Is Java being used?

[glennd]

Is there a way to determine if the Java runtime is being used by any software installed on a Win 10 machine? I could just uninstall it and see what breaks but I thought there might be more elegant approach.

 

[phaZed]

the javaw.exe runtime will be running if a process is actively using it.. other than that it's a pretty small list of software using Java nowadays.

You can run autoruns and search for 'java' and see if anything is being run as a service, etc.

 

[Porthos]

If it is a home user, some of those darn Pogo games use java.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

A lot of web pages/web based apps....so it's hard to inventory software on the computer to see if they have what requires it. Including a lot of business service websites/portals.
Still quite a few line of business applications
Many SSL VPN mini clients that are browser based

 

[JoelM]

Every time I have tried to eliminate it on a customer's computer I get a call. Hey "such & such application doesn't work." Reinstall Java and it starts working again.
I have given up on removing it & just focus on keeping it updated.

 

[glennd]

It turns out to be their LOB software. I did a version update yesterday and watched a bunch of jars get installed. I noticed it's version 6 on at least one machine. Now that might have been installed by the LOB or it might have been there prior. It should be safe to put that latest version on do you think?

 

[mraikes]

It turns out to be their LOB software. I did a version update yesterday and watched a bunch of jars get installed. I noticed it's version 6 on at least one machine. Now that might have been installed by the LOB or it might have been there prior. It should be safe to put that latest version on do you think?

No, not necessarily. At my FTJ we have an essential app that will crash and burn on the current java version. It's always a couple versions behind. Frustrating, but we're stuck with it.

Can you get the LOB specs to see what it requires?

 

[glennd]

No, not necessarily. At my FTJ we have an essential app that will crash and burn on the current java version. It's always a couple versions behind. Frustrating, but we're stuck with it.

Can you get the LOB specs to see what it requires?

hrmm.. Their requirements don't mention java. That probably means they installed it themselves. I'm inclined to leave it as is.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

It turns out to be their LOB software. I did a version update yesterday and watched a bunch of jars get installed. I noticed it's version 6 on at least one machine. Now that might have been installed by the LOB or it might have been there prior. It should be safe to put that latest version on do you think?

Ugh...I can't stand it when apps require old versions of Java. Java is one of the more widely exploited web players, it's important to keep it up to date to minimize your exposure to web based threats. I have a large health care client, years ago when we onboarded them...stuck on N-Ables patch manager...and a week or so later some desktops had issues with certain functions within their primary EMR. Working with support...they determined the Java version on the workstations was too new. I had to revert to back "quite a few versions...like..A LOT of versions back".

I couldn't hold back...I let loose to their support on the phone, and then wrote an email to one of their head programmers. Telling him "you're in healthcare, you guys do know that outdated web players are a huge vector of attack on workstations, old Java is a very high risk...most healthcare places need their networks secured. And part of that means keeping web players up to date".

Wasn't but a few months later or so...they did something with their developers and started keeping current with support for the latest Java.