I am TOTALLY computer illiterate. A while back I switched from AVG Free to Avast because of some threads I had read here on FR. Somehow, someway, somewhere, almost immediately, I lost Java Flash. I’ve tried to re-install it to no avail. I removed ALL my Adobe and then re-installed them. Adobe Reader 9 and Adobe Acrobat went fine...still can’t install Flash. At present I have Avast Antivirus and Norton PC Check-up. Could these be stopping me from getting Flash?
From my experiences, any software program, whether downloaded from an internet site or pulled off a cd/dvd, can cause trouble for a Windows based operating system. Its a hit and miss process, especially with free software. Haven’t worked with Vista yet, but I doubt its any different. Before MS came out with OneCare, I used primarily CA anti-virus and Avast anti-virus free -— along with Spyblaster and Spybot S&D -— and found it to work best. Used it on an old Win98SE opsys and it worked well. Avira anti-virus free version was also a good choice. Always had problems with AVG free. If you’re running XP you can get Windows Defender for nothing. If you have Qwest DSL they offer OneCare Security package free. Some people choose expensive and bloated security packages like Nortons and McAfee. Never went there. You can Google many problems you’re having with your operating system and solve issues as they arise. With computers, patience is a virtue.