function checkFlash () {
	// assume initially that Flash is not available
	flashInstalled = false;
	
	if (navigator.plugins && navigator.plugins.length) {
		x = navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash"];
		if (x) {
			if (x.description) {
				y = x.description;
				flashVersion = y.charAt(y.indexOf('.')-1);
				if (flashVersion >= 6)
					flashInstalled = true;
				else
					flashInstalled = false;
			}
		}
		else
			flashInstalled = false;
	}
	
	else if (navigator.mimeTypes && navigator.mimeTypes.length) {
		var plugin = (navigator.mimeTypes && navigator.mimeTypes["application/x-shockwave-flash"] ? navigator.mimeTypes["application/x-shockwave-flash"].enabledPlugin : 0);
		if(plugin) {
			var flashVersion = parseInt(plugin.description.substring(plugin.description.indexOf(".")-1));
			if(flashVersion >= 6) {
				flashInstalled = true;
			}
			else flashInstalled = false;
		}
		else flashInstalled = false;
	}
	
	else {
		// for IE, attempt to instantiate object
		lWriteString = '<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=VBScript>\n';
		lWriteString += '<!--\n';
		lWriteString += 'on error resume next\n';
		lWriteString += 'flashInstalled = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.6")))\n';
		lWriteString += '//-->\n';
		lWriteString += '</SCRIPT>\n';
		
		document.write(lWriteString);
		
		if (flashInstalled == 1)
			flashInstalled = true;
		else
			flashInstalled = false;
	}
	
	// return true or false
	return flashInstalled;
}