Vista - Flash Player

There are a gazillion pages that require Flash Player, each with a button to
download the latest version. I have gone through the process over and over,
getting all the way to "To complete the installation, close all instances of
Windows Explorer" (which certainly indicates that the installation is ALMOST
complete), but when I peel everything away but my desktop and click on
"Restart now," nothing happens. Nothing shows up in All Programs, and when I
look at Control Panel, Programs, I see a listing for Adobe Active X with no
file size but with the date of the "installation."
Suggestions? I am running Live OneCare and Windows Defender, but turning off
the firewall does not help.

Bob Gardner