How to Play a Flash File Without Adobe Flash Player

I bought a used college biology textbook that has a CD in an attached pouch on the back cover. The CD contains a lot of files that are in Flash format (quizzes, activities, videos, investigations, graphs, flash cards, interviews, etc.). However, I can't play those files, because Adobe's Flash Player is now gone and I don't want to reinstall it, as everyone says that it is a source of worms, viruses, trojan horses, etc.

So, after a little investigating on the internet, I found what seems to be an alternate program for playing Flash files: It's called 'Ruffle," and is supposed to be relatively free from the above-mentioned malware. I'm not sure if it really is what I need or not, though, so that is my first question. If not, would someone kindly recommend another program that would safely play Flash files?

Second, when I tried to play some of those Flash files on the disc, I got the message "Adobe Flash Player is no longer supported." Dead end, cannot play the file. So, (second question) could someone please tell me what I need to do, in order to play these Flash files on the disc?

Please know that I am not real tech-savvy, so any offered explanation needs to be in a 'hand-held,' step-by-step format, free of all techy jargon and abbreviations.

All help would be greatly appreciated!

Rayzen said:

So, (second question) could someone please tell me what I need to do, in order to play these Flash files on the disc?

If the files have *.swf extentions you open them with Abobe's standalone projector. Download the Flash Player Projector from Adobe and run it, then use File>Open from the menu bar


:


More details on the download, as well as other options have been discussed here:

Facing error: requires adobe flash player for ie with killswitch patch

Hi Farvatten. Thanks for your time and help. So if the Flash Player Projector from Adobe different from the original Adobe Flash Player that is so ridden with malware?

Rayzen said:

Hi Farvatten. Thanks for your time and help. So if the Flash Player Projector from Adobe different from the original Adobe Flash Player that is so ridden with malware?

Whatever vulnerabilities the Flash Player browser plugin had to malicious *.swf's will also be in the Projector.


The question then, are the *.swf's you want to run in Projector malicious? Many people created their own safe *.swf's or got them from a reputable source, and so the Projector now provides a way to still view them.

Hi Farvatten.

Once again, thank you for your time & helpfulness.

So, am I to understand that it is any file which I want to play, using Adobe Flash Player, that is potentially harmful, and not the Flash Player, itself? In other words, if I am totally sure that the file I want to view is safe, then I have no worries of downloading malware?

If that is true, then I guess there is nothing for me to worry about, since I am wanting to view files from a CD that have been produced--and run by thousands of people--by a major textbook publisher for their college biology text. However, I should be wary of trying to run any file containing a flash program that I am unsure of---is that correct?

Or is the Flash Player, itself, able to inject malware into my computer, regardless of how trustworthy the file?

Rayzen said:

So, am I to understand that it is any file which I want to play, using Adobe Flash Player, that is potentially harmful, and not the Flash Player, itself? In other words, if I am totally sure that the file I want to view is safe, then I have no worries of downloading malware?

Yes, correct. I have personal *.swf files I consider safe and have used the Projector for years independent of the browser.

If that is true, then I guess there is nothing for me to worry about, since I am wanting to view files from a CD that have been produced--and run by thousands of people--by a major textbook publisher for their college biology text. However, I should be wary of trying to run any file containing a flash program that I am unsure of---is that correct?


I would agree on the text book CD. It's hard to imagine it being malicious, but I would be wary of ANY *.swf you don't know and trust the source of.

Or is the Flash Player, itself, able to inject malware into my computer, regardless of how trustworthy the file?

The Player itself isn't the problem, it's the code sent to it that takes advantage of vulnerabilities that then compromise the computer.

It was the browser Flash Player plugin that was the far bigger issue because web pages originally could automatically open *.swf content and is why it got 'retired' by Adobe, who simply got tired of patching it.

see comments.

Okay, it appears as though I'm good to go, if I just download that Adobe Flash Player Projector and stick to only files that I'm 100% sure of not having any imbedded malware.

From what you said, it sounded like, after I download and install the Projector, it will be on my laptop, available for use without having to hook up to the internet. So, if I'm interpreting what you said correctly, I would then be safe from intrusive malware, because I would not be on the internet as everything would then be just operating on my laptop and would be isolated from the internet.

I sure do appreciate all of your help!

Or you could install an earlier version of flash on a version of your operating system that stills allows it.

Collect those corresponding files from the 32 and 64 folders.
Get a "Win10PE" which is a toolset for troubleshooting windows 10 and write to USB via "Rufus"
Boot up Win10PE and go to the corresponding folders and replace everything with the older flash versions.

You can not do this while Windows is awake otherwise it will block you no matter how many permissions you are given.

It is not FLASH that is disabled but the AX files ( Active X ) files of the last couple of releases that have a timer. To make things worst Edge, windows, and FireFox also have future releases that prevents it from being installed.

........

As with the Projector method you could also get the official flash player from legacy files and or installing any earlier version of flash CS CC or Animate ( Be aware the later versions within that same release of flash with the timeline has the bad flash ( the one with the timer ).

Projector is one of many flash players basically. Just downloading the flash player itself would work. Even older ones as many uses the AX files eitherway.

Hi Daymin,

Thanks for your time and effort in posting your response to my problem; however, downloading the Adobe Flash Projector solved the problem and worked well.

I was not sure of how to post this problem as being solved, or I would've done so earlier, so as to save others the time and trouble of further posting suggestions. I now see how to do it, though, and will do so now.

Thanks again for your offer to help!