Hi again
Cincinnatus,
Well, just because the Flash Player worked or other Adobe stuff worked doesn't mean it didn't contribute to the instability issue you are now experiencing.
Next, I would suggest you try some other things before jumping to CCleaner. CCleaner generally is safe and doesn't cause problems, but in my experience on systems where Windows has destabilized, it can make things worse.
Prior to attempting any of our troubleshooting suggestions,
YOU SHOULD ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA (SUCH AS DOCUMENTS, PHOTOS, MUSIC, MOVIES/VIDEOS, EMAILS ETC.) BACKED UP TO EXTERNAL MEDIA FIRST, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO!! Some of these commands can corrupt your Windows if they don't run properly or you have other pre-existing problems, so this is a Standard Precautionary Warning!!
I would try these 3 things first:
1.) Attempt a Windows
SYSTEM RESTORE to a point in time before the Adobe problem started. Say 1 week or 1 or 2 months ago. You didn't tell us whether your computer had W10 pre-loaded on it when you bought your computer or you performed an upgrade from an earlier version of Windows such as Win7/8/8.1/8.1.1.
[This is important information and we'll need to know this if none of these suggestions work.]
2.) Attempt to performa Windows repair; there are usually 2 commands done in the Command Prompt Administrator windows to solve Windows instability problems; they are the
CHKDSK /F command, and the
SFC /SCANNOW command. Both of these can take considerable time to run, so make sure that you let them run to completion and DO NOT INTERRUPT them while running. They can render your computer unbootable if interrupted. The
SFC command has 5 stages and the
CHKDSK has 3-5 stages as well; they may also generate a reboot during the process, so don't panic if your computer reboots on your during either command.
NOTE: If you have a laptop, do
NOT run either of these commands while running from your battery alone, rather you must have the laptop plugged into a continuous power source such as a Wall Outlet(MAINS) the entire time. Doing so can permanently damage your hard drive.
If these items above fail to resolve your problem, you should consider more serious remedies. I would consider calling Adobe Tech Support and purchasing a one-time Support call to help resolve your Adobe problem. Adobe will charge you from between $35-$49 for this call and their Techs will remote into your computer and help you to resolve the problem. I have used this on Customer computers several times, they are quite skilled at resolving problems on their own products.
If this isn't a possibility, the next thing I would do is to test my hardware, and then perform a Windows Reset or Window Reinstall to fix the problem. It's critical to check your hard drive first, as if you don't and reinstall your W10 from scratch, and the problem is a hardware failure in your disk drive, the problem will follow to your reinstalled Windows and still be there.
Here's a document on what you need to do there:
START WITH TESTING YOUR HARDWARE HERE:
Occasionally, the RAM sticks also go bad, and can cause Windows corruption. To test your RAM memory, download the free
MEMTEST (you can Google it), and create a bootable dvd disc similar to method used for the
SEATOOLS drive diagnostic. Boot your Netbook into
MEMTEST and run the test on each RAM stick individually for a minimum of 8 passes. If
MEMTEST returns any errors, your RAM stick(s) have failed and must be replaced.
Next, begin testing your hard drive. Go to seagate.com and download the free
SEATOOLS drive diagnostic program. This is an
ISO image file, so you will need to burn to a blank DVD disk using the free
IMGburn program (you can Google it) to create a bootable test disk with which to test your hard drive.
Once you have your
SEATOOLS disk, boot your computer to it and run
BOTH short and long tests on your drive. If
SEATOOLS returns any errors, your hard drive has failed and must be replaced.
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The second one, is what we call a
WINDOWS REINSTALLATION or a WINDOWS RESET. This requires that you have or create a set of factory discs (on an OEM computer such as Dell, HP, ACER/Gateway) that will be printed and labeled with the computer manufacturer's name & logo on the discs. If you have a self-built or custom-rig, this step won't be an option. That's why we need to know your System Specs!! If you don't have any discs, most modern computers, made 6 years ago or sooner (2009) have built-in rescue software for Windows Reset on a hidden partition on the hard drive. But, that doesn't always work (only works about 30% of the time). These same OEM computers usually have free software such as
DELL MEDIA CREATOR which lets you make a copy of these factory reset discs; usually onto blank DVD discs or onto a single USB flash drive. Bear in mind if your computer is an HP, and you attempt to use their utility and you get a message:
"You've already created 1 set of factory Recovery Media--no more can be created" or similar,
HP only allows 1 set of these discs to be created; if you get this message it's already been done, either by the Dealer you bought the computer from, or by a previous owner of the computer if you are not the original owner. This sucks, as you can never make another set.
You have to call HP to buy a replacement set for $29-$99 US. If you have a different brand computer and you can't make your Recovery discs or the Recovery Partition fails to restore your computer, you can buy a set of Recovery discs from them as well for about the same price. They will be shipped to you in 2-3 weeks typically. Very few non-professional home users are aware of this.
This is a very long post, and I might suggest you print out a hardcopy of this post on another working computer or one at a friend's house or at your local library. There is a lot of information here, and this process of troubleshooting takes me 2-3 days. Most home Users we advise to follow this takes 1-3 weeks or longer depending on how much time they have to devote to fixing their computer, if it's their ONLY computer or they have another one to use in their household, amount of patience with technology, etc.
Post back your tech specs on that computer, and let us know how it goes. If you get stuck, remember there are no stupid questions! We are here to help.
Best of luck,
<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>
Thanks for your reply back and your responses. So, I see from your Model information, that it's an HP laptop. HP provides options to purchase SSD's when you buy the laptop new; did you get the Samsung SSD in your laptop new, or did you replace it yourself? As you say, you can live without Flash Player--I can't do this due to need for Netflix and YouTube videos alone, not to mention other instructional technology videos I need to work with. 
And thanks for sharing your final result with the rest of our forum members.
