Adobe Flash Update Check selection is meaningless, caught it inserting itself

c627627 · Mar 31, 2017

Adobe Flash should be updated for our own security, that's not the point here.
But you know how Adobe gives you a "choice" if you want it inserting itself to start with Windows (or not), and you are under a clear impression that you have a choice?

Well if you look at my screen shot, that choice is bogus.
It tried to insert itself regardless of user choice... before I even clicked on DONE.

I like to manually install updates and not have Adobe sending data in/out of the system - regardless of what it is and why it does it, as a personal individual choice...
But it inserts itself to ping Adobe servers regardless of your choice, look:

Alaric · Mar 31, 2017

I've never had a problem with it. It tells me when an update is available and waits patiently for me to make a decision.

c627627 · Mar 31, 2017

"It tells you" means you've already made a choice for it to permanently keep checking and good for you.
This thread's point is that I had no choice not to tell me anything - for it not to interact with Adobe servers at all. Manual interaction only.

Alaric · Mar 31, 2017

Hmm. I would have thought yours would be the better (least intrusive) option, given what appears to be pretty plain instructions. Any chance something ugly has gotten in to Flash Player, or worse, is masquerading as Flash Player?

c627627 · Mar 31, 2017

No man.
This is the official manual download for Adobe Flash for non-Internet Explorer browser:
https://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/labs/flashruntimes/flashplayer/install_flash_player.exe

Look at the screen shot in post#1. Option 3: Never check for Updates is not functioning. On purpose or as a bug, it's not functioning. Adobe "update service" gets inserted to run with Windows at every boot - before you even make a choice.
There's nothing more or less to this.

Alaric · Mar 31, 2017

Well that was odd. That link opened my Downloads folder, making your point nicely.

Janus67 · Mar 31, 2017

It's possible that the update service gets installed/updated but does it setup a scheduled task to check for updates? It may just be a physical piece that gets installed so that when you tell the adobe flash to check for updates manually it will be functional.

satrow · Mar 31, 2017

It's quite possible that it's a relict from a previous Flash install, try a clean install after running the uninstaller and rebooting: http://download.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/support/uninstall_flash_player.exe

Alaric said:
Well that was odd. That link opened my Downloads folder, making your point nicely.

No, that just illustrates that your browser download setting is risky, better to set it to ask before downloading.

c627627 · Mar 31, 2017

Member of Adobe staff said:

"Your assertions are false.
The Background Update Service does install, as it's a required payload of Flash Player, however, it only pings Adobe servers for an update IF the user elects to opt into background updates. Otherwise it does nothing."

I did not respond.
Am I mistaken in thinking when an update service runs at startup... it does so for a specific reason... to check for updates.
What Adobe appears to be saying is that it runs at Startup yes, but it does nothing... whereas my thinking was if it does nothing, then why is it running at startup *before* we turn the update check ON?

I kind of see what they are saying now but wanted to get your take on this.

Kenrou · Mar 31, 2017

Could be a quality of life thing, if the user changes the settings it only has to change 1 byte (off to on) instead of adding something to startup as it does when it installs ?

Alaric · Mar 31, 2017

I have to reset my preferences every time Flash Player updates.

No, that just illustrates that your browser download setting is risky, better to set it to ask before downloading.

Nah, it didn't download anything, just asked if that was where I wanted it, if I did download it.

c627627 · Mar 31, 2017

Kenrou said:
Could be a quality of life thing, if the user changes the settings it only has to change 1 byte (off to on) instead of adding something to startup as it does when it installs ?

Whose life? My reasoning is it his, when something inserts itself to run at startup, that's only a good thing if it serves a (very good) purpose.
Why would it be running unless you want it to interact with Adobe servers, which you expressly do not, if you choose option 3 to *never* check for updates.

If every program was running at startup "just in case" - that's crazy reasoning, loading with every boot, for what?
There are over a hundred little and big programs in my uninstall programs list, if every one of them adopted Adobe's reasoning, what, a hundred additional separate pieces of software are loading at startup, "just in case".

I guess if you guys think it's reasonable, I understand. It just makes no sense to me.

If something asks you to run at startup, it should insert itself when you actually make that choice. If you explicitly select NEVER - it inserts itself anyway... because hey, it'll be easier "for when I change my mind".
Just wanting to be clear that's what Adobe is saying? To which I ask "easier for whom"?

Kenrou · Mar 31, 2017

I don't think it's reasonable, i learned to delete everything from startup i don't need/use a long time ago. But think about it, there's also a ton of Windows Services that run at startup and aren't needed, they start and stay in memory until called for. Why would a 3rd party program like Adobe not have the same behavior ?

Alaric · Mar 31, 2017

I have CCleaner and regularly go through my list of "start ups". I don't trust any of them. LOL

Janus67 · Mar 31, 2017

c627627 said:
Member of Adobe staff said:

"Your assertions are false.
The Background Update Service does install, as it's a required payload of Flash Player, however, it only pings Adobe servers for an update IF the user elects to opt into background updates. Otherwise it does nothing."

I did not respond.
Am I mistaken in thinking when an update service runs at startup... it does so for a specific reason... to check for updates.
What Adobe appears to be saying is that it runs at Startup yes, but it does nothing... whereas my thinking was if it does nothing, then why is it running at startup *before* we turn the update check ON?

I kind of see what they are saying now but wanted to get your take on this.

So almost exactly what I said above

c627627 · Mar 31, 2017

Janus67, the intercept was not over an installation.
It was over it inserting itself to actually RUN at startup. Huge difference, unless we are miscommunicating.

You seem to be talking about an installation process, or am I mistaken?
Wheras I am talking about it RUNNING at startup, not merely being installed as hundreds of other pieces are on the system which are installed, but not running.

Alaric · Mar 31, 2017

Adobe update has been running at startup as long as Adobe has been providing free gadgets like Reader and Flash Player as far as I know, unless you actually shut it off in the startup menu manually. I think what's being missed is you specifically told it not to and it ignored you. I can see where that behavior would be irksome.

c627627 · Apr 3, 2017

So per Adobe member of staff answering my question, this is the way Adobe sees it: "The task checks the config file to check the users update preferences. If the user has opted out of Background Updates it does nothing beyond the check."

So rather than executing a command at each and every boot only *after* you ask for automatic updates, Adobe checks to see IF you've made that decision at each and every boot.
What is the reason they would want to do it this way?

Janus67 · Apr 3, 2017

Speculation:

1) Probably, programmatically it is easier to insert an item into startup at base install rather than after the fact.
2) I imagine there are a few things that could be changed manually (reg key/ini file/etc) that wouldn't flag the application to start checking for that if you didn't open the updater and tell it to check. If that makes sense. So instead the updater checks at every boot to see if either you used the updater to say 'okay, check' or if you manually changed the setting (or had a setting applied for you via a system administrator/etc in an enterprise environment)

c627627 · Apr 3, 2017

Not everyone has a super fast computer. Can you further speculate on this from that angle:
How much of a performance hit on your boot up times would it be if all programs adopted this strategy of "checking" to see if you changed your mind on each boot. Wouldn't it slow things down significantly?

Adobe Flash Update Check selection is meaningless, caught it inserting itself

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