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Microsoft will take steps to remove Flash

from Windows

The arrival of 2021 means the end of Adobe Flash Player for PCs.

Adobe stopped serving updates for its Flash Player last month — and will disable the plug-in on Jan.
12 — Microsoft will be in charge of uninstalling the software from Windows PCs.

(Adobe has recommended that users remove Flash from their personal computers to "help secure your
system since Adobe does not intend to issue Flash Player updates or security patches after the EOL
Date.")

Users can, of course, manually uninstall Flash using the steps Adobe posted on its website.
But Microsoft plans to remove Flash from all Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 PCs this year, a plan
that doesn't rely on users taking action. The timeline for the removal was set some time ago and looks

something like this.

October 2020

Microsoft seeded "Update for Removal of Adobe Flash Player" to the Microsoft Update Catalog on Oct 26.
The update, also identified as KB4577586, "permanently removes Adobe Flash Player as a component of the
Windows OS devices."

Users can select the appropriate-to-their-OS version of KB4577586, then download and apply it to their PC.
Microsoft noted that the update removes only the Flash Player installed by Windows. "If you installed Adobe
Flash Player manually from another source, it will not be removed," Microsoft said in a support document.

Early 2021

Microsoft will offer KB4577586 as an optional download on the Windows Update and WSUS (Windows
Server Update Services) platforms.

A few months later

Microsoft will change KB4577586 to recommended on Windows Update and WSUS. Depending on the set-
tings of Windows Update, recommended updates may be automatically downloaded and installed.

Summer 2021

The "Update for Removal of Adobe Flash Player," aka KB4577586, will be included in the monthly
"Cumulative Updates" and "Monthly Rollups" from this point forward. In other words, KB4577586 will be
automatically installed and activated, permanently removing Flash Player from the system.

Macs with Flash

Mac users with Flash Player must manually uninstall the plug-in using the steps. Adobe outlined here.

https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html#main\_os