TechNote

Installing the Adobe Shockwave Player on Microsoft Windows XP

Issue:
Users of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system receive the following message when attempting to install the free Adobe Shockwave Player:

"A file replacement was attempted on the protected system filefile_name. To maintain system stability, the file has been restored to the correct Microsoft version. If problems occur with your application, please contact the application vendor for support"

Reason:
In the past the Adobe Shockwave Player included the Adobe Flash Player in it's installation. Windows XP includes the Flash player in its default installation, thus causing an alert upon installing the Shockwave player.

Solution:
Download the latest version of the free Adobe Shockwave Player from the Adobe Shockwave download page. This page will provide the correct installer for Windows XP users.

Users and developers using the stand-alone installer must use the new stand-alone Shockwave installer found in "Stand-alone installers for Shockwave Player" (TechNote 15895). This installer of Shockwave DOES NOT include the Flash player and will not result in any error messages.

Users encountering repeated error messages or unsuccessful installations of Shockwave should follow these steps:
1. Uninstall the Shockwave Player by using the Shockwave Uninstaller located in"Stand-alone installers for Shockwave Player"( TechNote 15895).
2. Reinstall the player from the Macromedia Shockwave download page, alternatively use the latest stand-alone installer.

For further information about troubleshooting the Free Shockwave Player please see the Shockwave FAQ.