Abobe’s Flash is almost over as technology companies begin to finalize their plans for their remaining support elements for the once-penetrating technology.
Flash officially lost support on December 31, 2020, about three years after Adobe and major browser makers announced plans to destroy Flash and began urging content developers to move to HTML5 and other technologies.
Microsoft will generally release a Windows 10 update this month that will remove Adobe Flash Player automatically and permanently. The update is released via Microsoft Update Catalog, Windows Update and WSUS. It will permanently remove Adobe Flash Player as part of Windows devices.
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Microsoft made the optional Flash removal update available in October in the Windows Update Catalog, but did not introduce it further through Windows Update.
Microsoft’s Adobe Update Player Removal Update Support Sheet indicates that it will be available on Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) in early 2021. While Microsoft will roll out the Flash removal update earlier in 2021, it will still be optional for users to install.
Microsoft says it will recommend that users recommend the update a few months after it is available via Windows Update and WSUS. Once installed, users will not be able to uninstall the update.
Google Chrome will also release Chrome 88 this month, completely removing Flash support and features from Chromium. This again affects Microsoft Edge as it is based on Chromium. Chrome will block Flash Player as ‘outdated’.
Firefox maker Mozilla released Firefox 84 in December as the latest version to support Flash. Firefox 85, which appears on January 26, 2021, is shipped without Flash support.
Adobe released its latest Flash Player update in December, urging people to remove the software. From January 12, 2021, the company will block the content of Flash content in the software.
The Flash Removal Update for Windows 10 is available for all versions of Windows 10, but the update only removes Flash Player installed by Windows in Internet Explorer, Edge, or Chrome. Users who have manually installed Flash Player should follow the instructions for uninstalling Adobe for Flash.