Q: I went to the download page at Adobe and successfully downloaded version 9 of Flash - Shockwave. However, when I visit a web site requiring this plug-in, it will not run. If Adobe says that I have downloaded their program successfully, why won't it work?

A: The reason Adobe's download fails is the result of a wide range of issues, such as:

• Security software is interfering with the installation
• User rights are not set at the correct level
• There is an unknown bug on the Adobe site
• For some reason, the Flash ActiveX files are not properly registered on the system (common in Internet Explorer 7 and Vista)
• There is some other Windows Vista or Internet Explorer 7 issue
• ActiveX controls or security levels in Internet Explorer are set in a way that prevents the installation
• The protected zone in Windows Vista is causing the problem
• Something is wrong with the existing version of Flash on your computer. It is probably corrupted and this is preventing the proper installation of the latest Flash player.
• For the Youtube error 'Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Macromedia's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player', this is mainly due to a corrupted installation of the Flash Player.

Try downloading a standalone version of the Flash player here