HOWTO: Manually update Adobe Flash Player ActiveX in Windows 8.1

Adobe Flash Player ActiveX in Windows 8.1 is being updated through Windows Update. Unfortunately, that means you may be forced to run the unsecure version for up to two weeks until Microsoft gets off its lazy ass and publishes the update they receive from Adobe.

If you are a security-conscious user and you don't want to be at the mercy of Microsoft, there is a way to manually update Adobe Flash Player ActiveX. The steps are as follows (my example uses version 21.0.0.213, your version numbers will, of course, be different):

1. Apply for Adobe Flash Player distribution
2. Once you get access download the file install_flash_player_21_active_x.msi
3. Extract the MSI database file using 7-Zip
4. Among the extracted files locate the file Data1.cab which you can extract using either 7-Zip or Windows Explorer
5. Locate the extracted file named InstallAX_21_0_0_213.exe and run the following command from the administrative command prompt:
   
   InstallAX_21_0_0_213.exe -install -skipARPEntry -iv 2 -au 4294967295

And that's it, you are good to go.