FAQ

General information

What is the difference between Adobe Flash CS3 Professional and Adobe Flash Player?

Adobe Flash CS3 Professional is an application for developing rich content, user interfaces, and web applications. Adobe Flash Player is a multiple-platform client runtime. Web users must download and install the player in order to view and interact with Flash content.

Can I take advantage of the new features available in Flash Player 9 if I'm using Adobe Flash CS3 Professional?

Adobe Flash CS3 Professional is designed to create content and applications using Flash Player 9 features, and content created using Adobe Flash CS3 Professional will play consistently in Flash Player 9. Developers can also use Adobe Flex Builder 2 or Flex Builder 3 to author content or applications using Flash Player 9 features.

How many people have Flash Player installed?

Flash Player is installed on 98% of Internet-enabled desktops worldwide and on a wide range of popular devices. View the latest Flash Player statistics.

What are the system requirements for Flash Player 8 and Flash Player 9?

Flash Player 8 and Flash Player 9 support a broad range of platforms and browsers, including new browsers such as Firefox and Safari. View the system requirements.

Which browsers and platforms currently distribute the Flash Player?

To provide consumers with a virtually seamless Flash viewing experience, Adobe distributes Flash Player through many key partners, including Microsoft, Apple, Netscape, Novell, TurboLinux, Red Hat, and AOL. Flash Player is preinstalled in several web browsers and on many computers. It is included in Windows® XP and Apple Macintosh operating systems.

What is the difference between Flash Player and Shockwave Player?

Flash Player and Shockwave Player are both free web players from Adobe. Each has a distinct purpose:

Flash Player displays content created with Adobe Flash CS3 Professional such as web application front ends, high-impact website user interfaces, interactive online advertising, and short-form to long-form animation and rich Internet applications created using Adobe Flex.
Shockwave Player displays content created with Macromedia Director® such as high-performance multiuser games, interactive 3D product simulations, online entertainment, and training applications. By using extensions, developers can extend the capabilities of the Shockwave Player to play back custom-built applications.

How can I request a feature for a future version of Flash Player?

We're always looking for great feature requests, and we try to incorporate the best ones into each release. Send your ideas to Adobe software feature requests, and the Flash Player development team will evaluate them.

In what languages is Flash Player available?

Flash Player is available in Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Korean, and Spanish on most major browser platforms.

When will Flash Player releases be available for other platforms, including devices?

Adobe does not comment specifically on future releases.

What is the Flash Player privacy and security policy?

Read more about Flash Player security and privacy.

I just received a dialog box notifying me that a new version of Flash Player is available. What does this mean?

Periodically, Adobe updates Flash Player with new features or fixes to minor problems. The Automatic Notification and Update feature allows Adobe to automatically notify you when an updated version of Flash Player is available so that you can install it right away.

Updates to Flash Player ensure that Flash Player works properly and may contain important changes to security. Adobe recommends that you update to the latest version of Flash Player whenever a new version is available, especially when a security update is mentioned. Although you may choose whether to receive automatic notification of updates and how frequently to receive them, Adobe is not responsible for errors or security problems that occur because the version of Flash Player on your computer is not the most current one available. To specify notification settings, use the Global Notification Settings panel.

I just got the security dialog box asking permission to load data from another site. What should I do?

This question appears because the Flash application you are viewing is trying to access information from a site outside its own domain, using an older system of security. Flash Player is alerting you that information might be shared between two sites and is asking if you want to allow or deny such access. Read more about the security pop-up.

Support

I'm having trouble installing Flash Player. Where can I get support?: Visit our troubleshooting area in the Flash Player Support Center for help with installation.; back to top
How do I deploy my Flash content on the Internet?: The Flash Detection Kit helps developers and first-time users easily implement Flash content on their websites.; back to top
Where can I test my Flash Player to make sure it's working correctly?: We provide online testing for Flash Player at our web players testing site.; back to top
Where can I learn about changes to the Flash Player security model that might affect my content?: Information about security changes in Flash Player, including changes to the domain-based security model for loading and sending data across domains, can be found in the Flash Player Developer Center.; back to top

Licensing

Can I license the Flash and Shockwave players for distribution on CD or for my company's intranet?: If you've created CD or intranet content that depends on Flash Player and/or Shockwave Player, you can distribute the players via CD or intranet so your users won't have to download them from the Internet. View Flash Player licensing options for more information.; back to top
Can I make the Flash and Shockwave players available directly from my website?: No, the Flash Player and Shockwave Player free distribution agreement does not allow you to distribute the players from your website. You must direct visitors to the players, readers, and viewers area of our downloads page . To easily link to our website, we provide Adobe web player buttons that you can display on your site.; back to top
What is the Flash File Format (SWF) Specification?: This specification includes a set of tools for developers to write Flash files, documentation of the Flash file format (SWF), and code to write SWF files. Learn more about how to license and download the specification.; back to top
What is the Flash Player Source Code SDK License?: Developers of existing and emerging platforms and devices can support Flash (SWF) playback. The Flash Player Source Code SDK contains a portable C++ source code version of Flash Player as well as documentation designed to help a third-party software or hardware developer easily port Flash Player to any platform. The Flash Player Source Code SDK is designed for ease of porting and for platform independence. The code as provided compiles on Win32 and Linux systems.; back to top
What are the license terms for Flash Player?: Please read the End User License Agreement.; back to top

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