Windows Server 2019 (&2016): Enable Flash

KB ID 0001484

Problem

Back in server 2012 this was an easy fix;

Windows Server 2012 – Enable Flash

However try and do that on Server 2019 or 2016 and this happens;

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Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Users\administrator.PNL> Install-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience

Install-WindowsFeature : ArgumentNotValid: The role, role service, or feature name is not valid: ‘Desktop-Experience’.
The name was not found.
At line:1 char:1
+ Install-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (Desktop-Experience:String) [Install-WindowsFeature], Exception
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : NameDoesNotExist,Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Commands.AddWindowsFeatureCommand

Success Restart Needed Exit Code Feature Result
——- ————– ——— ————–
False No InvalidArgs {}

PS C:\Users\administrator.PNL>

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Solution

Note: You need Server Datacenter version to do this.

If you o to the flash website and it (wrongly,) thinks you are using Windows 10 (we it’s the same code, I’ll let them off,) and it also says “it’s already installed just enable it”, but it’s not there?

You need to install it with the following command;

Server 2019

[box]dism /online /add-package /packagepath:”C:\Windows\servicing\Packages\Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.17763.1.mum”[/box]

Server 2016

[box]dism /online /add-package /packagepath:”C:\Windows\servicing\Packages\Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.mum”[/box]

You will then need to reboot!

Post reboot, you will see Windows Server will now download updates for Flash, and it’s enabled.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

NA

Windows Server – Enable Flash

KB ID 0000978 

Problem

Note: For Server 2016, the process if different, see;

Windows Server 2016: Enable Flash

I upgraded my VMware vCenter server to 5.5 last week, and as soon as I tried to open the vSphere Web Client, I got a polite message asking me to install flash.

I headed over to Adobe to download and install it, and was told that from IE10 it had already installed simply ‘enable the add-on’. Well thats not strictly true for servers, theres a couple of hoops to jump through first.

Solution

1. You cant use Flash, unless your server has the ‘Desktop Experience’ feature installed. The quickest way to do this is right click the PowerShell Icon on the Task bar > Run As Administrator.

2. Execute the following command;

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Install-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience

[/box]

3. As directed reboot the server;

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shutdown -r 

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4. The server will reboot TWICE and it may take a little while.

5. Once back in Windows I suggest you run Windows Update, (to get the most up to date Flash version) >Windows Key+R > Execute the following;

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%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{36eef7db-88ad-4e81-ad49-0e313f0c35f8}

[/box]

6. Then my Flash enabled vSphere Web Client, worked as expected.

Additional Problem

You may also have trouble using flash if you have ActiveX Filtering enabled. To turn this off Press Alt+T > Untick ActiveX Filtering.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

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