I Quote you;
"If you go to your computers control panel or the Adobe website and update that way...Max will automatically use the version that is on your PC.
My responce:
It will use whatever version it came with unless you physically back door a copy of the newest FLASH NPSW file into the Maxthon NpPlugins folder and remove the older version.
Your research:
#1 Download this: http://rghost.ru/3238561 and replace old file here \Maxthon3\Core\Webkit\Npplugins\......This is by copying it into Maxthon NpPlugins folder as I mentioned
#2.. Only tells you you need Both types of flash player...After downloading them You would still need to manually copy them into \Maxthon3\Core\Webkit\Npplugins\
#3. 1. Get latest Flash plugin supported by Maxthon:http://fpdownload.macromedia.com ... 11_plugin_32bit.exe
2. Completely close Maxthon 3
3. Run downloaded file and install Flash
4. Go to your Windows folder and follow to
4a. For 32bit Windows: Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash
4b. For 64bit Windows: Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash
5. Copy file NPSWF32_11_2_202_233.dll (This name will be changed for future Flash versions. Look P.S. for distribs location. On that page you can find current Flash version. This numbers will be present in file name!)
6. Go to your Maxthon3 folder. Usually: c:\Program Files\Maxthon3\
and follow to c:\Program Files\Maxthon3\Core\Webkit\Npplugins
7. Paste copied dll file and rename this file to NPSWF32.dll
8. Run Maxthon 3. Voila! You are now using latest Flash plugin! (Until next Maxthon 3 version installed 
)
Here again copy and paste...there is no way anyones current Maxthon version will use a newer downloaded version of flash unless you copy and paste the latest Flash NPSW version file into it and remove the older one. As I have said and given directions on many times. So there is no way your version updated automatically just by downloading a new version of flash to your computer.