The short answer is that the Silverlight plugin does not work in modern versions of Google Chrome and cannot be installed or enabled. Stack Overflow +1 Google discontinued support for the NPAPI (Netscape Plugin API) architecture that Silverlight requires back in 2015. Microsoft also officially ended support for Silverlight on October 12, 2021. Stack Overflow +3 Why You Can't Use Silverlight in Chrome Security Risks: Silverlight and other NPAPI plugins (like Flash) were phased out because they posed significant security risks to users. Modern Alternatives: Most websites have transitioned to modern web standards like HTML5, which handle video streaming and interactive content natively without needing a separate plugin. Official End of Life: Microsoft no longer provides updates, security patches, or downloads for Silverlight. Bitmovin +2 What to Do if You Need Silverlight If you must access an older website or internal application that still requires Silverlight, your options are very limited: Use IE Mode in Edge: Microsoft Edge includes an "Internet Explorer mode" specifically designed to allow legacy sites to run older plugins, though this is primarily for enterprise users. OpenSilver: For developers or organizations looking to migrate,
But for ten minutes, a dead technology had become a time machine. And Leo finally understood: some legacies don't need to be upgraded. They just need one last, perfect playback.
In this paper, we proposed a solution to provide Silverlight support on Google Chrome through a plugin. Our design and development approach leverages the Chrome plugin architecture, Moonlight runtime, and NPAPI to provide a reliable, secure, and efficient plugin. We believe that our plugin will enable developers to deploy Silverlight-based applications on Chrome, extending the life of their existing investments in Silverlight technology. silverlight plugin for chrome
The plugin was dead. The story was over.
Then the grey puzzle piece returned.
Google Chrome does not natively support the Microsoft Silverlight plugin and has not since . This is because modern versions of Chrome (version 45 and later) completely removed support for NPAPI (Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface), the underlying architecture that Silverlight requires to function.
Since the native plugin is gone, you must use emulation or virtualization to run Silverlight content within a Chrome environment. The short answer is that the Silverlight plugin
"Hey Leo-bug," her recorded voice crackled through the speakers. "Today, we're talking about Rothko. I know, I know—just rectangles. But watch this..."
: This is the most popular method for Windows users. The IE Tab extension emulates Internet Explorer within a Chrome tab, allowing you to run legacy plugins like Silverlight and ActiveX. Install the IE Tab extension from the Chrome Web Store. Stack Overflow +3 Why You Can't Use Silverlight
Here is a review of the .
(Historical Rating: ★★★★☆ – Was once a powerful tool )