How to continue using Flash ActiveX after Flash End of Life?
In this article, you will learn how to continue using Flash ActiveX in desktop applications for Windows after the Flash EOL.
What happened to Flash?
Several years ago Adobe decided to discontinue updating Flash Player ActiveX: no more updates and patches will be released. Adobe considers Flash as a legacy platform that is effectively superseded by modern technologies like HTML5 and WebAssembly. Adobe gave several years for developers to switch from Flash to them.
At the same time, many companies utilize Flash in desktop applications to provide rich multimedia content. Flash ActiveX stopped displaying content beginning January 12, 2021. Instead of expected flash movie, it just shows a picture with the Flash logo that follows to a web page that describes why Adobe no longer supports Flash and what users should do now:
How F-IN-BOX can help?
F-IN-BOX is a component for developers to play flash movies that can be used in C++, VB6, Delphi/C++ Builder, and .NET (C# and VB.NET). F-IN-BOX doesn’t use its own engine to display flash content. Instead, F-IN-BOX hosts Flash ActiveX and extends it with a bunch of useful features like loading flash movies directly from memory.
F-IN-BOX solves the Flash EOL problem. If Flash ActiveX is installed on the machine, F-IN-BOX utilizes it and plays flash movies as in the past. Also, an application can include any version of Flash ActiveX and make F-IN-BOX use it. So the application will show flash content even if Flash ActiveX was uninstalled from the system (now Adobe recommends users to uninstall Flash ActiveX).
What’s next? Try demo version!
Download F-IN-BOX for .NET: https://www.f-in-box.com/dotnet/download.html
Download F-IN-BOX, DLL Edition: https://www.f-in-box.com/dll/download.html
Download F-IN-BOX for Delphi: https://www.f-in-box.com/delphi/download.html
F-IN-BOX Delphi Edition 3.5.1 is available now
In 3.5.1 fixed a crash that may occur if newest 64-bit Flash ocx version is being used.
F-IN-BOX DLL Edition 3.3.3.8 is available: Flash transparency problem fixed
Flash transparency problem fixed. With Flash 11 semitransparent movies are painted incorrectly: some parts was painted with black background. This problem is described here: http://www.f-in-box.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=873.
F-IN-BOX .Net Edition 3.1.5.8 is available: Flash transparency problem fixed
Flash transparency problem fixed. With Flash 11 semitransparent movies are painted incorrectly: some parts was painted with black background. This problem is described here: http://www.f-in-box.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=815.
F-IN-BOX Delphi Edition 3.5.5: RAD XE2 is supported, transparency problem fixed
New version F-IN-BOX Delphi Edition 3.5.5: RAD XE2 is supported now.
Also transparency problem fixed. This bug is described here: http://www.f-in-box.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=815.
F-IN-BOX Delphi Edition 3.5.4: Delphi XE and Builder XE are fully supported
New version F-IN-BOX Delphi Edition 3.5.4 fully supports Delphi XE and Builder XE.
F-IN-BOX .Net Edition 3.1.5.6 is available
A bug of mouse wheel messages processing has been fixed.
New sample Sample11_Playing_Of_Encrypted_FLV has been added.
F-IN-BOX DLL Edition 3.3.3.7 is available
A bug of mouse wheel messages processing has been fixed.
F-IN-BOX Delphi Edition 3.5: Delphi 2010 is fully supported
Delphi 2010 and Builder C++ 2010 are fully supported!
F-IN-BOX DLL Edition 3.3.3 is available
A small memory leak fixed.
