thanks for that Red Dawn!

i had green lights for everything except macromedia flash player 6x, which i didn't know i had!

Your current program version (6.0.79.0) is not the latest one, and it may contain security risks. Update the program to the latest version (6.0.88.0).

i think the secunia psi is a full program rather than an online scan, but that'll serve me well in the meantime.

thanks again!

melboy;

I note that at Secunia's link the system requirements include as supported OS XP SP2, but not yet SP3. That said, I had installed PSI(RC1) prior to SP3, and it still works in all aspects, so I doubt there is an SP3 conflict.

Assuming you are able to download PSISetup.exe, you might try right-clicking it and click on the Unblock button prior to running it.

melboy:

several points.

1) [i believe you're already aware of this, and if so, for the sake of others reading this thread]

secunia offers an ONLINE version... albeit not as comprehensive as the downloadable version...

http://secunia.com/software_inspector/

Java is required for this to run.

2) my experience with the PSI (Personal System Inspector) is the same as Joe's... I had downloaded/run RC1 v.0.9.0.1 (separately) on two XP SP2 systems without any problem, and continue to use them after having updated to SP3.

on a separate note, the classification "RC1" --- Release Candidate 1 --- is rather ambiguous here, as there are in fact several different RC1 releases:

https://psi.secunia.com/?page=changelog

3) Concerning Flash " 6 ", the most current version of FlashPlayer is 9.0.124.0 , so I'm wondering why you have/need Flash "6" at all!!

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@ky331 wrote:

melboy:

 

3) Concerning Flash " 6 ", the most current version of FlashPlayer is 9.0.124.0 , so I'm wondering why you have/need Flash "6" at all!!

---

 thanks ky331, but i have the 9.0.124.0 version and cant seem to locate anything to do with flash 6 at all.

---

@joe53 wrote:

melboy;

 

 

Assuming you are able to download PSISetup.exe, you might try right-clicking it and click on the Unblock button prior to running it.

---

thanks joe, but i had already tried that with no joy still 

the current flash file 9.0.124.0 is named Flash9f.ocx (at least, for IE).   much older versions of flash had names like (simply) Flash.ocx , or SWFlash.ocx [SW=ShockWave] --- if you have one of these files, odds are it's the v6.

Netscape/Opera [and I believe Firefox] use NPSWF32.dll

try looking in C:\WINDOWS\System32\Macromed\flash

you can right-click on the flash files, properties, version.

I just tried the F-Secure Health Check again, and like Melboy's system, it also found FlashPlayer 6 (6.0.79.0) and recommended updating to 6.0.88.0.

No more information was given.

I searched my drive (via Windows Explorer, including system files) and located TWO copies of this old Flash.ocx , one in

c:\windows\ServicePackFiles\i386

the other in

c:\SoftwareDistribution\Download\\dd9ab5193501484cf5e6884fa1d22f9e

being unsure of the "specialized" nature of these subdirectories, I plan to leave things along [at least until convinced it's both safe and appropriate to tamper with these].

the main/proper flash subdirectory cited above,

c:\windows\System32\Macromed\flash

contains only the current flash version.

i found the same file in windows i386 too.

also some old java stuff and ie6 stuff too which might account for them sometimes being found by various scans even though they're no longer apparantly installed.

what exactly is i386?

there can be several i386 folders on your system.

c:\i386 "holds the files used to install, repair, modify, update and rebuild Windows".   Basically, it's a copy of your windows installation disk.   if you ever try to install a program, and you get a message to insert your windows operating system disk --- but you've misplaced it --- you should be able to tell the installer to look here instead.

for anyone who's misplace/lost --- or never received a windows installation disk --- c:\i386 can be invaluable!!    [some people say that if you have your windows installation disk, you can save space by deleting the i386 directory.   but with modern large hard drives, i don't think it's worth the risk.]

in general, files located under c:\windows are "files that make Windows work".   so again, unless someone is absolutely sure what they're doing, they shouldn't be tampered with.

for more info, see

http://www.andybrain.com/archive/mb/i386-folder.htm  and

http://ask-leo.com/so_just_what_is_the_i386_directory_anyway.html

 thanks for that ky331!

from reading the links i guess the old java etc is from the original dell installation, as it said some manufacturers add to the windows stuff when they install and ship it out to you. your never likely going to want to install that version again so i would think that would be ok to delete off, but , having said that, unless it starts to give me real problems i see no need to. that is probably why winpatrol picks up on the old java activeX too. 

as an alternative you could try Update Notifier

i find it really easy to use, and usefull from time to time

valentino123,

i hope that isn't related to cleansofts.com in any way:

 http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/cleansofts.com

you will need to be carefull if it is. I have submitted the domain, cleansofts.org ,to site advisor for testing as it wasn't in its database .

a google search for update advisor shows a number of domains tagged red or yellow by site advisor.  

finally installed secunia PSI!:smileyvery-happy: i've been trying out OA firewall and i think how  psi was configured to run under OA's rules meant it thought i wasn't the administrator, and prompted the error.

it showed up old flash and java apps under unpatched/insecure and end of life, also showing the folder where they were and the file path. All were c\i386. as i now understand c\i386 to be a back up copy of the OS i figured i'd not need to re-install old flash and java versions and deleted them, thus giving me a 100% score by PSI. its a good tool that on first impressions i'd recommend.