Flash EOL killed my printer!

[Karen Watson]

I've run a reliable old HP printer/scanner for several years, and have suddenly, without warning, found the software that runs it simply no longer opens.

After an inordinate amount of running around the manufacturer's support tools and sites, it *finally* emerged that the problem was the closure of Flash and Microsoft's equally unannounced (to the lay user) removal of it.
So what am I now supposed to do - find the money for a new printer? Various Microsoft apps HP directed me to have proved equally useless but at least they gave me an error message to let me know.

What if I had been a hard-up mum struggling with my kid's home classes during the current lockdown?

This is atrocious treatment of customers by all three of HP, Microsoft and Adobe.

[_maria_ · Accepted solution]

The following may be of assistance for HP printer/scanner:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Setup-Software-Drivers/HP-Solution-Center-has-an-issue-quot-FI...

If not, check with HP if there is an updated firmware for your printer.

Adobe announced Flash Player's end-of-life in July 2017, three and a half years ago, giving content creators, programmers, developers and IT experts over 3 years to migrate their Flash content to a different technology. 

For reference:

• https://theblog.adobe.com/adobe-flash-update/
• https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/end-of-life.html

Major browser vendors are deprecating Flash Player support.  For details specific to each vendor, please refer to:

• Microsoft Internet Edge and Internet Explorer
• Mozilla Firefox – Per End of support for Flash Player, Flash support will be removed in Firefox 85, scheduled for release on Jan 26, 2021.
• Apple Safari - removed support in Safari 14, released Sept 16, 2020
• Google Chrome - removed support in Chrome 88, released Jan 19, 2021

[Karen Watson]

Thank you Maria, and also the other respondent who PM'd me with a further suggestion.

Here is my feedback on your list of fixes:
1) Starting from the .exe
Opens something like the missing app, but with half the buttons and functions gone. Not good enough.
2) Windows Scan.
Opened showing link to scanner, but in seconds this disappeared and it then said "can't find a scanner".
Fail.
5) HP Scan and Capture
Opened, but when I clicked on "scan" it came back with (in *tiny* text!)
"General Fail"
(Which is, if nothing else, at least up front and honest!)
3) Paint
Haven't seen that since my kids are small, didn't think I had it although, now looking, it seems I have. Can't see anywhere an option to "scan", and doubt it would do more than the emasculated HP .exe.
4) (Suggested elsewhere) Find an archive copy or knock-off of Flash.
Not interested, given my natural caution with strange sites and the reasons Flash has been withdrawn in the first place.
5) (after all else failed, and only on your official recommendation above - how many strange new apps and programs do I have to clutter up my drive with?)
NAPS2 - which *does* appear to have the necessary functionality, and wasn't too difficult to set up. (Should a 65-year-old housewife have to know what is "WIA" and "TWAIN" or, in my case, guess wrong the first time?)

Given that one reason I chose HP for my last major desktop upgrade in 2017 largely on the basis of the reliability and simplicity of my HP printer, "disappointed" doesn't begin to describe my feelings. I haven't seen anything like it since my late employer, a major Government department, upgraded its Windows OS and, when asked by the workforce whether they would get any user training, literally stood up in the presentation theatre and told the enquirer (who I don't think had any) to "go home and ask your children" (!)

I'm grateful for your help but I still think that between the three providers (Microsoft, HP and Adobe) the error message "General Fail" pretty well sums it up. And the attitude demonstrated would kill all three off if the market wasn't as near to cornered as makes no difference.

I hope my feedback help.s

Karen Watson