Windows 10, here is the update that eliminates Adobe Flash forever. Irreversibly

Source: HW Upgrade added 29th Oct 2020

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Flash no longer has a future, and this is nothing new. What’s new is that Microsoft has started releasing a (apparently malfunctioning) patch to remove it from all supported versions of Windows. Future objective: to eliminate all traces of it

by Nino Grasso published , at 09: 31 in the Operating Systems channel

Microsoft Windows

In September, Microsoft reminded users that Flash would soon be removed from Edge and all supported Windows versions , in preparation for the end of Adobe software support. The modalities: Microsoft would release an optional update on Windows 10 during the fall season and, as promised, that update has arrived.

At the time of writing the update for permanently and irreversibly delete Adobe Flash on Windows is available only and exclusively via Update Catalog, and therefore installation is only possible in manual mode. Recognizable with the knowledge base code KB 4577586 , the patch is named “Update for removing Adobe Flash Player for …” with below the version of Windows for which the package is designated.

The patch to permanently delete Flash from your computer

Packages are available for all supported versions of Windows, including LTSB versions and related versions of Windows Server. It should be noted that the patch can be downloaded, as already written, only through the Update Catalog for the manual installation, but Microsoft has already said it will be distributed through other channels as well. These include Windows Update, as a recommended update, after Flash Player reaches the end of support on 31 December 2020.

It should also be noted that whoever installs the KB package 4577586 manually on their system will have no way of uninstall it . In other words, to reinstall Adobe Flash Player you will need to perform a clean install of the operating system or restore from a previously created backup. Microsoft also stated that will remove all APIs, group policies and interfaces used for managing Flash in the coming summer .

BleepingComputer tried to install the package and noticed that Flash still still works on Edge and through the operating system (probably due to a problem with reliability of the same patch on some systems). It is still unclear if Microsoft will release another manual patch before Flash Player end of support, or if this will be the version that will be distributed to all users through the operating system’s automated channels.