TechNote (Archived)

Windows XP error installing Macromedia Flash Player ActiveX control

Issue

Windows XP displays a warning message when installing the Macromedia Flash Player 5 ActiveX control:

 A file replacement was attempted on the protected system file <file 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.

After the message is displayed, you may be prompted to insert the original Windows XP installation CD-ROM.

Reason

The Macromedia Flash 5 Player ActiveX control is pre-installed in Windows XP. However, the location of the ActiveX control's file ('swflash.ocx') in Windows XP's installation is a protected system file catalog that prevents the file from being overwritten.

The name of the Macromedia Flash Player 6 ActiveX control has been changed to avoid this error. The file name of the Macromedia Flash Player 5 ActiveX control is "swflash.ocx". The new name of the Macromedia Flash Player 6 ActiveX control is"flash.ocx". It is located in the directory structure: C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash.

The new control name will not affect existing Macromedia Flash Player detection schemes. However, it does affect the Macromedia Flash Player ActiveX control uninstall described in How to Remove the Flash Player ActiveX Control (TechNote 12727), and the Macromedia Flash Player 5 ActiveX control will take up 400k of disk space.

Solution

This error message is a false error. The Macromedia Flash Player ActiveX control is not actually a Windows XP system file, but is being affected by its folder placement in the XP install. This issue only affects Windows XP systems and does not affect system stability in any way.

Microsoft has issued a Windows XP update via their Windows Update website. This update specifically addresses the false error message, to eliminate potential confusion.