XP: Should I uninstall or upgrade Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (JVM)?

Contributor Icon Contributed by MickeyMouse Date Icon September 6, 2004  
Tag Icon Tagged: Windows

Even though they both try to do the same things, java from Sun and java from Microsoft are very different things. Here is how to run them or uninstall them.


Java is everywhere. The most confusing thing about java is that both Sun and Microsoft have released virtual machines for XP. Honestly, both of them work well for most stuff. Most believe, however, that Sun’s version is much more secure and stable.

A lot of people believe that everybody should switch over to Sun’s java completely. That is probably true; however, I have seen a lot of problems from people trying to uninstall the microsoft version of java. Therefore, I will describe how to uninstall microsoft’s version and how to just “turn it off” but leave it installed.

Here’s where to download the latest Sun version of java:
http://www.java.com/en/download/windows_automatic.jsp

Here’s how to turn the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine off:

    1. Open an IE window and click on the Tools menu
    2. Click on Internet Options
    3. Click on the Advanced tab
    4. Scroll down to Java(Sun) and make sure the checkmark beside Use Java 2 v1.42_04 for
    is selected. If you don’t have this section, then you don’t have the Sun version of java installed.
    5. Scroll down to Microsoft VM section and uncheck everything there. If you don’t have this section, then you don’t have Microsoft’s version of java installed.
    6. Click OK (and you may or may not be asked to reboot here depending on what your prior selections were).
    7. Open your Control Panel
    8. Click the Java Plug-In icon (in the classic view)
    9. Select the Browser tab
    10. Click the checkmarks for all the browsers that you have in your system.
    11. Click Apply
    12. You will probably need to reboot once again.

    Here’s how to remove your Microsoft Java Virtual Machine:

    Note: I would strongly recommend just turning it off. Why uninstall it? Anyway, here’s the directions in case you have a problem that isn’t fixed by just disabling it. After you do this, you will need to install the java from sun.

      1. Click the Start menu
      2. Click Run.
      3. Enter the following command into the textbox:
      RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection java.inf,UnInstall

      4. Click Yes to confirm
      5. Reboot.
      6. After the reboot you’ll need to delete the following:
      [list]
      (note: %systemroot% is c:\windows on most systems)

      Files:

      \%systemroot%\java folder
      \%systemroot%\inf\java.pnf
      \%systemroot%\system32\jview.exe
      \%systemroot%\system32\wjview.exe

      Registry Keys:

      The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Java VM
      The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AdvancedOptions\JAVA_VM

    Reboot, reinstall java, and you should be done.

    Disclaimer: If you are not comfortable editing the registry and system files, don’t try to uninstall Microsoft’s virtual machine. If you do, please create a restore point first!

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    Viewing 4 Comments

      • ^
      • v
      Be aware that in order to install Sun Java you may have to switch off the XP firewall!

      Cheers
      • ^
      • v
      Well, I need both version of VM. Sun's for javascript enabled sites
      and Microsoft's for some sites (like : www.money.net) that run Micosoft's java applets.
      Usually, when installing Sun's J2RE the installation -uninstalls- Microsoft's
      VM, which has to be re-installed and wich is hard to find as Microsoft doesn't support the program anymore.

      Any solutions ?
      • ^
      • v
      MS JAVA VM Removal / REINSTALL
      The W2K server SP2 was IE 5.5 SP2 was upgraded to Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1
      Now there where some problem's, !!! not suprised !! Microsoft Java didn't work anymore, and sun java was not a solution because the intranet was build on M$ Java. So The server was upgraded to SP4 ?. Did not bring the solution.



      I am running Windows 2000 Server SP 4 with citrix and did the following:

      - deinstalled all sun java's,
      You will have to check if java is installed, you can do this : START -> RUN -> CMD (enter) -> jview , if you get an aswer it is installed. The following commando wil do an uninstall. The deinstall did not work at first on my server because the java.inf file was missing. you can steal this from an other machine and put it in %systemroot%inf .

      - RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection java.inf,UnInstall (manual removal of ms java vm)

      After you did the deinstall you need to do a reboot, because some files are locked.

      remove the %systemroot%java folder
      java.pnf from the %systemroot%inf folder
      jview.exe and wjview.exe from the %systemroot%system32 folder
      The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftJava VM registry subkey
      The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftInternet ExplorerAdvancedOptionsJAVA_VM registry subkey (to remove the Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) options)

      Microsoft Java is now deinstalled.

      Because I Run SP4 on my W2K machine The java installation package could not install telling me that I needed to downgrade or whatever? So I needed to do a force install with no check.

      Go to START --> RUN , and run the following command (probebly you have a different Directory for c:downloads and you'll have to include the quotes.)


      "C:downloadsmsjavx86.exe" "/c:javatrig.exe /L /exe_install /nowincheck"
      I think you can do this also on other machines.

      After this you need to upgrade to MS JAVA VM 3810
      links are on
      http://www.infocellar.com/java/fix-your-java.htm
      • ^
      • v
      In response to:

      <ul id="quote">Well, I need both version of VM. Sun's for javascript enabled sites
      and Microsoft's for some sites (like : www.money.net) that run Micosoft's java applets. </ul>

      The JVM has nothing to do with JavaScript. Java applets and JavaScript are completely unrelated. Most websites use JavaScript to some degree and this simply requires an appropriate engine in the browser; just about all modern browsers can handle JavaScript, although they differ slightly in how much they adhere to the DOM and W3C standards.

      Java applets, on the other hand, require a JVM to run. As already stated, most applets will work with either JVM, although I have personally found the Sun JVM to be more reliable.

      Dash

      DeRailed's Technology Forum
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