Hi,

Any idea when an x64 version of Flash Player (and Shockwave Player, for that
matter) will be released? Internet Explorer x64 keeps trying to download,
install and then fail to run the Flash Player that Macromedia has available.

Regards,
HiltonT

Hi

agreed

Yeah I signed up just to say 'me too!'

I hope it comes out soon. I have a hard time deploying this company wide when I can't get some of the basic programs to run like this one. Come on Macromedia, at least tell us when its coming out!

Yes. Could someone from Macromedia just tell us if and when they are going to
release an x64 version of Flash? I mean, even if it's an older version, like
version 5 or something, it would be greatly appreciated. They might have more
portable code in the older versions.

You could release the x64 version just as a pre-Alpha, and say that it won't
work so that people won't bother you too much. It would be greatly appreciated
to even just ACKNOWLEDGE that x64 processors and x64 versions of Linux and
Windows exist.

Don't forget it's not only Windows which support the 64b architecture, but
Linux aswell. At the moment of writing I'm willing to bet there are at least
the same amount of people running Linux as there are people running Windows on
64 bits.

You guys are hilarious!!! You all know that Windows x64 comes with a x64
version and a 32bit version of IE right???

Just go into your start menu and open Internet Explorer (32-bit)

Everything works in the 32bit version. And this would be the reason why they
aren't acting to fast on this x64 version issue.

Just a note, here is a TechNote that talks about this:
http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=6b3af6c9

This is something Macromedia currently knows is an issue.

---
Regards,

Jason Wylie
Senior Support Engineer
Macromedia Technical Support
Flash Player, Flash, Central

-- Please limit replies to newsgroup only, for the benefit of the community --

Running a 32-bit browser in a 64-bit operating system defeats the purpose of
the 64-bit OS in the first place. While it works, it's a poor workaround to a
much bigger problem. You're doing your customers a disservice by forcing them
onto this path.

Ok, where are you getting that info at? There is not a required special
compiler for the x64 platform. As long as you have all the supported libraries
then you can compile it. It's the libraries you need not a special compiler. I
compile apps all the time for the x64 platform, it's just the libraries needed.
(I just wish i had a copy of Flash viewer source so i could compile it in
64-bit) A lot of the time that's what I'm ending up having to do. Find the
author of the app/driver,and see if they would like a 64-bit version of it, and
compile it for them. It's never a strait compile, some code has to be formed
for the x64 libraries, but it doesn't take much to do it.

And for the poor workaround guy, the x64 architecture is based off the x86
instructions. That is why it can run both 64-bit and 32-bit applications. The
is no workaround, MS knew that people wouldn't be to speed on getting 64-bit
browser support out yet, so they threw in the 32-bit browser to handle all the
sites that require a 32-bit browser. It doesn't defeat the OS being 64-bit,
your acting like it cripples the OS when you run a 32-bit app. There's nothing
wrong with running a 32-bit app on a 64-bit OS, your 32-bit app will just run
as fast as the 32-bit instructions can handle. If you have ever run a true
64-bit processor like the older DEC Alpha chips where you had to install a
separate application(yes application) just to do x86(32-bit) instruction
conversion for you, you would extremely appreciate the fact that the chip and
OS supports both instructions sets.

And yes, I am one of those guys that is getting tired of switching browsers in
the middle just to view a site with flash. it's getting very old, and they need
to compile a 64-bit version of flash. I agree 100% with y'all on that one.

Err... you do need (and use) a different compiler for x64 native code. It's
not just the libraries. Assuming you are using VS2005, the x86 compiler is in
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\bin, the x64 (native)
compiler is in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\bin\amd64
and the x64 cross-compiler that runs on 32 bit systems but produces 64 bit code
is in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\VC\bin\x86_amd64. The
IDE hides this for you when you select a different architecture to compile for,
but I can guarantee you that it is definitely using a different compiler.

Retargetting an application for x64 can be easy or next to impossible
depending on how the application was originally written. If it uses "int" a
lot for storing pointers then you're going to have a whole bunch of problems,
similarly if you are using sizeof(int) for file structures. I doubt porting
something like Flash is going to be as trivial as you're making out. The
reference you make to porting "driver" code being as simple as a straight
compile is almost laughable - you have to at a minimum write a whole bunch of
new code to handle 32 bit IOCTLs that come in from the wow64 system, unless you
enjoy your system blue-screening or not talking to 32 bit apps.

Running 32 bit code on a 64 bit system *is* a poor workaround. Look at the
call stack sometime and you'll see that 32 bit code runs through a whole bunch
of extra code to get at the system - all inside the wow64 system DLLs. Yes,
the CPU runs x86 code natively but it requires a mode switch (from long mode to
compatibility mode) to do it and you lose all the benefits of the 64 bit
platform (> 4G virtual address space, 8 extra registers, etc.) when you do it.
So, yes, it is a substandard solution when you bring in the x86 virtualization
layer to run 32 bit apps and you do get a minor performance hit in doing it.

Cheers.

release the damn x64 version!
this is ridiculous, win xp 64bits has been in beta status for more than a year
and officially out for quiet some time. What are you guys at macromedia
thinking???!?!?!?!
All new pcs are dual core (64bits enabled) or amd64. I was hoping flash 8
would finally make the cut but no, then now i see you made flash 8.5 and still
NO 64bits support.
Let me explain this:
step 1: open program with 64bits compiler
step 2: recompile and make some VERY MINOR changes to it
step 3: release

total working time = 1 day if under stress and you get a blackout of 8 hours.

any serious developer would agree with this, so what's the problem guys?
macromedia products are great, but it pissed off all the users cause you work
slow to crap

I really do hope they release Flash Player for 64-bit browsers, and when they
do, not ust for IE.

There are 64-bit builds avalible of firefox, though not official final
releases yet as mozilla is still working on a true 64-bit firefox. I really
hope to see Flash Player for Firefox x64 as well as IE x64.

I only use Firefox, and would not be thrilled if I culd only use flash in IE
x64 and not firefox x64.


For now, I do use the 32 bit of IE when I have to use flash, but I hate using
ie, so many pop ups and other things that try to install. To bad you can't run
firefox x64 and x32 both at the same time, it doesn't let you=\


The Technote says macromedia is looking into a 64-bit player, but then says no
further information is avalible, sighs, I would love to see more information
and that updated requently rather then staying like that till they annouce a
release.

At first I was annoyed that there was no 64-bit flash plugin. However, I've
continued to use the 64-bit version of IE and am finding I miss flash less and
less (although the repeated requests to install the flash plugin remain
annoying). Macromedia will release a 64-bit version in time for Vista unless
they've completely lost their minds, but with Microsoft "Sparkle" just around
the corner, this isn't the time for them to be irritating their more
technically inclined user base.

If Macromedia isn't going to release a 64-bit plugin, couldn't they at least
fix the 32-bit installer to block on 64-bit? As it is now, a user has no idea
that the plugin won't work on their 64-bit browser until after they've
installed it and it doesn't. Very lame.

Hi,

I'm with you guys, I am really hoping for a 64-bit flash plugin, especially
for Firefox. SWF is very common on the Internet these days, and it really sucks
having to change browsers when you run into a page with flash content. Since
increasing numbers of companies have pages that rely on shockwave flash to
function properly, this is a bit annoying.

Looking forward to speed surfing "flashed" pages in the near future,
Stobe

Here is some free consulting. I recommend to Adobe/Macromedia move this issue
from "a known issue" status to "critical business impacting issue", hire some
developers that know to port. Moving from x86 to x86_64 is a very very simple
one (unless you plan on optomizing for all the new features of x86_64 while
doing so which I wouldn't yet if I where you). Now a port for IA64 will take
much longer as its almost a rewrite. Microsoft's product is comming quickly and
you must plan quickly. GNU Flash library ( gplflash 2.0 ) will be out of
development soon (the cvs head works now for me) and its already looking good.
Parts of action script are broken but anything up until flash 5 content works
already on x86_64 and IA64 so you are under presure there. I would treat this
as your most pressing issue. As you can see from this forum, you are creating a
rift in the foundation that chose to use flash in their sites because of its
nearly 98.5 coverage in the market (more then even people can even support
xhtml and css 2.0 natively). You really should not alienate that userbase and
the content and
web developers that choose flash as a the platform they want to target with.
Technically you can do it already just with a good C or C++ compiler and if you
programmed various parts correctly. I'm hopping you are not using any (or at
least large ammounts) of native x86 assembly. I've been wondering that you
might of with the lack of any new updates for Flash 8 on linux and the
constently behind releases for OSX unless you are making use of Win32 specific
code apis more now which I hope to god you are not. Oh well. I don't believe
macromedia will pay this post much mind, but its my two cents from a developer
and high priced consultant to some of the largest companies in tech world.