Problems Cleaning Out Adobe Flash with Add Remove Programs

  • Thread starter Thread starter baumgrenze
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baumgrenze

I read about the new Flash ad malware in:

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/080417#story1

and went to Secunia to check my system. It found 2 installations of
Adobe Flash, 9.0.47.0 (which it said was vulnerable) and 9.0.124.0
(which it declared current.)

I used Add Remove Programs and removed Adobe Flash (and Shockwave for
good measure.)

I went back to Secunia and they still find both installations!

I downloaded CCleaner

http://www.ccleaner.com/

and checked my Registry for outdated Flash entries. I am new to this
program, but I don't think it found any that I could see.

So, Adobe says I need to get rid of old versions before installing the
new (but does not have a webpage dedicated to this cleanup procedure
that I can find.) Add Remove Programs says that I no longer have Flash
on my machine. Secunia says I have two installations (or parts of
them.)

What do I do to clean up this mess?

Thanks,

baumgrenze
 
baumgrenze said:
I read about the new Flash ad malware in:

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/080417#story1

and went to Secunia to check my system. It found 2 installations of
Adobe Flash, 9.0.47.0 (which it said was vulnerable) and 9.0.124.0
(which it declared current.)

I used Add Remove Programs and removed Adobe Flash (and Shockwave for
good measure.)

I went back to Secunia and they still find both installations!

I downloaded CCleaner

http://www.ccleaner.com/

and checked my Registry for outdated Flash entries. I am new to this
program, but I don't think it found any that I could see.

So, Adobe says I need to get rid of old versions before installing the
new (but does not have a webpage dedicated to this cleanup procedure
that I can find.) Add Remove Programs says that I no longer have Flash
on my machine. Secunia says I have two installations (or parts of
them.)

What do I do to clean up this mess?
Click to expand...
For good measure install SpywareBlaster and enable Flash player blocking
under "Tools".
 
Hello,
I am not positive, but it may be a "Flash" that is part of a Photo,Graphic
or Video program that uses "Flash". Some of these programs ask during
installation if "Flash" is wanted, no reply ='s installing. Some have
"Flash.dll's" included in the program, Irfanview has "Flash.dll and
Flash4.dll".
Try the Windows search feature for the old "Flash" version.


take care.
beamish.
 
beamish,

You have it right.

After I posted this, I was directed, on the WOPR Forum, to Adobe's
Knowledge Base and this URL:

http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=tn_14157&sliceId=1

Where I read some mystic speak that explained that Adobe's Flash
Installer is no longer Windows compatible (although they said it this
way:)

"Due to recent enhancements to the Adobe Flash Player installers, you
can now remove the player only by using the Adobe Flash Player
uninstaller. To remove Flash Player, simply download and run the
appropriate uninstaller for your system using the steps below."

I down loaded the uninstaller and followed the directions. The
uninstaller managed to remove everything except a very recent
installation of Adobe Premiere Elements 4 (which was bundled with
Photoshop Elements 6 in a special deal.) The install of this program
must have loaded an out-of-date and potentially vulnerable dll from
the CD. The uninstaller had no idea it should look for:

Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0\Browser\plugins
\NPSWF32.dll

Secunia found it when I ran an in depth search. It is associated with
Flash 9.0.45.0, the insecure version.

Adobe, if you are trolling the web looking for your name, find a
washcloth and wipe the egg off your face. While you are at it, rewrite
the uninstaller so that it finds all the vulnerable Flash files that
all of your products (especially those on the shelf in stores today)
install in a 'normal' installation. Ordinary users shouldn’t be doing
your development work, your staff should.

Thanks,

baumgrenze
 
I used the Uninstall from the Adobe site to remove the "bad" version of
Flash. However, I'd appreciate some advice regarding the items that remain
in the following folders:
Documents and Settings / Owner / Macromedia / Flash Player / #Shared Objects
/ [74 folders]
Documents and Settings / Owner / Macromedia / Flash Player / macromedia.com
/ support / flashplayer / sys [76 folders]
In each of the latter folders is found one file, called "Sol."
Here's an example: ¿ GTCSO  mlb.com/settings allow always
klimit @Y
It happens that it was the last time I accessed the MLB site that my browser
was "redirected" to a site pushing Antispywaremaster.exe
My question: Before reinstalling Flash, should not all of these
files/folders be deleted? There appears to be one for every Web site I've
ever accessed.
 
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