Lil Red X, all photos on webpage not opening!

Ive developed a problem this evening when I was surfing. First the Active X thing above by the message bar kept opening telling me to install "such and such" program. I ignored it cause I didnt know why it was doing that. Vey shortly after though, most if not all the photos on webpages werent opening, showing the dreaded "lil red X" in a box instead. Now I know what the Active X control was telling me to install, but I cant remember the name of the program or App. that usually opens photos on a web page. Nor do I know why it suddenly stopped working, how it became un-installed!

so #1, can anyone tell me what the name of the program/app is that opens pix on a webpage.

and #2, how did it possibly stop working or become un-installed?