Hmm.
You're not the first person to report problems with downloading the Flash player. My problem is that I can't remember if anyone's come up with a solution. ;-(
Take a look at your firewall's log and check that it doesn't show blocked traffic from Adobe. Then try downloading from this link. (I'm not sure whether it goes to the same server as the other one but it's worth a try):
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/index. cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&P2_Platform =Win32&P3_Browser_Version=MSIE
(That link is for Internet Explorer. If you're using Firefox, you need this link:
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/index. cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&P2_Platform =Win32&P3_Browser_Version=Firefox )
Otherwise you might have to check the content listings of the 'free' coverdisks that come with PC magazines. The Adobe Flash player is probably on one of them.
You could also look through the questions (or post a new one) on this forum:
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/c ategories.cfm?catid=184&forumid=44
Lastly, it might be worth trying System Restore, to take your PC back to a date before Flash disappeared.
Chris