TechNote

Flash Player Express Install FAQs

What is Adobe Flash Player Express Install?
What do you need to use the Express Install?
How do you implement the Flash Player Express Install on your website?
When using Express Install, what will the end user see?

What is Adobe Flash Player Express Install?

Express Install uses the existing Flash Player to upgrade users to the latest version of the Player when it is required for viewing content. As a developer, this means that you have the ability to not only detect when users do not have the latest version of Flash Player, but you can initiate an update that securely installs the latest version of the Player from the Adobe web site. When the installation is complete, the user is directed back your web site, where they can view your Flash content.

What do you need to use the Express Install?

Express Install requires that the user has Flash Player 6 r65 or later installed on a Mac or Windows operating system. Express Install also requires the user to have JavaScript enabled in the browser.

How do you implement the Flash Player Express Install on your website?

If you want to implement Flash Player Express Install on your site simply see the full details and sample files contained in the Flash Player Detection Kit.

Note: As of the October 15, 2008 release of Flash Player 10, Adobe recommends that developers use SWFObject2 for Flash Player detection. For more information see the SWFObject page at Google code (http://code.google.com/p/swfobject/) or "Detecting Flash Player versions and embedding SWF files with SWFObject 2" on the Adobe Developer Connection. The following information effects the Flash Player Detection Kit, which should continue to work correctly with Flash Player 10. Express Install is supported by SWFObject.

When using Express Install, what will the end user see?

Express Install will look no different than your website. The benefit of using Express Install is that the end user never leaves your website. With the files provided in the Flash Player Detection Kit the user gets the following prompt from within a Flash movie hosted on your server.

When the installation completes the browser will restart and bring the user back to your web page that will then show the Flash content the user was initially navigating to.