Many of our end users are with variety versions of old flash player Plugin and ActiveX. Some of them are with 11.0.0x, 15.0.0x, 160.0x. We have SCCM and SCUP. What is the best recommended way to deploy the latest 17.0.0.169 (ActiveX and NPAPI)? I think PPAPI get installed automatically by chrome. Do I need to do the cleanup separately or just push the v17.0.0.169 from sccm software update? Will that take care of all at once? I did not find the effective solution elsewhere so I hope it from here in SCCM forum. Please advise. Thanks!

I'd create an application with custom script installer that removes the old versions first and installe the newest one.

If you have any I would like to check and use.

Don't have any, but basically:

• Get the PRODUCTCODES for the older versions and use msiexec /x {PRODUCTCODE} /qn to uninstall them or you could use this:

Get-WmiObject -Class win32_product | ? {$_.Name -like "*Adobe*Flash*"} | % {msiexec /x "$($_.IdentifyingNumber)" /qn /noreboot | Out-Null}

• Use msiexec /i adobeflashxyzversion.msi /qn for the installation
• Use this guide to disable autoupdates on flash player http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplayer/articles/flash_player_admin_guide.html (mms.cfg)

• Edited by Narcoticoo 4 hours 14 minutes ago

Don't have any, but basically:

• Get the PRODUCTCODES for the older versions and use msiexec /x {PRODUCTCODE} /qn to uninstall them or you could use this:

Get-WmiObject -Class win32_product | ? {$_.Name -like "*Adobe*Flash*"} | % {msiexec /x "$($_.IdentifyingNumber)" /qn /noreboot | Out-Null}

• Use msiexec /i adobeflashxyzversion.msi /qn for the installation
• Use this guide to disable autoupdates on flash player http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplayer/articles/flash_player_admin_guide.html (mms.cfg)

• Edited by Narcoticoo Monday, May 11, 2015 3:31 AM

Something to be aware of when using 'get-wmiobject win32_product'

http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/gramsey/archive/2011/01/25/win32-product-is-evil.aspx

You could try the Adobe Flash Un-install utility.

https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html

I believe it supports a silent switch.

I would go with a custom script that includes removal using the Flash Uninstaller. In my experience Adobe can change things with each release that might affect deployment in the future, not to mention a gotcha scenario (however unlikely) for regression from 17 to, say, 16 and then back to 17 again, where the standard uninstaller command line for Flash doesn't actually remove all reg keys, giving a 1603 exit code.

Whether you go the whole hog with your VB script and log, check architecture, running browsers etc is up to you but we include the uninstaller in the application and call it as a Sub. That way the version of Flash we want is deployed and rarely fails to install.

== Snippit (silent) ===

Sub UninstallSetup(strUninstallEXE)

If objFSO.FileExists(strUninstallEXE) Then
strlogfile.WriteLine Now & vbTab & "Running removal commandline - " & strUninstallEXE & " -uninstall"
Executingpath = chr(34) & strPathName & strUninstallEXE & chr(34) & " -uninstall"
intRet = objShell.Run(Executingpath, 0, True)
strlogfile.WriteLine Now & vbTab & "Removal of " & strAppName & " - return code: " & intRet
Else
strlogfile.WriteLine Now & vbTab & strUninstallEXE & "  not found! Removal failed."
strlogfile.WriteLine "*****************************************************************************"
strlogfile.WriteLine ""
Wscript.quit
End If

End Sub

You could also use the psapp deploy tool-kit, it has features built in to close the browser etc.

https://psappdeploytoolkit.codeplex.com/

• Edited by Richard.Knight 21 hours 50 minutes ago

Thanks I will try them. I want to get the one simple script (batch may be) to have the cleanup and then install.

I tried flash uninstaller exe with silent switch. It removed everything including the mms file.

One additional question do I need to dpeloy the ppapi too? I am seeing "couldn't load plugin" with broken image when go and verify at "http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/". It said to be integrated in chrome and get updated by itself though it displayed as "not installed" in control panel flash applet. I can see the latest version in chrome plugin area. I tried with checking the box "always allow to run" but still same. Do i need to install all three ActiveX, PPAPI and NPAPI so they all shows up as installed in advanced tab of control panel flash applet?

Shall I use sccm package instead of sccm application? Shall I use exe instead of msi so it will go regardless of detection method to get latest version installed for everyone at once? Can I also just push the latest update 17.0.0.169 from sccm software update comes from scup, can that override all previous versions?

Too many questions. I still need help. Thanks again.

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1491485

It really depends on which browsers you use. 

For Internet explorer you just need the ActiveX. Google Chrome takes care of it's own flash updates.

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/108086?hl=en-GB

For other browsers you can download the plugin (Adobe Flash Player 17 NPAPI)

If you have users that use flash content within Adobe Acrobat then you will need to push out both the ActiveX and Plugin for the feature to work within pdf's

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/flash-player-needed-acrobat-reader.html

I personally would go with an MSI.

Not sure about SCUP, never used it.

• Edited by Richard.Knight 17 hours 2 minutes ago

Go with the application model, it's designed for this.

Thanks. I will try again with just application model

End users here has only IE and Chrome. No Fire Fox.

Pushing ActiveX should be good enough? If then I can skip the NPAPI.

Shall I also push PPAPI because it still gives broken puzzle icon "couldn't load plugin" when checking flash or it is the permission issue. I am really confused flash really. Thanks

On a client machine visit this site.

https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html

It will show if you have flash installed correctly or not.