How do I install the Flash Player?

[Duir]

Sounds like a stupid question, but wait! I have recently re-installed XP, a clean install. This time I do not want to install the Flash MX program (I never use it, too complicated), I only want to install the player. Easy right? Wrong, well not for me I can't get the Flash player to install. It does install in IE but not on the XP system to play SWFs on the desktop. I went to the usual Macromedia Flash player install page: http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/...nguage=English I click "Install Now", it says it is installed a few seconds later. But my SWFs are not Flash files, they are Shockwave Flash files with a different logo (???). So I go back to the Flash player install page, and it syas "Install Now" Eh? So I installed it but it didn't install? Now, I know for a fact that if install the full Flash MX program, it will install the Flash player/s. My simple question is, how can I install the Flash player on XP without installing the Flash program?

Thanks in advance,
Duir.

[nordberg]

this is easy - although i've never done it on XP, but it should work.

on your Flash MX cd, you want to find the standalone player - it's called SAFlashPlayer.exe (the SA is for Stand Alone). Anyway, put this file anywhere on your machine (maybe program files for neatness sake). then, using Folder Options > File Types (i'm not sure where this is on XP - it's basically the list of known file types and what program opens them). Find .swf, and make it open with SAFlashPlayer.exe.

we use this in the office a ton so that writers and QA people can test our swf's without needing MX installed on their machines.

hope that helps....nords.

[Duir]

Inspired! Thank you, solved now.

But I had to do it a slightly different way. You see, my copy of Flash MX is on the Studio MX CD. All the Flash files (including the players) are contained within the Flash MX.exe. So I had to install Flash MX. Then I went to the Flash MX folder in Program Files, and copied the folder named "Players" ... aha! I un-installed Flash MX, and then put back the (Flash) "Players" folder into the Macromedia folder .. I could have put it anywhere as you said. Then I associated SWFs to "Open with..." the SAFlashPlayer.exe.

Thanks for the help.

I do not understand why Macromedia make it so difficult to download the stand alone Flash player. I have now solved this because I happened to have the Flash program, but can anyone find a download page for the stand alone Flash player???

Duir

[nordberg]

glad it worked. i'm not sure why MM won't let anyone have that player - i'm sure it has something to do with licensing, or them not wanting people to just be able to save and play .swfs. if you are still looking for it online, a friend of mine was able to get into their FTP site to get the standalone director player install. our firewall won't allow us to install the player over the web, so he found the .exe on their FTP site - they might have other stuff there like that standalone flash player.

happy flashing....nords.