Microsoft is now releasing a patch to remove the built-in Flash Player component from Windows 10. Earlier available in the Windows Update catalog, the KB4577586 update is now being delivered to consumer devices as an optional update.
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KB4577586 is a special Flash removal update. It is titled as Update for Removal of Adobe Flash Player for Windows <version here>, and is also available for Windows Server editions.
Keep in mind that it is impossible to undo the change. After you install this update, the built-in Flash Player can no longer be installed. As Microsoft describes it, it would then only work with a system restore point or a backup created.
It looks like the Redmond software giant now redistributes the KB4577586 patch as an optional update. Windows 10 doesn't install it automatically, but 'seekers' can click on the check for updates button to see it, and then decide to install it or not.
Not that this will remove the built-in Flash component of Windows 10. If you have installed one directly from Adobe, it will remain intact. For that case, Adobe earlier released a removal tool, and a notification system that removes Flash. The Flash technology support was officially terminated by Adobe on December 31, 2020.
Popular web browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, and Edge, do not support Flash any longer.
- Mozilla Firefox doesn't support Adobe Flash since version 85. In fact, the ability to use the Adobe Flash plug-in was disabled by default back in Firefox 69, but there was an option to enable Flash for specific websites. Also, Adobe Flash was the only NPAPI plugin that Firefox supported by that time.
- Chrome doesn't include the Flash support since version 88.
- Similarly, Microsoft Edge doesn't play Flash content since very first releases of version 88. You can open the
edge://componentspage and seeAdobe Flash Player - Version: 0.0.0.0. Edge no longer uses it. Even if you click on "Check for updates", you will end up with an error.
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What does “Windows 10” mean in this context specifically? Are they talking about removal of Flash from Internet Explorer?
Well they had a special built-in Flash Player component that could be used by all installed apps.
They now remove it.