objects (mistaking Flash videos as ads), antivirus scanner (preventing Flash from rendering for 'security'), or spyware (generally causing havoc in any way it can). 

• Flash crashes the web browser - This is usually do to a corrupt Flash installation, Flash version incompatibility, or problems rooted within your computer.  Ensure that you have the latest version of Flash installed- this should rectify both a corrupt installation and ensure that there are no incompatibilities between the file being loaded and your version of Flash.
  
  If you have problems on your hard drive that are preventing Flash from loading, such as a virus, damaged hard disk, unreadable hard disk, or spyware/malware, you will have to handle these problems in order for Flash to work.  Not only that, but those problems would likely cause a whole host of malfunctions and crashes for other programs.

• Flash does not display video - This is usually do to bugged display drivers or a corrupt Flash installation.  In this instance you will hear audio but will not see any video.  This is usually corrected by uninstalling and reinstalling Flash as well as verifying that your display drivers are up to date.
  
  In most cases, updating your web browser to the latest version is required as well.

• "Developer" Errors - These errors are caused by incorrect or outdated programming by the developer of the Flash object that you are trying to load.  This error will cause an error box to pop up with a message relating to something specific contained within the code. 
  
  Unfortunately, there is nothing that you can do to fix this aside from wait for the developer to correct their code.

Flash has also known to cause errors with Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome.  However, those errors are usually the result of the web browsers themselves and not Flash.