Java ?

coowee

Do I need Java.

I have a pop-up saying to download the latest java - but to check first if I already have it on my laptop.

I checked in my programs &features and it is listed (Oracle 6/02/12)
When I tried to download an update they cannot find any record of Java?
Now I'm being asked to delete the old and download the new!

DO I REALLY NEED THIS?
My laptop is used only by me, I do not play games on it , but sometimes used YouTube.

waddler_8

This link will verify if you have Java installed.

http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp

If not you can get the latest here: http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp

You must keep it updated if you need to have it installed.

http://www.securelist.com/en/analysis/204792255/Kaspersky_Security_Bulletin_2012_The_overall_statistics_for_2012#4

securityguy

coowee wrote: »

Do I need Java.

I have a pop-up saying to download the latest java - but to check first if I already have it on my laptop.

I checked in my programs &features and it is listed (Oracle 6/02/12)
When I tried to download an update they cannot find any record of Java?
Now I'm being asked to delete the old and download the new!

DO I REALLY NEED THIS?

No. Java applets embedded in webpages smack of the Clinton presidency, and with some extremely obscure exceptions basically don't exist any more. Applications which rely on Java being installed are few and far between (although in one case, Crashplan, are incredibly useful). Get rid. Check that nothing obvious broke. Leave it got rid. It's a nightmare of bugs, Oracle's heart isn't in maintaining it for consumers, Apple are slowly de-committing it by stealth for OSX and iPhones (etc) never supported it and are unlikely to in the future. Noble experiment, good teaching language, we've learnt a lot from it, James Gosling's a really nice guy. But it's over.

Even if you can't get rid of it from your machine (because you're using Crashplan for backup, which is a good idea) then removing it from your browser is a very good idea. That's Apple's current position: the plugin for Java is by default not installed.

coowee

Wow! thanks for advice.

Lighthouse_in_the_dark

full of vunrabilities, ethier keep it updated constantly,

qulays browser checker is a good tool.

or delete.

though there seems to be more and more zero days coming out for java of recent