[DoubleHelix]

Originally Posted by Fractalogic

Well finally, now it works. I just had to install Java from an installer called "jxpiinstall.exe". I simply visited Java website (http://www.java.com/) and clicked "Free Java Download" button.

It's in fact the same installer that the Firefox automatic Plugin Finder Service found. And yes, I just checked under Add-ons, Plugins in Firefox, it is indeed JRE 1.6.0.26.

The installer file for Internet Explorer is "jre-6u26-windows-i586-iftw.exe" since IE and Firefox don't use the same plugin format.

Note that this is referred to "installing Java" but this is merely just installing the right plugin for the web browser.

However, I am still unable to check the "Mozilla family" (or "series") option in Java control panel and make it stay that way. I can click it and the checkmark is applied, but the setting just won't stay that way. So I cannot switch Java plugin on and off for Firefox from that end. I need to do it from within Firefox. I don't know if this has to do with the fact that I have installed JDK 6 update 26 instead of the regular JRE only. Go figure. I'm just glad it works now.

There is a lot of confusion associated with Java out there. Like for instance, why not just put out a simple installer for JRE 64-bit or 32-bit, which ever you need. And simply download and install it. The plugins can be made available separately. Now this is something that Mozilla for example could put up on their Add-ons download pages. Why would you need to get the JDK just to install the 64-bit JRE? That's confusing enough, IMHO.

I just wanna say thanks to you all for your input.

You don't. That's why it's not working. Open Firefox, go to www.java.com, and click Download.

[Fractalogic]

Originally Posted by DoubleHelix

You don't. That's why it's not working. Open Firefox, go to www.java.com, and click Download.

How do you know that it is in fact 64-bit?...

[DoubleHelix]

You said in your first post that you downloading the 64-bit version of the Java SDK. I don't understand why you're making this complicated unless I'm not understanding the problem.

Open Firefox, go to www.java.com, and click Download. What about that isn't working?

[Fractalogic]

Thank you for your interest DoubleHelix! But I'm not too sure anymore that you understood my point. If you had a 64-bit Windows, you would normally want to get the 64-bit JRE, am I right? What would you do to get it?

[DoubleHelix]

No, you wouldn't. You would get the version of Java required by your browser. Firefox is a 32-bit application.

I understand your point. It's not correct. Your processor type doesn't matter in this case.

[Fractalogic]

I see what you're saying. But if you want to run 64-bit Java applications, you would need the 64-bit JRE, right?

It's true that Firefox is 32-bit only. So if you only need Java support for Firefox, then it would be enough to just install the 32-bit JRE. But who said you were only going to run Java applets and not applications as well, outside of your browser?

[Fractalogic]

Besides, Firefox doesn't really use the JRE. It is merely using a Java plugin to call up the JRE in order to run Java applets on websites. So you really need two things to enable Java support for Firefox, or any other browser. You need to have either the 64-bit JRE or the 32-bit JRE. Then you need the appropriate Java plugin for the browser.

Now if you went for the 32-bit JRE, and the Java plugin, you would have Java applet support in your browser, but you would only have limited Java application support. The limitation being that you would not be able to run 64-bit Java applications on your computer.

But if you go for the 64-bit JRE and a Java plugin for the browser, you could run both 64-bit and 32-bit Java applications, as well as Java applets. Correct me if I'm wrong but 64-bit JRE can run both 64-bit and 32-bit Java applications.

Now, when you go to www.java.com there is no special link that would allow you to choose what you want to download, if you want the 32-bit or 64-bit JRE. There is only this stupid "download" button which doesn't tell you a s***. You know? So the only way to tell really what you are getting is to head for the JDK, which is obviously available in both 32-bit and 64-bit, and they include a JRE of the same edition.

Now I did install the JDK 64-bit, therefore I know that I have the 64-bit JRE. But installing the JDK didn't seem to install the Java plugin for Firefox, only for Internet Explorer. So I had no choice but to go visit the www.java.com from within Firefox and hit the "download" button. You need to visit the page with the browser for which you intend to install Java, so that you get the appropriate plugin version.

[Fractalogic]

I just checked my Java installation. I apparently have both 64-bit and 32-bit JRE, and the 64-bit JDK. I can't tell if both 64-bit and 32-bit JRE were installed by the JDK 64-bit package. Or if the 32-bit JRE was installed without my knowledge when I downloaded and installed Java for Firefox, using the "download" button at www.java.com.

This of course doesn't tell if 64-bit JRE supports 32-bit applications, or if you need both 32-bit and 64-bit JRE to be installed separately. You can only make a guess at which installer installed the two JRE (32 and 64-bit), if it was the JDK 64-bit installer (jdk-6u26-windows-x64.exe) who installed both or if it was the "Firefox" Java installer (jxpiinstall.exe) from www.java.com that installed the 32-bit JRE. I would have to reinstall them all to find out.

It's no surprise to me that Java installs often get broken, and you read about user who are unable to run Java applications or Java applets. You sometimes see users who can't even install Java, or remove the old install to try to repair it. It all just gets f-ed up. In that case you have to dive deep into the system to try to clean it up from Java. I guess this is why they try to make it "simple" by having only one "download" link so that even the most novice user can get Java installed.

[DoubleHelix]

That's a whole lot info.

Java works just fine for me in Firefox. If you want it to work, follow my instructions. If you want it to work your way, good luck.

[sepala]

Did you try uninstalling and reinstalling?

[Fractalogic]

Yeah, I know. But I won't feel sorry about it. There just is no other way of explaining it than giving all the info. But I shouldn't care to explain at all. Because the important thing is that it works now. I don't care to investigate how that is possible, and why the heck it didn't work from the beginning the first time I installed the 64-bit JDK, or why the checkbox in Java control panel for enabling Java in Firefox didn't respond or save changed state (and still doesn't). I will let the Oracle/Sun and Java people scratch their heads about it.

Like I said, Java installation is some messy business, more often than not. At least now I can run Java applets not only in IE9 but in FX 3.6 too, as well as 32-bit and 64-bit Java applications on desktop. That's the important thing.

Again, thank you for your interest. And thank you for your help!

Worth noting is that one has to visit www.java.com from within Firefox in order to download and install the Java plugin for this browser, so doing the same with Internet Explorer won't help solve the Java issue with Firefox. There are no download options at www.java.com in terms of what browser you want to download and install the plugin for, or if you want only the plugin or the complete JRE with the plugin, or if you want the 32-bit or 64-bit JRE. It's an automated one-click-option that detects the browser type, and the installer then detects if JRE is already installed and if it is then it only installs the needed Java plugin.

[IMiteBable2help]

Wow, that's quite an issue you had there. My problem is, youtube won't recognize that I have java. It's all up to date, works, and all boxes for both browsers are checked. grrr....