INSTRUCTIONS FOR USERS OF GeoDiscoveries Flash Player 6 Problem Workaround
=============================================
After installing Flash Player 6 build 47 users experience the following problems: 1. GeoDiscoveries can run, but users see white boxes instead of Flash animations.
2. GeoDiscoveries products can run, but there is no way to go to the Login screen because of a blank splash screen.
Note: This is not platform-specific problem. Users can fall in this situation on all Windows platforms. Please apply the following solution:
1. Run GeoDiscoveries_FlashPlayer6_Patch.exe. This application will completely uninstall the Flash Player from the user's PC. It is an important step. Please do not skip it!
2. Run GeoDiscoveries products with which you experienced the problem (please do not forget to insert the CD). You will be warned that "Shockwave or Flash Player is not installed on your computer...". Click on the "Launch Setup" button to install the Flash Player. This action will install the correct version of the Flash Player.
3. Run GeoDiscoveries products again to enter the course. Java Virtual Machine on Windows XP with IE Workaround ==============================================
If the user has incompatible an Java Virtual Machine installed on Windows XP, IE refuses to load the product's icon bar and content tree - IE will present an alert suggesting to update Java VM (may be called a JavaScript error alert).
To solve this problem please do the following - For GeoDiscoveries products:
Run msjavx86.exe from the root folder of the CD. Do not use the Foundations CD for this purpose. After installing Java Virtual Machine please restart your computer. After restart run the GeoDiscoveries CD.
DETAILS ON THE FLASH PROBLEM Flash Player 6 build 47 or above
Edugen, as an engine, will not be changed at all. We are going to change some Edugen options/settings.
Macromedia has recently announced that the Flash Player 6 build 47 solved a so called "security hole" in the Flash Player software. This security fix just “killed” the Interactions, the GeoDiscoveries and the BioInquiry 2.0.
Flash Player 6 build 47 refuses to load and play Flash animations of these products for only one reason – the Flash Player considers these animations as unsecured Flash content. For several years (!!!) we successfully used the following configuration: a content page routed from the Edugen server but Flash content (flash animations) routed from the CD (we used this particular approach to bring back to life Mac version). Now if your page arrived from one domain (from the Edugen web server) but flash animations arrived from another domain from the file – it is security violation.
Mac users will need to use an older version of the Flash player (5) to view the GeoDiscoveries CDs. If your CD is not working properly, download the program for uninstalling the Flash player. This program needs to be unStuffed. Once the Flash player has been uninstalled, reinstall your Interactions CD.
This program can also be found at the root of your CD in the Troubleshooting folder.
SHOCKWAVE UPDATE
It is also necessary to run the Shockwave Uninstaller.
The following scenario demonstrates the problem:
1. A student installed Shockwave 8.5.1 (this installer installs both components Shockwave 8.5.1 r.105 and Flash Player 6)
2. Then we suggest to run the Uninstall Flash Player application. This application uninstall Flash but leaves untouched Shockwave.
