Flash player problem with Windows 10

Question

I can't download Adobe Flash Player because the Adobe download screen says it is already installed and disabled.  I know it is not installed because I removed it.  How do I do a clean install?

_maria_ · Answer

Microsoft embeds Flash Player ActiveX for IE and Edge in Window 10 and all updates are distributed by Microsoft via Windows Updates. Due to this a standalone installer does not exist. The files are a component of the browser and are locked. The only way to delete them is to manually modify the permissions on the files. If you did this, you have some options which may or may not work:

Check for Updates and see if the Flash Player update for IE/Edge is available and installs
If you have restore points saved, restore the system to a state prior to you manually forcing the deletion of the Flash Player ActiveX files
Run sfc /scannow - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929833
Refresh Windows 10s: Recovery options in Windows 10 - Windows Help See Reset Your PC > Keep my files

If none of these options work, you'll most likely need to re-install Windows.

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