Microsoft to Remove Flash from Windows in July

Way back in 2017, Microsoft announced the schedule by which it would phase out support for Adobe Flash in its web browsers. Well, the time has come: Microsoft will remove Flash from Windows in July.

“To help keep our customers secure, Microsoft will remove the Flash component from Windows through the KB4577586,” an update to a previous Microsoft blog post notes. “Additionally, please note that when you update to Windows 10, version 21H1 or later, Flash will be removed.”

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That KB update, called Update for Removal of Adobe Flash Player, will be included in the Preview Update for Windows 10 versions 1809 and above starting in June, Microsoft adds. It will then be included in every subsequent cumulative update as well.

Then, starting in July, KB4577586 will be included in the latest cumulative update for Windows 10 versions 1607 and 1507 as well. The KB will also be included in the Monthly Rollup and the Security Only Update for Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Embedded 8 Standard. So, all supported Windows versions.

Interested in removing Flash right now? It’s not a bad idea: You can download and install KB4577586 manually right now.

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Conversation 18 comments

  • lightbody

    04 May, 2021 - 11:59 am

    <p>Haven’t missed it at all, except for one legacy bit of enterprise software that i use in my workplace that needs it for part of its user interface.</p>

    • darkgrayknight

      Premium Member
      05 May, 2021 - 12:16 pm

      <p>We have a couple discontinued projectors that have flash as their remote control software, will have to write my own without flash….</p>

  • thejoefin

    Premium Member
    04 May, 2021 - 12:04 pm

    <p>Love the Homestar Runner image! I recently revisited Homestar Runner after reminiscing with a friend and that is when I learned about the open source project to emulate Flash using Rust called ruffle. Interesting stuff, they have a GitHub and from what I’ve tested via Homestar Runner it works pretty well.</p>

  • kevineddy

    04 May, 2021 - 1:18 pm

    <p>KB4577586 has been deployable via WSUS/ConfigMgr since February. Thankfully we’ve not experienced any problems without it. We used to have a lot of training content that used it, along with Shockwave.</p>

  • dftf

    04 May, 2021 - 1:20 pm

    <p>Remember the update above only removes the <em>Flash Player </em>that came built-into Windows 8.x and 10; if you want to remove the ActiveX and NPAPI versions that could be installed separately, go to helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html to download Adobe’s uninstaller (or look in "<em>Programs and Features</em>" or "<em>Add or Remove Programs</em>").</p><p><br></p><p>Old versions of <em>Google Chrome</em> (and other Chromium-based browsers, like <em>Brave</em>, <em>Opera</em> and <em>Vivaldi</em>) may also still have a built-in Flash player installed; be sure to check each browser installed is up-to-date, as all recent versions do not support Flash. (For <em>Firefox</em>: again, I’d advise being on the latest version, though you can also go to the "Plug Ins" section and disable Flash there if for some-reason you need to run an older version of it. Or just uninstall the "NPAPI" version from Windows itself.)</p><p><br></p><p>As stated above, from 21H1 onwards, it will no-longer be part of a Windows 10 install-image; 20H2 will be the last to come with it.</p><p><br></p><p>In terms of other stuff from the past you could uninstall also, remember "Shockwave Player" and "Adobe Air" are both also no-longer supported; and "Silverlight" dies this October. For most average non-business PCs thesedays, you can likely get rid of "Java", too.</p>

  • pcdoeswhat

    04 May, 2021 - 2:03 pm

    <p>Love the Homestar Runner reference. ?</p>

  • dougkinzinger

    04 May, 2021 - 2:59 pm

    <p>Homsar! :D</p>

  • oscar90

    04 May, 2021 - 3:05 pm

    <p>15 years overdue but better late than never.</p>

    • Username

      05 May, 2021 - 4:32 am

      <p>For 10 of those 15, Flash has been defacto (interactive) web enabler. </p>

  • tfinch

    04 May, 2021 - 3:28 pm

    <p>The king is dead, long live the king.</p>

  • nanovak

    Premium Member
    04 May, 2021 - 3:39 pm

    <p>Excellent hero image on this post, Paul!</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      05 May, 2021 - 8:54 am

      I used to love that online comic.

  • ebraiter

    04 May, 2021 - 3:42 pm

    <p>I hope one of the Chinese railways get prepared. They removed Flash only to have the railway crash to a halt because their application[s] still need Flash.</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      05 May, 2021 - 8:54 am

      We are all praying for the Chinese railways.

  • scovious

    04 May, 2021 - 8:30 pm

    <p>I would be curious how to get it back, even if it had to be in a VM. For posterity.</p>

    • thejoefin

      Premium Member
      04 May, 2021 - 9:22 pm

      <p>There is an open source flash emulator written in Rust called ruffle</p>

  • ginovacca

    07 May, 2021 - 12:45 pm

    <p>There are alternatives out there if an Enterprise needs to continue using Flash. Search: secure, inline solution for the continued use of Flash that is invisible to the end user.&nbsp;</p>

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