Uninstall Old Java Version - Cannot Find

UsernameIssues said:

... Secunia failed to remove them.
...

Actually, when the Java site's uninstaller failed to remove those 3, I went ahead and ran Secunia 'anyway' (before the tutorial post). FWIW, a screen of the results is attached (no 3 java issues listed). I will re-visit this post later today. thank you all.

In post #1 is a screen capture of the 3 items reported by java as unable to uninstall. These 3 are not in the CP list for manual uninstall as instructed by the java site.

andrew129260 said:

@UsernameIssues

I noticed you did not update java ra's definitions before starting. That should always be done first. This is most likely why it did not work as expected. I use this program fairy often and know from experience if you do not update the definitions it doesn't work.

Great tut though :)

Sometimes Microsoft's troubleshooter works for me for removing stubborn programs.

Fix problems with programs that can't be installed or uninstalled

I did not update JavaRa's definitions because these instructions "Completely Remove Java Using SingularLabs’ JavaRa" do not mention that step. I tested updating the definitions first, the results were exactly the same: 819 items were deleted and two versions are still listed as being installed. The JavaRa app did not locate/use the normal uninstallers that were present for each version even after updating JavaRa's definitions. However, using the JavaRa app (with or without updated definitions) did break the normal uninstall process for Java 7 Update 40.




I find the user interface for JavaRa to be confusing and inconsistent. This is why I spent 3 or 4 hours with it attempting to understand/document stuff for the OP. For instance, when you update the definitions, you see a green progress bar. This bar seems to go to 100% and the bar's animation stops. Once I worked my way to the button named Perform Removal Routine, I saw a green progress bar (and animation) that never reaches the end. A popup says it has completed, but the green bar in the background window has not reached 100% and the animation continues. I closed the "completed popup" and left JavaRa like this for a while in case there were more actions it was taking. Checking Task Manager showed no IO traffic for the JavaRa app - so I guess it was done.

Then - out of curiosity - while the progress bar was still not at 100% and it was still animated, I clicked on the Perform Removal Routine button again. The green progress bar started over. It never reached 100%. The animation continued. A popup said it was complete- but that it had now deleted 935 items. Hmmm, is that 935 more items? Should I just keep clicking on the button named Perform Removal Routine until all versions of Java are gone? The answer is no. Repeatedly clicking the Perform Removal Routine button will repeatedly give me a progress bar that never stops and a "completed popup"informing me of 935 items having been deleted. No more versions of Java were removed by repeating this.

What I did not do - was use Process Monitor to see what additional items were removed by pressing the Perform Removal Routine button a second time. I had already spent enough time on an app that did not work for me.

JavaRa is designed to cleanup little things AFTER the normal uninstall process completes. I'm not sure how well it works on installations that have not been uninstalled normally. I see it as a cleanup tool, not a removal tool. Well, it does have an interface to the normal uninstall process; so in that sense, it is a removal tool. But JavaRa does not do that part of the removal. It just starts the normal Windows process for uninstalling an app.

Slartybart said:

... edit: please also clear this up for me: which java site uninstaller? JavaRA-SingularLabs or java.com?

java.com

Post #11 does seem to indicate that the problem is gone - but I would not trust the online scan from Secunia, hence my continued ramblings on the issue

This topic is borne from a topic in windows update forum : Do I really need all these updates so often ? - specifically, the last paragraph in post #2. I have had this machine for quite sometime and that thread's 'house-cleaning' message seemed reasonable to me. I do still consider myself a novice when it comes to 'the mechanics' of computer functions. My normal occupation is operating CAD/CAE s/w, i.e. I can pilot/drive this stuff way more competently than fix/program/maintain it. Which is why forums like these are so much appreciated and needed by me.

I appreciate all the assistance so far. However, upon surfing thru a few other topics on this site I seem to have run across a general 'attitude' that the 'need' for java is in question (e.g. Why do I need Java?). I have learned that if it is needed the machine will let me know. Therefore, I have decided to completely remove it from my machine. And when/if a message appears that I need it, to download it then. Since I have no idea when it is 'needed' it will be interesting to learn what operation I am performing when the 'need' for it arises.

So, I suppose I will now need help in what was earlier referenced as a brute-force removal (I did try the MS fixit tool, but the afore mentioned versions of java were not to be found in the list). I hope I will not go thru all this again when it comes time to tackle the 'update adobe flash' messages that seem to become more frequent as of late. Perhaps this too may be sent to oblivion along with java.

If the MS FIXIT tool did not find them, then one of the other tools removed them from the list of installed stuff. You probably don't have to do any more steps... but you can check each browser to see if some part of Java is still around. You can do that by visiting this link: How do I test whether Java is working on my computer?

I do suggest that people remove all versions of Java, but I worry that they will stumble across a website that is offering to install something other than Java.

You can rename or delete the folders that I mentioned above - or just leave them.