How to disable Java in your browsers

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It isn’t as simple as it should be…InfoWorld Tech Watch(Link fixed: thanks, everybody.)
[See the full post at: How to disable Java in your browsers]

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Hey Woody,
You linked the 13 worst mis-steps for your java article.

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Link goes to the 13 Micro$oft mistakes instead of to the Disable-Java article –
probably just a copy/paste typo ?

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Your link points to the previous TechWatch article. Where is this article?

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The grim’s are still at it. This link takes me to the 13 sins of MicroSoft instead of the sins of Java. Don’t despair, I have days like this too.

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Found the article anyway.

Homeland Security does not recommend getting rid of Java from personal computers. Only from browsers.

And let’s remind folks that this is Java Programming Language, Java Runtime and Java Plugins we are talking about. Not javascript, which has its own security issues. the naming similarity is unfortunate and misleading.

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Woody,

You appear to have the wrong link attached to “Tech Watch” — it’s the same one that points to Microsoft’s 13 missteps.

Regards,

M.M.

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Link points to Microsoft defects instead of to the Java article.

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Woody, bad day? the link for the disable isn’t going there.

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Senior moments?

I’m afraid you have the wrong link again…

Chris

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@Chris –

Yep, that’s exactly what it was. Er, they were. OUCH!

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@RC –

Absolutely correct on all counts.

I tried to weave that distinction into the InfoWorld article, but got all tongue-tied…

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Woody,
What a relief to find out it wasn’t “me” when I went to link this morning.
But, the steps to disable Java are scarey. If I’m remembering right, when you first mentioned it awhile ago, I went to Firefox and disabled it from there. Can’t I leave it at that? (I have Windows 7). The idea of installing an up-to-date version and then removing it, and the icon search itself in my control panel is what’s scarey. I do make mistakes. My skills are still “newbie”…

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#2:Just remembered this: when you suggested we add the 15 adds/apps (I have trouble with tech words, and your XP Pro for Dummies was so supportive on that front, my first of your books; I’m still studying in Windows 7 for Dummies),
I finally installed Chrome and some of the adds/apps. Question: did Java come installed on the Chrome search engine? I still keep Firefox as my home page due to easier to read/see with my vision problems than the chrome. All things google are harder in enlarged type/text, as it cuts the screen image. And gmail’s “new” (over a year ago) format is miserable compared to the old one. It took me a year and a half to figure it out (“new window”) with screen cutting off page.

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@Sanda –

It’d be a very good idea to make sure you have the latest version. There are many ways to do that, but the easiest is probably to visit the Java site.

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Woody,
(Expletives – nice of the spell check to let me know…)
I followed instructions. I had an older version; I installed the newest, as you suggested. Your instructions were good for how to find it in security (better than my “help”, although it was good for newest version). I disabled it, but got this odd notice: (paraphrase) This is only disabled for the current user. (It was for going to internet. I didn’t understand other listing. I gather that Java is in a lot of things. But it’s disabled in my control panel.I’ll test it when my husband prints out your article and I can hold it next to machine.)
Ques.:What does it mean “only for this user”? I am the only person using my machine. Is it that?

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I uploaded the latest version of Java, then I disabled it in Chrome. I don’t see any yellow message when I go to the Java test page. What went wrong?

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New Java exploit mentioned here:
http://www.zdnet.com/exploit-kits-abuse-yet-another-zero-day-vulnerability-in-java-7000009682/

to disable Java in Google Chrome, type in “chrome://plugins” in Chrome’s address bar, look for the Java plugin and click on Disable to turn it off.

for at least the first half of year 2013, I can live without Java by uninstalling it altogether from all my machines.

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@Sanda –

If you’re the only person using the computer, then “Only for this user” and “For all users” do exactly the same thing.

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@Tom –

Nothing went wrong, as long as the web site reports that you don’t have a working copy of Java.

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Best bet for removing all traces of Java, and also useful if you have a lot of old versions running around:

JavaRA http://singularlabs.com/software/javara/

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Two questions after reading your article in WindowsSecrets:
1. Can I just ignore IE since I never ever use it? The difficulties of disabling it are more than my skills.
2. If I buy a new Microsoft Surface Pro tablet, will I have to do the disabling of Java from IE in the new machine?

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@Sanda –

Unfortunately, the problem is with Java – so if you disable Java for all browsers, you’ll be fine. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how little you need it.

Yes, at this point, you will have to disable Java on a new Surface Pro tablet – or avoid installing Java entirely. Microsoft doesn’t pre-install Java, and I’d be surprised if any of the major vendors will install it on new machines, either.

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