Java Versions

[ll]

1. First computer: Win XP Home + SP2 + updates

From time to time this computer prompts me to update Java.
Yesterday I got a message to update Java, which I did.
When I look in C:\Program Files I see:

Folder: JavaSoft
Subfolder: JRE
Subfolder: 1.3.1_03

Folder: Java
Subfolder: j2re1.4.2_04 (note the "2")
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_06
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_09
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_10
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_11

Question: Do I need to keep _all_ these Java folders?
Or since I updated to the latest version, just keep the latest?
Do apps/utilities written by developers using older versions
of Java require _that_ version to run?


2. Second computer: Win XP Pro + SP2 + updates

Program Files _only_ has:

Folder: Java
Subfolder: j2re1.4.2_03

This computer has never prompted me to update Java.
Should I?

 

[Alias]

1. First computer: Win XP Home + SP2 + updates

From time to time this computer prompts me to update Java.
Yesterday I got a message to update Java, which I did.
When I look in C:\Program Files I see:

Folder: JavaSoft
Subfolder: JRE
Subfolder: 1.3.1_03

Folder: Java
Subfolder: j2re1.4.2_04 (note the "2")
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_06
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_09
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_10
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_11

Question: Do I need to keep _all_ these Java folders?
Or since I updated to the latest version, just keep the latest?
Do apps/utilities written by developers using older versions
of Java require _that_ version to run?

Nuke them all in Add/Remove and get JRE 6.

Alias

2. Second computer: Win XP Pro + SP2 + updates

Program Files _only_ has:

Folder: Java
Subfolder: j2re1.4.2_03

This computer has never prompted me to update Java.
Should I?

Nuke it in Add/Remove and get JRE 6. All previous versions have known
exploits.

Alias

 

[Lem]

1. First computer: Win XP Home + SP2 + updates

From time to time this computer prompts me to update Java.
Yesterday I got a message to update Java, which I did.
When I look in C:\Program Files I see:

Folder: JavaSoft
Subfolder: JRE
Subfolder: 1.3.1_03

Folder: Java
Subfolder: j2re1.4.2_04 (note the "2")
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_06
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_09
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_10
Subfolder: jre1.5.0_11

Question: Do I need to keep _all_ these Java folders?
Or since I updated to the latest version, just keep the latest?
Do apps/utilities written by developers using older versions
of Java require _that_ version to run?


2. Second computer: Win XP Pro + SP2 + updates

Program Files _only_ has:

Folder: Java
Subfolder: j2re1.4.2_03

This computer has never prompted me to update Java.
Should I?

You should uninstall all old versions of Java using Control Panel
Add/Remove software. After doing that, you can delete all of the
C:\Program Files\Java\JRE or C:\Program Files\JavaSoft\JRE subfolders,
if any remain.

Then get the latest version of Java, which is Java Runtime Environment
(JRE) 6 from http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp

You should do this on both computers.

An application that uses Java should be able to use the latest version
of the JRE, even if it was originally designed with an older version in
mind (but see below). If you're concerned, then create a directory such
as C:\Obsolete Java Files\ and move all of the old JRE subdirectories
there. Give things some time, and after you have convinced yourself
that none of your applications are looking for the old files, then you
can delete them.

Sometimes, an application will have its own copies of the Java Runtime
Environment files in its own subdirectory structure (rather than putting
them in the C:\Program Files structure). Personally, I have not deleted
these out of concern that the application may have hardcoded the path to
these older versions. And in any event, any such old versions won't be
used by your browser, which is where the security problem generally is.

 

[ll]

Nuke them all in Add/Remove and get JRE 6.

Then get the latest version of Java, which is
Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 6

I appreciate the responses.
This is what puzzles me.

Yesterday I got an automated pop-up from Java
saying to update. I double-clicked the Java
tool and it updated itself to version 5-11.
Why did Sun install a new rev of version 5
instead of version 6? Is 6 beta?

 

[Lem]

I appreciate the responses.
This is what puzzles me.

Yesterday I got an automated pop-up from Java
saying to update. I double-clicked the Java
tool and it updated itself to version 5-11.
Why did Sun install a new rev of version 5
instead of version 6? Is 6 beta?

At http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp you get Version 5.0 Update
11. However at http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp you get
Version 6. I don't know why the autoupdate picks 5.11.

Version 6 is not beta: http://java.sun.com/javase/6/webnotes/index.html