Install and/Or Uninstall Java

When should you use the Install and/or Uninstall Java Worklet?

This Worklet can function as an installer of one version of Java SE and/or uninstaller of all currently installed Java (SE/JDK). It will handle installing/uninstalling either 64 or 32-bit Java.

How to install and/or uninstall Java with this PowerShell Worklet 

The Java Installer with Option to Uninstall Previous Installs Worklet supports Windows 8 and above and Java 6 through 8. This Worklet can function as an installer of one version of Java SE and/or uninstaller of all currently installed Java (SE/JDK).

The  Install and/or Uninstall Java Worklet will handle installing/uninstalling either 64 or 32-bit Java. This Worklet was designed for installing Java SE but was lightly tested by installing Java Development Kits (JDK). For an install: Upload the Java installer to the Worklet.

To purely use this Worklet to remove all Java from systems, just set $javaToInstall = "" and $uninstallOtherJava = $true (No Java will uninstall if JDK exists on a device and $jdkOverride = $false.  Set it $true to also remove Java from all devices with JDK.)

What is Java?

Java is a widely used programming language that was developed by James Gosling and his team at Sun Microsystems (later acquired by Oracle Corporation). It was released in 1995 and has since become one of the most popular programming languages in the world.

Java is an object-oriented language, which means it is based on the concept of objects that can contain data and code. It is known for its platform independence, which allows Java programs to run on any device or operating system that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed. This "write once, run anywhere" capability is achieved by compiling Java code into bytecode, which can be executed by the JVM. 

When considering Java installation, you might also want to think about how Java developers use Java Runtime Environment. Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is a software package that provides the necessary runtime environment for executing Java applications and applets on a computer. 

Why would you want to uninstall versions of Java?

When a newer version of Java is released, you may want to uninstall older versions to ensure access to the latest features, improvements, and security updates provided by the newer version. Older versions of Java may have known security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors. Removing older versions and keeping only the latest version helps reduce the risk of potential security breaches.

Since each installed version of Java takes up disk space, if you have multiple older versions installed on a system and no longer need them, uninstalling them can help free up disk space.

In some cases, having multiple versions of Java installed on a system can also lead to version conflicts, where different applications or software components may require different versions of Java. Uninstalling older or unnecessary versions can help avoid such conflicts and ensure compatibility with the required versions.