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DADDY BOB'S COMPUTER Q & A
September 23,
2007
Q.
Whenever I go to a web site that requires
Flash, I get a notice that I need to install Flash, but
I have already installed it several times.
How can I fix this?
A.
There are two parts of the Flash
program needed, one being the Flash plug-in
and the other an Active X program. For some
reason, there are times when these two
programs do not install properly, or are
influenced or modified by other programs. This can cause
Flash to appear that it has been installed
correctly but still not be recognized by other sites that
require it.
Adobe/Flash has acknowledged this and
offered a way to fix it. What you have to do
is first remove all existing versions of
Flash, and then re-install it from a fresh
installation.
Unfortunately, there is no entry in the
Windows Add and Remove Programs Control
Panel that will remove Flash. However,
Adobe/Flash has provided a way to accomplish
this very easily.
Click
HERE to go
to a web site where you can download a
little program that will remove the Flash
plug-in and the Active X program. Be
sure to follow the instructions there
carefully, especially the one that requires you to
close all programs that may be using Flash.
If this is not done, all parts of Flash will
not be removed.
When you
have run the program and remove Flash, you
can go to the
Adobe web site and re-install
it. That should fix your problems.
Q.
On one of my recent updates from Microsoft,
I noticed something I had not seen before.
It is called CardSpace. So, what is
CardSpace?
A.
CardSpace is a framework developed by
Microsoft which securely stores digital
identities of a person, and provides a
unified interface for choosing the identity
for a particular transaction, such as
logging in to a website. It is supposed to
make any transaction on the Internet safer.
Here is Microsoft's explanation of what
CardSpace is.
"Windows CardSpace is the name for a new
technology in .NET Framework 3.0 that
simplifies and improves the safety of
accessing resources and sharing personal
information on the Internet. It helps
developers build Web sites and software that
are less susceptible to the most commonly
deployed identity-related attacks such as
phishing.
Windows CardSpace helps alleviate the
problems of traditional online security
mechanisms by reducing reliance on user
names and passwords and instead using a
separate desktop and cryptographically
strong claims-based authentication. By
helping users better manage their personal
information and control how it is released
and to whom, Windows CardSpace can
facilitate more secure online experiences
such as online shopping, banking, and bill
payment." |
