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Are Java updates important?
Charlton_King
Posts: 2,071 Forumite
in Techie Stuff
Have just had a heads up saying that a new Java version is available.
Forgive my ignorance but how important would you say this was? Must I install it or else suffer some dreadful PC breakdown?
Forgive my ignorance but how important would you say this was? Must I install it or else suffer some dreadful PC breakdown?
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Comments
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No; I have not updated mine either (been prompted each day for the last two months at least).
Ditto Flash - never a necessity, unless youtube etc. demand the latest update:)BLOODBATH IN THE EVENING THEN? :shocked: OR PERHAPS THE AFTERNOON? OR THE MORNING? OH, FORGET THIS MALARKEY!
THE KILLERS :cool:
THE PUNISHER :dance: MATURE CHEDDAR ADDICT:cool:0 -
It won't break your pc if you don't download it but I see no benefit in not doing it especially if you are getting reminders popping up all the time ?0
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Like quite a lot of software, there are vulnerabilities in the older versions of Java* that can be exploited by naughty persons.
I suggest you update Java - then, if you want, uninstall the older versions that Sun always leaves lying around, using Control Panel -> Add and Remove Programs...
(The only exception to this is if you know that a particular program you use needs a specific older version of Java - it shouldn't, but not all programmers are as good as those at Microsoft! :rotfl: )
* and Flash0 -
As above - the vundo malware family can attack the vulnerabilities in Java.
Always update.0 -
Ok have installed Java 6 update 10.
Is it essential to uninstall previous Java updates?0 -
^No
^^^ BLOODBATH IN THE EVENING THEN? :shocked: OR PERHAPS THE AFTERNOON? OR THE MORNING? OH, FORGET THIS MALARKEY!
THE KILLERS :cool:
THE PUNISHER :dance: MATURE CHEDDAR ADDICT:cool:0 -
Yes it is important
The new version sadly does not replace or patch what you already have - so remove the old. Also they are huge in size.0 -
Charlton_King wrote: »Ok have installed Java 6 update 10. Is it essential to uninstall previous Java updates?
I agree with Reluctant_Spender that it is a very good idea to uninstall older versions of Java for the reason I gave in my post - that the vulnerabilities in older versions of Java (and of Flash) can be exploited. The other advantage is that you also get back lots of tens of megabytes of disk space per Java version uninstalled!0 -
You would hope that once the new version is installed, the old ones would be completely dormant and unavailable to be exploited but I'll certainly take the disk space back if nothing else!0
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All I can find in Contol Panel programs beyond the install I've just done is:
Java Update 3
Java Update 5
Java Update 7
Java SE Runtime Environment 6
Do I uninstall all of these?0
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