TechNote

After installing Flash Player, Windows Vista initiates Protected Mode for Flash content

Issue

After you install or upgrade Adobe Flash Player on Windows Vista, you are prompted with multiple Protected Mode dialog boxes when attempting to view Flash content.

Adobe is working with Microsoft to resolve Flash Player installation issues with Internet Explorer 7 Protected Mode on Windows Vista.

Note: This issue may affect users with Flash Player 9.0.28.0 and later. Flash Player 9.0.28.0 is the first version to support Windows Vista.

Reason

When an instance of Internet Explorer 7 is opened, the ieuser.exe process is also started. This ieuser.exe process is a user privilege broker that provides a set of functions to allow programs to save files to areas outside of low integrity areas.

When Adobe Flash Player is installed, it is registered as a broker with Internet Explorer and adds entries to the following Elevation Policy in the system registry:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Low Rights\ElevationPolicy\

However, Internet Explorer doesn't recognize that Adobe Flash Player has registered as a broker until the ieuser.exe process has restarted. If Internet Explorer is reopened while the same ieuser.exe process is still running, and a user attempts to view Flash content, they may be prompted with multiple Protected Mode security warnings.

Solution

Here are three methods that will prevent Windows Vista Protected Mode security warnings from prompting when viewing Flash content. Do one or more of the following solutions:

Solution 1: Allow Adobe Flash Player to restart Internet Explorer.

After installation, Flash Player will request to restart Internet Explorer. If you select 'Yes', all instances of Internet Explorer will be closed. Make sure that all your work is completed before selecting this option.

Solution 2: Close Internet Explorer 7 and wait for the ieuser.exe process to finish.

Select 'No' when Flash Player requests to restart the IE7 browser. Manually close all instances of Internet Explorer. Open the Task Manager and wait for the ieuser.exe process to finish. This process may take more than five minutes to finish.

Solution 3: Restart Windows Vista.

After you install Flash Player and close Internet Explorer, restart Windows Vista. This will make sure that all running processes including ieuser.exe are killed. When you restart Windows Vista and view Flash content with Internet Explorer, you will not be prompted with Protected Mode security warnings.