Help with Flash Player Update

I updated my Flash Player today to version 11.3.300.268. I know that it is installed because when I go to System Preferences and select Flash Player it tells me this is the version I have.

But I have some questions:

1. I now have an annoying red icon on the desktop that says Flash Player. When I looked in Finder under Applications, I did not see the Flash Player listed there. So I dragged the Flash Player icon to the applications folder in Finder and now it says under the kind column "Alias." Plus the icon still remains on the desktop. How do I fix this, or is it OK for the application to say "Alias."

2. When I go to the launchpad where I can see all the applications" icons, there is no flash player icon there. Should there be one? I think there used to be before the update?

3. When I go to Finder under devices, the flash player is listed. If I select the flash player to remove, it takes it off the desktop. But does that turn it off completely?

Can I just drag the desktop icon to the trash without any harm?

I just want everything to be OK. Thanks for your help!

What probably happened is that you had to download the update installer, and that's what's sitting on your Desktop now. When Flash installs itself, it's a bit like an octopus, sticking its tentacles here and there into your web browsers so you can watch videos on Facebook and news channels etc.

I think you can nuke it safely. And even if something goes awry as a result, Flash isn't an important component of your system and it's easily downloaded again if you need to. Give it a shot. See what happens.

As for Aliases... In the Windows world, they'd be called a shortcut. It's kind of a ghost icon that doesn't actually do anything except launch a program or open a file that's living elsewhere (probably buried under a pile of digital rubble) on your computer.

Good luck.

Yes, I agree with Shikarnov...I drag it to Trash after every update with no harm done..

Thank you so much for the advice. It went to trash!!!