Help > Shockwave® player help
Signstation requires Shockwave® player version +10.0 to be installed on your computer. For more information and troubleshooting, please choose from the information below.
- How do I check which version of Shockwave® I have installed?
- I am having problems installing Shockwave® Player (Very good for fixing most Shockwave problems).
- Trouble with Window®s XP installation
- What is Adobe® Shockwave® Player?
- Why does it take so long to download Shockwave®?
- I am downloading Shockwave® Player but nothing happens.
- Does my permission level affect installing Shockwave®Player?
- How can I make sure my Shockwave® Player is working?
How do I check which version of Shockwave® I have installed?
Visit the Adobe® website URL:
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome
This page will tell you which version of Shockwave® and Flash® players you currently have installed. Signstation requires a minimum of Shockwave® version 10.0.
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I am having problems installing Shockwave® Player (Very good for fixing most Shockwave problems).
There are a number of steps to undertake that will fix most Shockwave® problems.
- Make sure you have the latest version of your Internet browser.
(Note for Netscape® Navigator users: Navigator 6.0 is not compatible with the Adobe® Shockwave® Player. Netscape® has been addressed this problem in version 6.1 & later. Please use version 4.7 OR 6.1 & later.
The latest version of Internet Explorer can be downloaded from the URL's below
If there is a more recent version, download the installer program to your desktop but do not install it yet.
- Uninstall Shockwave® Player. You can download a Shockwave® Player uninstaller for Windows and Mac OS from the hyperlink below:
Shockwave Player uninstaller
(Macintosh users download the full installer, the uninstaller component is included in the installer)
When the uninstaller has been downloaded, quit/exit any applications you have open. Launch the uninstaller and follow the instructions in the dialog boxes which appear.
(Macintosh users launch the full installer, and select uninstall from the install/unintsall drop-menu)
- Uninstall Flash® Player. You can download a Flash® Player uninstaller for Windows and Mac OS from the hyperlink below:
- Flash Player uninstaller
- When the uninstaller has been downloaded, quit/exit any applications you have open. Launch the uninstaller and follow the instructions in the dialog boxes which appear.
- Restart your computer.
- If you downloaded the installer for a more recent version of your Internet browser, launch that installer now and follow its instructions.
- Finally, reinstall the Shockwave Player. You can download the player from the URL below. When installing Shockwave, we strongly recommend that you do a Full Install rather than a Slim Install (which is currently the default installation on the Adobe site). To perform the Full Install, you should go to the link below, and choose the correct Full Install for your computer operating system.
- Shockwave Player installer
- For Windows XP SP2 problems, please visit the Adobe® XP SP2 support center
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Trouble with Window®s XP installation.
Users of the Microsoft® Windows XP operating system may receive the following message when attempting to install the free Shockwave® Player:
"A file replacement was attempted on the protected system file file_name. To maintain system stability, the file has been restored to the correct Microsoft® version. If problems occur with your application, please contact the application vendor for support"
To resolve this issue, uninstall your current Shockwave® Player and download the latest version from the Shockwave® homepage. This page will provide the correct installer for Window®s XP users.
Alternatively, you can download the full Shockwave® installer/uninstaller using the hyperlink below:
Shockwave Player installer/uninstaller
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What is Adobe® Shockwave® Player?
Shockwave® Player is the web standard for powerful multimedia playback. The Shockwave® Player allows you to view interactive web content normally reserved for CDROM. Over 200 million web users have installed Adobe® Shockwave® Player (includes Flash Player). These people have access to some of the best the web has to offer including dazzling 3D games and entertainment, interactive product demonstrations, and on-line learning applications.
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Why does it take so long to download Shockwave®?
Shockwave® takes approximately 10 – 15 minutes to download on a basic 56k modem. However you will only have to download this once.
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I am downloading Shockwave® Player but nothing happens.
The download and installation procedure is different for both Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers. Once you have downloaded the software you still have to install it.
- Internet Explorer
- Internet Explorer downloads the Shockwave® ActiveX control which enables you to view Shockwave applications. When the download is complete (most IE browsers have an install on demand feature) the Shockwave® Player will automatically begin to install itself the next time it encounters a Shockwave® movie. What can happen sometimes is a web page detects that you do not have the player, directs you to download it, after you have downloaded it and returned to the original page it tells you again that you don’t have the player. This happens because although you have downloaded the software it has not been installed. Normally when the download is complete from the Adobe® website, you will be directed to a page with a Shockwave movie playing. To ensure your Shockwave® Player is installed visit http://www.ADOBE.com/shockwave/welcome
- Netscape
- The Netscape browser downloads a different object to Internet Explorer, in this case it is an executable installer program that may not automatically install itself after downloading. When downloading the installer program you will be asked to select a destination on your machine for the installer to be downloaded to. Simply choose a location that is familiar to you (e.g. Program Files). When this download is complete you will need to install the player yourself, just as you would any other package, by clicking on it. When installed you shouldn't have a problem. However, as with Internet Explorer, if the player is only downloaded and not installed manually, web pages will again prompt you to download the player as it cannot be detected unless installed.
If in doubt, check the Adobe® website, you will be directed to a page with a Shockwave movie playing. To ensure your Shockwave® Player is installed visit http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome
Remember, ensure you have the latest browser version installed on your system. (Netscape 6.0 will not recognise Shockwave® movies at all, older versions continue to, as do any versions since then)
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Does my permission level affect installing Shockwave®Player?
When using a Windows® NT/2000/XP operating system, if you don't have administrator level permission you may not be able to install the Shockwave® Player successfully. Normally, if your administrator gives you full access to the directory (C:Winnt\System32\Macromed\) you should be able to install both Shockwav®e & Flash® Players. If this does not work, your administrator may have to install the player for you, or alternatively attempt varying levels of permission to determine which works.
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How can I make sure my Shockwave® Player is working?
You can test your Shockwave® and Flash® Player via a page on the Adobe® website, the URL as below. The page has two movies embedded in it that will show if you have Flash® & Shockwave® Players installed. It will also list the version number. The most current versions are Flash® 7 Player and Shockwave® 10.0 Player. (as of July 2004)
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome
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