Adobe to remove direct Flash download links on January 22, 2016
by Martin Brinkmann on December 2, 2015 in Internet - Last Update: December 2, 2015
If you don't use Google Chrome or Microsoft Internet Explorer but require Flash, you need to download and install a version of Flash on your system so that browsers that run on the device can pick it up.
There are two ways to do that. You can visit the official download site, side-step the McAfee offer that is added automatically to the download unless you uncheck the option, to download a stub installer that requires an Internet connection during installation on the local system.
The second method lets you download the full Flash distribution package from the Adobe website which not only comes without the adware offer but also ships with everything needed to install Flash on the system.
This had several advantages including that you won't run into any "download issues" while trying to install Adobe Flash on a computer system.
If you visit that page right now -- sorry Adobe no links, you know why.. -- a notice is displayed on top of it highlighting that Adobe will shut down the page on January 22, 2016.
Adobe wants all non-Enterprise users to use the first method described above to download Adobe Flash to systems while Enterprise users with a valid license may still download Adobe Flash Player binaries directly from Adobe.
It is unclear right now if direct links to Flash Player binaries will continue to work after the deadline, or if Adobe will prevent those from working as well.
It is possible right now to download these files directly without visiting the official Flash Player distribution page on the Adobe website.
There is also a chance that third-party download sites may continue to distribute the full version of Adobe Flash.
The change affects computer users who prefer to download the Flash offline installer over the stub installer.
Adobe Flash is not as dominant as it once was on the web but it is still being used widely for media streaming, gaming, advertisement and web applications.
While that is the case, and depending on how you use the Internet, you may use the Internet without Flash already without noticing that it is missing at all.
In related news, Adobe announced Animate CC which will replace Flash Professional CC. The new product allows creators to develop HTML5 content and Flash content.
