Adobe Flash was one of the best and most important computer programs over the past two decades. However, since Adobe, the developer of the program, announced in 2017 that support for the program would be discontinued in December 2020, many companies have been seeking to remove Adobe Flash from their programs. Among these companies is Microsoft, which released an optional update for Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 to remove the program. This update will become mandatory for all Windows devices by the end of the current year. Many other companies have completely abandoned the program, including Mozilla and Google in their programs and browsers.
The update to remove Adobe Flash is known as update KB4577586. This update cannot be installed through Windows update settings or WSUS. Instead, it will be available on Microsoft Update Catalog page, where you can download the appropriate update version and then install it on your computer. In this article, we discuss everything related to the new Windows update and how it removes Adobe Flash from the computer.
How the Adobe Flash Removal Update Works
Microsoft released update KB4577586 to remove Adobe Flash for around 38 different versions of Windows 10 and 8.1. You can access these versions on the Updates page, download the one suitable for you, including Windows 10 versions 2004, 20H2, 1909, 1903, and Windows 8.1. You can easily install the update by visiting the Microsoft Update Catalog page, downloading the appropriate version, and then installing the downloaded file on your computer.
This will remove the Adobe Flash program integrated into Windows from your computer. However, the program may still remain on your computer in some cases. For example, if you manually download and install Adobe Flash, it will not be removed. Also, if it is present in a supported browser like Microsoft Edge, it will remain in that browser. After installing the update, you cannot undo it as Adobe Flash will be removed from Windows. If you want to restore it, you will need to either reset your Windows system to a restore point before Adobe Flash was removed, or reinstall Windows to restore the program.
Also Read: When browsers end Flash support, how will we access content after that?
Is It Safe to Keep Adobe Flash?
Currently, Adobe Flash still works well and support has not been discontinued. Adobe announced that this will happen by the end of this year. Therefore, the new Windows update will be suitable for everyone, whether you prefer to use Adobe Flash or not. If you do not need it, simply download and install the update. If you still need it, you can choose not to install the update or install the update along with downloading Adobe Flash and installing it on your computer.
Also Read: Download Windows 10 “October 2020” update after its official release
However, it is not recommended to keep Adobe Flash for longer, especially after support is discontinued in the coming months. Adobe itself has requested users to remove the program from their devices, as ending support for the program means no security updates will be issued, making it less secure and more vulnerable to hacking over time.
