How to disable Macromedia Flash

[IronBits]

How to remove Flash Player from your computer:
1 Download the Macromedia Flash Player Uninstaller:
Windows uninstall_flash_player.exe (115K) http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flash/ts/uninstall_flash_player.exe
Mac OS X uninstall_flash_player_osx.hqx (764K) http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flash/ts/uninstall_flash_player_osx.hqx
Mac OS 8.x, 9.x uninstall_flash_player.hqx (10K) http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flash/ts/uninstall_flash_player.hqx
Save the file to your system, choosing a location where you can find it (for example, your Desktop). Macintosh users may need to open or unstuff the hqx file.
2 Close your browser completely.
3 Run the uninstaller. This will uninstall Macromedia Flash Player from all browsers on the system.

How to uninstall the Macromedia Flash Player plug-in and ActiveX Control (TechNote 14157). http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/ts/documents/remove_player.htm

Then, to stop the annoying "do you want to download..." pop-up window everytime...
Add this to your hosts file
0.0.0.0 download.macromedia.com activex.microsoft.com active.macromedia.com
On XP the hosts file can be found in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\HOSTS
On W2k the hosts file can be found in C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc\HOSTS
On Windows 98/me C:\Windows\HOSTS (I think)
;) :D

Microsoft's version --
Remove Macromedia Shockwave and Macromedia Flash
Quit all running programs.
On the taskbar, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, double-click Internet Options.
In the Internet Options dialog box, on the General tab, under Temporary Internet files, click Settings.
In the Settings dialog box, click View Objects.
In the Downloaded Program Files dialog box, if a Shockwave-related item appears in the Program File list, right-click it, and then click Remove on the shortcut menu that appears.
You will receive the following message:
Shockwave control will be removed permanently.
Are you sure?
Click Yes.
Repeat steps 6 through 7 for each Shockwave-related entry in the list.
On the File menu, click Close.
In the Settings dialog box, click OK.
In the Internet Properties dialog box, click OK, and then quit Control Panel.
:cheers:

[shifted]

Why would you want to remove it though? I'd just disable the flash plugin, which you can do in any browser but Irritating Explorer.

[IronBits]

FLASH = SPAM in my book.
Irriatating, unwanted and totally unnecessary animated bloat on websites, usually containing ads or some stupid intro. you have to click on SKIP, if there is one, to get around it to get to the 'meat' of the website, the information you went there to read or learn about in the first place.
They should ban FLASH, but they won't, so I avoid it at all costs.
Also background music falls into that same catagory...
I also use the best ad blocker you can get called AdSubtract, and PopNot! which pretty much makes surfing much more useful. IMHO
Also, 80% of the browers used is IE, thus the tips, which only removes it from the browser and prevents the nagging, do you want to install MacroMedia? popup crap.
Since I removed the flash, ads and popups, my surfing speed has increased dramatically. ;)

[shifted]

I really don't like flash interfaces either.

In fact, i get annoyed if i can't get the content i need in lynx (a text browser). The only reason that wouldn't work is a crappy site design (and not putting reasonable alt tags in images, etc.).

[Paratima]

On Windows 98/me C:\Windows\HOSTS (I think) This is correct. There is usually a HOSTS.SAM sample file.

/extreme pimpage follows - author is buddy! ;)

Another excellent program is Smasher from http://www.popupstop.com/ . Does cookies / popups / popunders / etc.