How to update Adobe Flash from command line?

Question

Something I can stick in a shortcut or, ideally, run silently and remotely using psexec (from Sysinternals).

A WSUS server is out of the question. Machines needing the updates run Windows XP as kiosks.

I can't use the following call because this file no longer exists:

C:\WINDOWS\System32\Macromed\Flash\FlashUtil<version>_Plugin.exe -update plugin

Instead, I've can see the following files in C:\WINDOWS\system32\Macromed\Flash:

Flash10x.ocx
FlashInstall.log
FlashUtil10x_ActiveX.dll
FlashUtil10x_ActiveX.exe

I've tried FlashUtil11c_ActiveX.exe /?, but this doesn't give anything except an error.

Solution 1

You can download MSI versions of Flash from adobe's redistribution site. It's free to register for and you can deploy them via GPO or through a script with something like Msiexec /I flash.msi /QB

GPO is the most reliable way of the two, since psexec requires that the machine is on.

Solution 2

+1 for markMs answer and a little addition:

Also, the msi appears in your temp folder while the setup is running (just double-click the exe and check temp for new folders/files).

AppDeploy has a list of command line switches for various applications, including Flash.

It should work with psexec once you've copied the setup onto the target computer. If you don't have a software distribution system (like SCCM or netinstall) in your environment you could build a list of computers to run the psexec command on.

Solution 3

Just do this:

FlashUtil10x_ActiveX.exe -update plugin

Then the update window will appear. This will work for Flash for IE and other browsers like Opera; just make sure you find the right flash_xxxxxxxx.exe.

Comments

[user1364702]

Technically, they both require the machine to be on ;-)

[MDMarra]

@BartSilverstrim Smartass. Psexec requires the machine to be on when you run it

[DrZaiusApeLord]

Just out of curiosity, will this run the msi everytime the user boots up/logs in? I use SCE to push out flash and don't do it this way because I don't want to write some script that checks versions. Will AD somehow just run it once? I suspect it runs everytime which might make things laggy if you have 5 MSIs in there.

[MDMarra]

If you deploy any software via GPO, it only installs each version a single time. I'm not sure about SCE, I don't use it.

[Umber Ferrule]

Cheers for this. In my ignorance, what's GPO? Thanks.

[MDMarra]

@UmberFerrule Group Policy Objects.

[Umber Ferrule]

AppDeploy is very useful! Cheers.