AIR:User FAQ
From Adobe Labs
AIR Application Installation from Websites using Seamless Install Feature
Why can’t I install Adobe AIR applications from sites using the older Adobe AIR Beta 2 Seamless Install Feature (install badge)?
The way the install badge on the website and the Adobe AIR runtime communicate with each other was changed and improved. Adobe AIR Beta 3 provides a more secure way to initiate the installation process from the website. As a result, the older Adobe AIR Beta 2 badges are no longer compatible with Adobe AIR Beta 3.
If you encounter a site using the older Adobe AIR Beta 2 install badge, you can download the applications installer file (.air file) via the browser and install the application to your desktop. As websites update their install badges to support Adobe AIR Beta 3 this incompatibility issue will be minimized.
How do I know if my installation issue from the website is due to an install badge not being compatible with AIR Beta 3?
If you have previously installed Adobe AIR Beta 3 and are getting the following dialogs or error messages when clicking on the install badge on the website you visited. Many websites provide a link to download the application file (.air file) directly, please try this approach to download
If you are on a Windows system you will get a “Select an Installation Package” dialog.
If you are on a Macintosh, nothing will happen when you try to install the Adobe AIR application from a browser.
link title==Adobe AIR Beta Installation==
Why shouldn’t I install or reinstall Adobe AIR Beta 2 after I have installed Adobe AIR Beta 3?
Installing or reinstalling Adobe AIR Beta 2 after installing Adobe AIR Beta 3 will cause all subsequent Adobe AIR Beta 3 application installations to fail. Adobe AIR Beta 3 introduced improved side-by-side support for running applications written for versions of the Adobe AIR prior to Beta 3 on the same computer. Adobe AIR Beta 2 did not have this support. As a result Adobe AIR Beta 2 will attempt to download Adobe AIR Beta 3 to install the application every time. Please see the note below to determine if this is the problem for your situation.
If you want to run applications written for Adobe AIR Beta 2 and Beta 3 on the same system, please see section “What if I really want to run Adobe AIR applications written for AIR Beta 2 and AIR Beta 3 on the same system?” below
How do I know if the problem I am seeing might be caused by installing AIR Beta 2 after AIR Beta 3?
When attempting to install applications on your system that were written for Adobe AIR Beta 3, you get the “Application install” dialog every time you attempt to install the application or the “Installation error”
Installation Dialog
Installation error dialog
This problem can be resolved by reinstalling Adobe AIR Beta 3 to your system. Please see the instructions below “What if I really want to run Adobe AIR applications written for Adobe AIR Beta 2 and AIR Beta 3 on the same system”
What if I really want to run Adobe AIR applications written for Adobe AIR Beta 2 and AIR Beta 3 on the same system?
If you previously installed Adobe AIR Beta 2 and have not uninstalled it, you can install Adobe AIR Beta 3 and run applications written for Adobe AIR Beta 2 or Beta 3.This is possible, because Adobe AIR Beta 3 launches Adobe AIR Beta 2 when it encounters applications written for Adobe AIR Beta 2.
If you never installed Adobe AIR Beta 2 on your system and plan to install Adobe AIR Beta 3 please see side-by-side installation instructions below.
If you have previously installed Adobe AIR Beta 3, don’t have Adobe AIR 2 installed and need to install it. Please see side-by-side installation instructions below.
Side-by-side Adobe AIR installation instructions:
- Uninstall Adobe AIR ( This will uninstall all installed versions of Adobe AIR)
To uninstall Adobe AIR on Windows:
- In the Windows Start menu, select Settings > Control Panel.
- .Select the Add or Remove Programs control panel.
- Select “Adobe AIR” to uninstall the AIR runtime.
- Click the Change/Remove button.
To uninstall Adobe AIR on Mac:
- Double-Click the “Adobe AIR Uninstaller” from your /Applications folder.
- Install Adobe AIR Beta 2 from http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/air.html
- Install applications written for Adobe AIR Beta 2
- Reinstall Adobe AIR Beta 3 from http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/air.html
- Now you can now install and run applications written for Adobe AIR Beta 2 and Beta 3 on the same system.
