Microsoft will push Windows 10 update from June that will permanently remove Flash

Microsoft will proactively remove Flash from Windows 10 systems from June. The update that makes this possible will be included in the Preview Update for Windows 10 version 1809 and newer. Upgrading to Windows 10 21H1 will also remove Flash permanently.

At the end of October, Microsoft already released KB4577586, titled Update for Removal of Adobe Flash Player. Users have since been able to manually download it, but Microsoft now clarifies that the update will be sent to Windows 10 systems from June.

Initially, Microsoft will ship the Adobe Flash removal tool to Windows 10 version 1809 and newer. As of July, the update will also be included in the latest cumulative updates for Windows 10 versions 1607 and 1507. Also, the update will come to Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 via the monthly security update for those operating systems.

Microsoft also notes that Flash will be removed if users upgrade to Windows 10 version 21H1 or later. That is the so-called May update, which will also be released sometime this month. The software was finally ready for release at the end of April.

By the way, the Windows update only removes the Flash Player if it was installed when you installed Windows. If users have downloaded and installed the Flash Player from an external source, they will have to uninstall the software manually.

After installing the relevant update or new Windows version, it is no longer possible to install Flash. Users need to go back to an old version of Windows to do this. Flash was already granted end-of-life status in 2017 and support was permanently discontinued on December 31, 2020. Adobe has already sent warnings to users who still have the software on their system.