Adobe Flash Player (for IE) for Windows

Adobe Flash Player for IE is a software component that runs on the Windows operating system. The program is developed by the video production & web design company, Adobe Systems Inc., as a means for new users to take full advantage of the functionality of Adobe's multimedia development tools and programming language, Flash. Adobe has had a monopoly on Flash software since its original release in the market in 1998, with the now legendary Adobe Flash installation residing on all Windows machines. However, the dependence on Adobe means that every Windows-based computer should have at least one copy of Flash installed. It's no longer enough to have the most basic version of Flash installed and running: even the most basic features of Flash are under constant development, and new versions of Flash-related technologies, such as ActionScript, are released regularly.

Now, users can use Adobe Flash Player for IE, which emulates the desktop version of Adobe Flash for use in the internet browser. While it is not true that all versions of Adobe Flash Player for IE are identical to the version that is installed on the system, it is almost universally compatible across most Windows systems. However, the Adobe Flash Player for IE does not have the same set of features that are offered by the full version program and is less reliable than its desktop cousin.

For those who use Adobe Flash Player for IE, there are two ways to get the program working on their system. Those who use Windows and have Vista, the most recent version of Windows, will find that it is possible to get the program running through the standard Windows installation process; this setup should not produce any incompatibility issues with Adobe Flash Players for Windows Vista. However, those who use an older version of Windows, such as Windows ME or XP, may find that certain features of Adobe Flash Player for IE become inaccessible or are changed by default. It is these older systems that will need to be specially adapted to work with adobe flash player. This can often be done by downloading and installing a program called "Flash Players XP", which will allow the older operating systems to run the latest version of the flash player without compatibility issues.