Use the Java plugin to view interactive content on websites
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- Creator: AliceWyman
- Comment: typo in last pending revision.
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- Reviewed by: AliceWyman
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Many web pages use Java applets for interactive content such as online games. Java is a programming language that can run on Windows, Mac, Linux, and other computer systems.
- Java is not the same thing as JavaScript (see this article for information about JavaScript).
Before Firefox can run Java applets you must have the Java plugin properly installed and enabled. Starting in Firefox 3.6, Firefox also requires the new "Next Generation" Java plugin included in Java 6 Update 10 or above.
This article will help you install or update Java and get it working in Firefox.
Table of Contents
Testing Java
A number of online tools will tell you if Java is installed and enabled in Firefox.
- You can visit the Java test page at java.com.
- To verify your installed Java software, see Verify Installation at java.com.
- Java Tester includes links to verify your Java version and whether Java is enabled.
Enabling Java
If Java is not working, make sure that the Java plugin is enabled in the Add-ons window Manager tab:
- Click the menu button
, click and select .
- Click on the Java(TM) Platform plugin to select it.
- Click on the button (if the button says , Java is already enabled).
Other software that may block Java
Even if Java is installed and enabled in Firefox, it may be blocked by other software or Firefox add-ons, such as the following:
- The ZoneAlarm Pro software firewall can block Java. For more information on enabling Java through this program, see the ZoneAlarm Pro forum.
- The NoScript extension for Firefox will block Java. For more information, see the NoScript FAQ
Installing or updating Java
Manual install or update
- Go to the download page at java.com.
- Click the button.
- Click the button to download the Java installer to your computer.
- After the down is complete, close Firefox.
- Open the file you downloaded to start the Java installation.
Automatic update
Java for Windows includes a Java Update feature that, in Windows 2000 and later, periodically checks for updates and notifies you when an update is available for installation.
Troubleshooting
After enabling Java in your operating system and through your Firefox options, Java may still fail to work properly. To activate Java, try the following:
- Remove outdated Java plugin files from the Firefox plugins folder:Note: It is recommended that you do not copy Java plugins from other locations to the Firefox plugins folder. Outdated Java plugins can cause Java not to work if you update Java and then uninstall the older Java version, if plugins from the old Java version are still in the Firefox plugins folder.
- Click the menu button
, click and select .
- Select the Java(TM) Platform plugin and make sure that it is enabled.
- Check if the Java(TM) Platform plugin is correctly detected. All Java plugins listed in the Add-ons window Manager tab should match the version number of the currently installed Java plugin. For example, if Java 6 Update 24 is currently installed, the Java plugin in the Add-ons window should be listed as Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U24.
- If you find Java plugin files listed that do not match your current version, that means that the Firefox plugins folder contains outdated Java plugin files which should be removed. This folder is typically in the following location:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins
Java plugin files from older versions in the Firefox plugins folder can prevent Java from working. For more information, see the PluginDoc Java FAQ.
- Click the menu button
- Add missing registry entry: Sometimes a Windows registry entry that Java needs may be missing. To fix, you should re-install Firefox - see the instructions in How to install Firefox on Windows for installation instructions.
Java is a core component of Mac and should be properly installed with the operating system. To update Java, use the Mac OS X Software Update feature.
See Java Plugin Install for Linux at oracle.com for help installing or updating Java on your Linux system.
Issues or problems related to Java
For more information on specific issues with Java, see Java-related issues.
Additional resources
- The Java FAQs page at Java.com answers some frequently asked questions.
- PluginDoc includes Java downloads and installation instructions for other operating systems.
Based on information from Java (mozillaZine KB)