Adobe

[jennyjoan]

I just came across another site (can't remember) a second ago but they were talking about the Adobe Flash business - I have looked on my desktop and I don't have one- should I download one and how. thanks

[tonyav]

Have a read of this, jj. By the way if you are on Google Chrome it is built into it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash_Player

[Buenchico]

If you can view Youtube videos (or videos on the BBC website) you've got Adobe Flash Player on your computer.

If you're worried that your version of Flash might not be up to date (and thus possibly present a security risk to your computer) go here:
https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/REmove the tick under 'Optional Offer', click 'Install Now' and follow the instructions.

[Milvus]

I thought YouTube dropped Flash as the default web player in January replacing with HTML5 in the browsers

[Ann]

//If you're worried that your version of Flash might not be up to date (and thus possibly present a security risk to your computer) go here:
https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/REmove the tick under 'Optional Offer', click 'Install Now' and follow the instructions//

Chris - that link doesn't work for me - it says "page does not exist"

I'm also having problems with Flash Player. I'm still on Windows XP and use Firefox which is constantly blocking it. I try to load the latest version but get an option asking if I want FF to allow and remember it - I choose yes but it doesn't seem to work.

[Ann]

Ah I've just spotted Methyl's post below in related posts "Mozilla FF blocks flash" - that explains it! So it's not just me! So what do we do about it if we want to watch Youtube?

[Gromit]

Flash is a very old piece of technology and is fatally flawed. Badically it is full of holes that are easy for hackers to exploit. Which means that it is constantly having to be updated because of its security risks. Most video sites have their videos in an alternate format which runs in your browser without the need for Flash. If you can get along without it, do so.
I stopped having Flash on my computer 5 years ago, and 99% of videos work fine without it.

[Gromit]

// Google (who own YouTube) block all out-of-date rival Internet Browsers in a seemilngly arbitary manner. //

Google is not a browser nor YouTube. Google make the Chrome Browser, but it is built on the open source webkit, so it is not really proprietary. youTube do not block anything. They make their money by people seeing the adverts that preceed a YouTube film so they want as many people to see it not less. If your browser cannot play YpuTube, it is the browsers fault, not YouTubes.

[Gromit]

// Sorry, but this is post is factually incorrect. //

No it isn't. Apple stopped bundling Flash on new computers in 2010. All iDevices, iPod Touch, iPhones, iPads have never had Flash and it cannot be installed. YouTube, iPlayer, NowTV, Ustream, TVCatchup, SkyGo, BT Sport all play perfectly without Flash. I honestly cannot remember encountering a piece of video that won't work.

[ummmm]

I amazed how so many of us manage to run our devices successfully for years.

[Gromit]

// Google (who own YouTube) block access to their content from out-of-date Internet Browsers and out-of-date Internet-Browser plug-ins.
This does not exclude out-of-date versions of Chrome. //

As I say, they get more advertising money the more people who see their site, so the do not deliberately block anyone. Old browsers may not be able to run YouTube well or at all, but that is the fault of the browser, not Google blocking it. YouTube want to give the best viewer experience they can, so the embrace new formats and ditch outdated ones. It is not up to YouTube to make their site backward compatible for every clapped out versions of IE, it is up to people to update their browsers if they want To view it.

[ummmm]

Nope...not that I'm aware of. I have a HP pavillion g series laptop. An Acer desktop, a Kindle fire HDX and a windows Nokia phone.

Not sure of what versions. I think 7, XP, haven't a clue, 8.

[Gromit]

As I have said, Abode are really firefighting with Flash. As soon as one hole is plugged, another is exploited. Which is why new versions have to be released weekly. Scammers have started to immitate Flash update prompts to trick people into downloading their malware.

My computer is 2008 which is not new, and it came with Flash installed. Since 2010, new all new OS versions have not been bundled with Flash, and I have never gone to download it. And everything works without it.