Tech Tip – Ninite and Adobe Flash Player
There is a great website called www.ninite.com that techs and home users alike use to install tools like Google Chrome, iTunes, Java, and Free Anti-Virus tools like Microsoft Security Essentials. It is a one stop shop for freeware programs. The best part is that it installs these programs with just a few clicks — without the toolbars, adware, spyware, and other unnecessary additions that often accompany free software. Another great feature is that if you already have these programs it updates them to the most current levels with just a few clicks. I personally have used this site countless times over the last two years, and sing its praises every chance I can get. Ninite and Adobe Flash Player typically go hand in hand, however something has changed with this relationship.
Ninite & Flash Player
I recently noticed that Adobe had pulled Flash Player from the site. I looked for an explanation why and was disappointed to learn the reasoning behind the change.  Adobe adds a free trial version of McAfee’s commercial virus protection in with every download of Flash Player. You must un-check a box to install flash without also installing the trial version of McAfee. The problem with this is that it can lead to having more than one Anti-Virus on your computer by accident, which can cause technical problems down the road. The obvious choice was to simply go to ninite.com and download Flash Player instead of the Adobe website. Unfortunately because Adobe realized it was missing out on potential revenue from users activating the sneaky trial installation, they disabled the ability to install without the trialware, which resulted in the product’s exclusion from Ninite.com.
Though Adobe’s packaging decision forces us to take extra care when installing Flash, I understand the decision. For everything else, Ninite is a great tool peace of mind when downloading free software.
John Gable is a technician with JMARK’s Medical Services team and long-time thought leader on PC support and streamlining practices.
