JDK Installation for Microsoft Windows

See JDK 7 and JRE 7 Installation Guide for general information about installing JDK 7 and JRE 7.

The following topics are covered:

System Requirements

See Oracle JRE 7 and JDK 7 Certified System Configurations for information about supported platforms, operating systems, and browsers.

See Windows System Requirements for JDK and JRE for minimum processor, disk space, and memory requirements.

Note:

The JDK and JRE have a version string that enables you to determine the version number. See Java Platform Standard Edition 7, Names and Versions Version Number for information about Java SE 7 version numbers.
The JDK has the option of installing the public JRE. For more information about JRE installation, see JRE Installation for Microsoft Windows.
If you have any difficulties, see the Troubleshooting section at the end of this document or submit a bug report for your installation problem.

Installation Instructions Notation

For any text in this document that contains the following notation, you must substitute the appropriate update version number:

<version>

For example, if you were downloading the JDK installer for 32-bit systems for update 1.7.0_01, the file name: jdk-7<version>-windows-i586.exe would become jdk-7u1-windows-i586.exe.

Similarly, if you were downloading the JDK installer for 64-bit systems for update 1.7.0_01, the file name jdk-7<version>-windows-x64.exe would become jdk-7u1-windows-x64.exe.

In this procedure, you will run the self-installing executable file to unpack and install the JDK. As part of the JDK, this installation includes an option to include the public Java Runtime Environment. (The JDK also contains a private JRE for use only by its tools; see Private Versus Public JRE for more information.)

Install the JDK by doing the following:

Downloading the Installer

If you save the self-installing executable file to disk without running it from the download page at the web site, note that its byte size provided on the download page. After the download has completed, verify that you have downloaded the full, uncorrupted software file.

Running the JDK Installer

You must have administrative permissions in order to install the JDK on Microsoft Windows.

The file jdk-7<version>-windows-i586-i.exe is the JDK installer for 32-bit systems. The file jdk-7<version>-windows-x64.exe is the JDK installer for 64-bit systems. If you downloaded either file instead of running it directly from the web site, double-click the installer's icon. Then, follow the instructions the installer provides. The installer may ask you to reboot your computer. When finished with the installation, you can delete the downloaded file to recover disk space.

Note: Installers for JDK 7u6 and later install the JavaFX SDK and integrate it into the JDK installation directory. Installers for JDK 7u2 to 7u5 install the JDK first, then start the JavaFX SDK installer, which installs JavaFX SDK in the default directory C:\Program Files\Oracle\JavaFX 2.0 SDK or C:\Program Files (x86)\Oracle\JavaFX 2.0 SDK on 64-bit operating systems. If you want to install the JavaFX SDK (version 2.0.2) with JDK 7u1 or earlier, see Installing JavaFX for more information.

Installing the JDK Silently

You can perform a silent, non-interactive, JDK installation by using the command-line arguments. The following table lists example installation scenarios and the commands required to perform them:

Installation Scenario	Command
Install the public JRE in silent mode	jdk.exe /s
Install development tools and source code in silent mode but not the public JRE	jdk.exe /s ADDLOCAL="ToolsFeature,SourceFeature"
Install development tools, source code, and the public JRE in silent mode	jdk.exe /s ADDLOCAL="ToolsFeature,SourceFeature,PublicjreFeature"
Install the public JRE in the specified directory `C:\test\` in silent mode	jdk.exe /s /INSTALLDIRPUBJRE=C:\test\

Updating the PATH Environment Variable (Optional)

You can run the JDK without setting the PATH environment variable, or you can optionally set it so that you can conveniently run the JDK executable files (javac.exe, java.exe, javadoc.exe, and so forth) from any directory without having to type the full path of the command. If you do not set the PATH variable, you need to specify the full path to the executable file every time you run it, such as:

C:\> "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0\bin\javac" MyClass.java

It is useful to set the PATH variable permanently so it will persist after rebooting.

To set the PATH variable permanently, add the full path of the jdk1.7.0\bin directory to the PATH variable. Typically, this full path looks something like C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0\bin. Set the PATH variable as follows on Microsoft Windows:

Click Start, then Control Panel, then System.
Click Advanced, then Environment Variables.
Add the location of the bin folder of the JDK installation for the PATH variable in System Variables. The following is a typical value for the PATH variable:
```
C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0\bin
```

Note:

The PATH environment variable is a series of directories separated by semicolons (;) and is not case-sensitive. Microsoft Windows looks for programs in the PATH directories in order, from left to right.
You should only have one bin directory for a JDK in the path at a time. Those following the first instance are ignored.
If you are not sure where to add the path, add it to the right of the value of the PATH variable.
The new path takes effect in each new command window you open after setting the PATH variable.

Starting to Use the JDK

If you are new to developing and running programs in the Java programming language, see The Java Tutorial online for some guidance. Note especially the tutorial trails under the heading Trails Covering the Basics.

You can also download the JDK documentation from the Java SE Downloads page.

Uninstalling the JDK

If you should ever want to uninstall the JDK, use the "Add/Remove Programs" utility in the Microsoft Windows Control Panel.

Installed Directory Tree

See JDK and JRE File Structure for a description of the directory structure of the JDK. (Note that the file structure of the JRE is identical to that of the JDK's jre directory.)

Installation Troubleshooting

Below are some tips for working around problems that are sometimes seen during or following an installation. For more troubleshooting information, see Troubleshooting Java SE:

Corrupt Cabinet File

If you see the error message "corrupt cabinet file," then the file you have downloaded is corrupted. Check the file size against the expected file size listed in these instructions. If sizes do not match, try downloading the bundle again. (A cabinet file contains compressed application, data, resource, and DLL files.)

System Error During Decompression

If you see the error message "system error during decompression," then you might not have enough space on the disk that contains your TEMP directory.

Program Cannot Be Run in DOS Mode

If you see the error message "This program cannot be run in DOS mode," then do the following:

Open the MS-DOS shell or Command Prompt window.
Right-click the title bar.
Select Properties.
Choose the Program tab.
Click the Advanced button.
Ensure that the item "Prevent MS-DOS-based programs from detecting Windows" is not selected.
Select OK.
Select OK again.
Exit the MS-DOS shell.
Restart your computer.

Private Versus Public JRE

Installing the JDK also installs a private JRE and optionally a public copy. The private JRE is required to run the tools included with the JDK. It has no registry settings and is contained entirely in a jre directory (typically at C:\Program Files\jdk1.7.0\jre) whose location is known only to the JDK. On the other hand, the public JRE can be used by other Java applications, is contained outside the JDK (typically at C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.7.0), is registered with the Windows registry (at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft), can be removed using Add/Remove Programs, might be registered with browsers, and might have the java.exe file copied to the Windows system directory (which would make it the default system Java platform).

Source Files in Notepad

In Microsoft Windows, when you create a new file in Microsoft Notepad and then save it for the first time, Notepad usually adds the .txt extension to the file name. Therefore, a file you name Test.java is saved as Test.java.txt. It is important to note that you cannot see the .txt extension unless you turn on the viewing of file extensions (in Microsoft Windows Explorer, unselect "Hide file extensions for known file types" under Folder Options). To prevent the .txt extension, enclose the file name in quotation marks, such as "Test.java", when typing it into the Save As dialog box.

On the other hand, Microsoft WordPad does not add the .txt extension if you specify another extension. However, you must save the file as "Text Document".