Discontinuation of Adobe Flash and Effect on PS Elements 2020

[SK Prairie Chicken]

With Adobe Flash coming to end of life, I am getting messages to uninstall it and would like to do so.  However, if I search my MacBook Pro for Flash files, the result is thousands of xmp files from Elements.  I am concerned that uninstalling Flash will disable my Elements, or the 10's of thousands of xmp files I have.  

Can anyone tell me if uninstalling Flash will have any effect on Elements 2020 or my very large edited photo collection?  I do not have Creative Cloud.

[Greg_S.]

I know nothing about Macs.  Nor do I know how a search for Flash files on your computer could return a result containing your Elements xmp files.    Elements uses xmp files to write the editing information for your raws files.  There may be other uses as well.  Flash has nothing to do with those files.  I believe Flash may use XML files.  Are you perhaps confusing the two file extensions?

In any event, if you have any concerns about how a program or its removal may react to your Elements catalog information, you should certainly make sure that your catalog (and preferably your system drive) is backed up before making the change.

[SK Prairie Chicken]

Thank you for your thoughts.  I agree with your stated purpose & use of xmp files.  

Not knowing what files I had saved which may use Flash, I searched my Mac before doing the uninstall.  I was surprised when a long list of xmp files came up--definitely associated with individual images and listed as Adobe Photoshop Elements info files.   

Yes, a full backup is definitely in order before proceeding.  Thanks.