FYI: Flash 5.0a Macintosh updater now available

[Brad Bechtel]

Macromedia Flash 5.0a Updater FAQ


[Q] What does the Flash 5.0a Macintosh updater provide me?

[A] Flash 5.0a is an update to Flash 5.0 for Macintosh only. This 

update provides overall improved reliability and stability for the 

Flash 5 Macintosh authoring environment. A few specific problems this 

update addresses are:

1. On some systems, working in Flash 5.0 with the Sound Panel open 

could cause the application to become unstable.

2. On some configurations, when exporting complex Flash movies such 

as movies containing Smart Clips inside of movie clips, the 

application would crash reporting a "Type 12" error.

3. With Flash 5.0 (English only), Using File > Export to Animated GIF 

format could cause Flash to crash.

4. Dragging and dropping a frame into a timeline layer with no blank 

frame in the first frame of the layer could cause Flash 5.0 to crash.

5. In rare circumstances, moving an object using the arrow keys could 

cause Flash 5.0 to crash.


[Q] How can I obtain the Flash 5.0a Macintosh updater?

[A] The Flash 5.0a Macintosh updater can be downloaded from the 

Macromedia Flash Download Center at 

http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/download/


[Q] How much does the updater cost?

[A] The updater is free to all registered Macromedia Flash 5 customers.


[Q] Are there any additional features in Flash 5.0a?

[A] There are no feature additions besides improved stability when 

running the Macromedia Flash authoring environment on a Macintosh.


[Q] I downloaded and installed the trial version of Flash 5.0 

(English) prior to March 3rd, 2001. Can I apply the updater to my 

trial version?

[A] No. Unfortunately the updater can not be applied to the trial 

version of Flash 5.0.  You may either download the newly updated 

trial version (as of March 3rd, 2001) or if you purchase the trial 

version, the updater can then be applied.


[Q] I purchased a boxed copy of Flash 5.0 (or the Flash/FreeHand or 

Flash/Generator Studio) after March 15th, 2001. Do I need to run the 

updater?

[A] Yes. All CD's manufactured after March 01st, 2001 should include 

the 5.0a updater on the main level of the CD along with a readme 

file. This updater is identical to the updater available on 

macromedia.com. Please run this updater for maximum stability.


[Q] After applying the updater, I double clicked on the Flash 5 alias 

on my desktop, but did not notice any difference. Why?

[A] The Flash 5.0a updater will create a new copy of the Flash 5 

executable, leaving the old copy untouched as a backup. The new 

executable will be called "Flash 5.0a" and you will need to update 

any aliases you have created.  You can verify the version of the 

executable by selecting the file and viewing File > Get Info.


[Q] Is there a 5.0a updater available for Windows?

[A] No. The problems users were encountering on the Macintosh 

platform were not occurring in the Windows version of Flash 5.


[Q] What languages is the updater available for?

[A] The Flash 5.0a updater for Macintosh is available for all 

languages supported by Flash 5.0 including English, Japanese, French, 

German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and Portuguese.  There is a 

separate updater for each language.  Localized updaters will be 

available for download on Feb 22nd.