When something won’t run properly on a website, the issue can often be a plug-in like Java. Vicki from Decatur is having a hard time getting the program to work : “How do I get Java enabled in my browsers? I like Firefox and Chrome. I have tried everything that I have found. I have also been to about:config. I have been to the browsers too. I am running Windows 10, but there is no info out there for that, just Windows 7, and evidently it does not work. Please help me. I love your site and have learned so much from it.”
Java is a programming language that can be used to create software and to add extra features and functions to websites.
It used to be installed on almost every PC, but its popularity has waned, and it is no longer so widely used. This is partly because alternative web technologies have come along and partly because security flaws in older versions of Java have put people off.
If a website you want to visit or software want to use will not work, and displays a message saying that Java is required, then install it. However, it should not be installed unless it is needed because your PC will be safer without it. Java is still considered the biggest vulnerability for computers in the U.S. because it’s a favorite was for hackers to infiltrate your PC.
Chrome and Edge browsers have abandoned Java and do not support it. Your choice is between Internet Explorer 11 and Firefox, which do still use Java. Either of these browsers can be used to install Java and visit websites that require it. Installing it for one, installs it for the other too.
Go to java.com and if a message about cookies appears, agree to it. Click the Free Java Download button on the home page.
On the next page, click the big red button, Agree and Start Free Download.
Afterwards, you can either run the Java installer from the browser or open the Downloads folder in Explorer and double click the file.
When User Account Control asks if you want to allow the app to run, click Yes. Click the Install button when this window appears.
Unnecessary extras are often bundled with Java, so take care during the installation and avoid them by clearing the tick boxes next to them. There is currently an offer to install Amazon Assistant, but offers can change.
Now that we’ve installed Java, let’s enable it for your browsers. I’ll show you how tomorrow in part 2 of this article.
~ Roland Waddilove