Microsoft Silently Scrubs Flash from Windows 10 Systems

Microsoft quietly removed Adobe Flash Player from Windows 10 systems starting in February 2021 through an update marked as optional. The update, KB4577586, aimed to remove the Microsoft-managed component of Flash Player used with Internet Explorer 11 and legacy Microsoft Edge.

The removal was a gradual process, with Microsoft first making it available through Windows Update and WSUS, then incorporating it into cumulative servicing from June 2021. By July 2021, most Windows machines had received the update, which removed the Flash Player without requiring separate permission prompts.

Adobe had given the industry years of warning before ending support for Flash Player at the end of 2020. The company recommended uninstalling Flash due to the lack of security patches and updates after its retirement date.