ActiveX problem

[Danger Mouse]

Every time I go to a different page on the net I get a message popping up informing me that this site might require the following ActiveX Control: 'Flash Player 8' from 'Macromeedia, Inc.'. Click here to install. Trouble is I don't want to install it. I clicked on the whats the risk? Microsoft tell me not to download it unless my computer definatly rquires it and I trust the supplier. Please help

[boingo]

I've got all those Flash and Acive X ect. plug-ins installed. There's a lot of websites that only work in flash (and require broadband). One prime exaple is http://www.waroftheworlds.com/ It doesn't have a non-flash page, so if you you don't have it, you miss out!
There do seem to be a lot of active x security updates for wimdows, so I can understand your aprehension for installing it.
If you do choose to install anything, then, rather than risking a nasty, get it direct from the source:
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
or somewhere reputable like:
http://www.tucows.com/ or http://www.download.com/

Just ensure you do regular scans for viruses and spyware.
I use the free version of Ad-Aware. Available from their site: http://lavasoft.com/
and the free version of Spybot Search & Destroy. http://www.spybot.info/en/index.html

I hope that eases your worry for you.

[newuser]

Macromedia is a reputable manufacturer grown considerably over the past 5-6 years. The Macromedia player is an add-in module for your browser to be capable to play web animated content. If you decide not to install it you will miss out on a much greater web browsing experience since most of today's web sites have some Flash buttons/introductions/videos/animations/demos..
It's perfectly safe. What worries me is rather iTunes and Real Player and all the various free toolbars on offer here and there containing spyware or backdoors.

[chanster]

Macromedia is safe. Many sites [most] use it including this one and a lot of content of many sites can't be displayed without it.

[cosmicB]

Macromedia and Shockwave slows-down and causes serious horrid lock-up and shut-down glitches in Windows 98 and W98se... It's a powerful bit of software.. way too powerful and aggressive for the older operating systems...

Macromedia is mostly just an advertising tool.. who needs it..? I simply boycott the websites that need Macromedia to show me their stuff... I don't want this slow PC running any slower...

There are alternatives to Macromedia...

[cosmicB]

What worries me is rather iTunes and Real Player and all the various free toolbars on offer here and there containing spyware or backdoors.

Yeah! No kidding!... I'm boycotting playing music on my PC because of all the PC problem messes I got into in listening to Internet music... I'm hoping you've found a safe clean no mess way to listen to music off the Net..?

Seems the real good, supposedly "free" things, out there, are just pretty c'mons, with a "sting" behind them.. like a "poop covered in goldleaf".. or the "big chunk of meat in the beartrap"...

[chanster]

Saying macromedia is just a nasty advertising tool and ignoring all sites thats use it ...is a bit like saying the English language is just a nasty advertising tool and anything associated with it should be ignored because of it.

Macromedia is just a tool used to write and create adverts. Either that or java script etc. is used [something has to be used]. Macromedia download is just a 'flash' player used to read those adverts [like the ones here on this site].

Macromedia no longer exists since it was taken over by Abode. Their new flash player [abode flash player] is a tiny download compared to the old macromedia flash player download [that hoged a lot of space] and has none of the bad press associated with the old macromedia flash players.

Anyone who has the old macromedia flash player on their machines should upgrade to the new abode flash player.

[cosmicB]

Macromedia is just an advertisement distribution tool.. which they've added a few come-on games and such for, which can't be viewed without installing macromedia.. but it really slows down an older computer.. and when the user tries to shut down, macromedia is doing its thing, and slows shut down by about five to ten minutes... It's just too aggressive for the older systems...

Surf the Net for "w98se shut down, freeze up, and lockup problems" 90-percent of those millions of troubleshooting pages are about computer problems caused by having macromedia in older machines...
With macromedia in my computer, it acts almost like it caught natas, causing all sorts of problems...

I didn't have macromedia in my PC... I loaded the CD for my new printer/scanner/copier.... and rebooted as it said to do.. but it wouldn't shut down.. then the computer froze up a couple times.. and it had to hard shut down, which isn't good for the operating system... so right away I rebooted, and did a search for macromedia.. and there it was infecting my private property again... Cleaned 'er out, and everything in my preferred private personal property worked properly again...

I find that if you clean out the e-turds, your PC will operate faster and samoother... Do a search an destroy for everything: macromedia, backweb, showbehind, desktopmessenger, and shockwave... clean them out... reboot... run a registry cleaner like CM Cleaner, then defrag... Now where did all the troubles go to..? And how much faster is your PC running..? So what if you can't view animated advertising..? You use self serve gas-pumps don't you..?

But maybe you like the barrage of advertising.. then by all means install macromedia stuff... Me, I have a serious sales resistance... When I need something I seek it out... I don't need the world telling me what I need to buy... When someone tries to sell me, I'm fantasizing ripping their throat out... maybe I'm just a little too anti-advertising, because I never have any money to spend on all those wonderful things... please disregard this post...