Windows 10 New Update Removes Adobe Flash Player from System: Workarounds to Reinstall

Microsoft has released a new Windows 10 update that will remove Adobe Flash Player from your Windows device. The Redmond giant notes that once you apply this update, it cannot be uninstalled. Microsoft has earlier announced that Adobe Flash Player will go out of support on December 31, and the company has started to take initial steps before the final curtain falls down on Flash. This update looks to help users test and validate for impact once Adobe Flash Player support is ended at the end of the year.

Windows 10 users can download the catalog update that deletes Adobe Flash Player from the system through the Microsoft Catalog site. After this update has been applied it cannot be uninstalled. Microsoft explains, “We are releasing this removal update in advance of end of support to help customers test and validate their environments for any impact that might occur by the removal of Adobe Flash Player. Also, if another security update for Adobe Flash Player is released, customers who take this removal update will still be offered the security update.”

The version number for this update is KB4577586 and it is applicable for all versions of Windows 10 and Windows Server. This is an optional update and can only be downloaded via Microsoft Catalog. Bleeping Computer additionally reports that Flash Player (32-bit) version bundled in Windows 10 is only removed and standalone versions of Adobe Flash Player that have been installed by the user are not removed by the update. Furthermore, Adobe Flash Player component built into Microsoft Edge and other browsers is also not removed.

If users need to reinstall Adobe Flash Player again, they will need to reset their Windows device to an earlier system restore point. This feature must be explicitly enabled and a system restore point must have been created on your Windows device before you apply this update. The other workaround is to reinstall your Windows operating system, but this time around do not apply the optional update.