Do I need JAVA?

[pangaia]

I got an update message on lower right bar on the screen. So i updated. I COULD be wrong, but it sure seems like some youtube vids are bluurier, maybe some photos are blurrier in Google Photos....not 100% sure....
Any opinions that could help?
Thanks..

[steve2470]

1. you need javascript, usually

Javascript is built into all web browsers. No need to update besides the usual monthly updates.

"Java" is a different language that is not used very often except for some applications. I doubt you need it. Don't click any messages. Run a malware scan with two different programs, like Windows Defender and Malwarebytes.

If that doesn't cure things, talk to us again, but do NOT click any messages.

ETA: Sorry, middle of the night reading is not the best for me, ugh. I missed the part where you did click the prompt.

Go into your Control Panel, find the Java (if it's there, hopefully it is), and uninstall it. Reboot. I would still do the malware scan with two different programs.

[pangaia]

2. Thanks Steve.

I didn't even realize there was a difference btw JAVA and JAVASCRIPT. I obviously did click the message, although i am usually pretty careful about that. I'll run Defender and Malwarebytes sun.

Thanks again.

[sdfernando]

3. I cannot start my day without java /nt

[pangaia]

4. I really asked for that, didn't I.

[sdfernando]

5. Yep...you sure did! /nt

[mr_lebowski]

6. If everything looked legit, the popup said "Oracle" and had the coffee cup and showed little blurbs

About how java is used by 3,000,000,000,000,000,000 devices, etc, while it ran, and it downloaded and installed and overall acted like an installer should ... didn't have misspelled words, etc ... I wouldn't worry about it having infected your PC although of course it never hurts to kick off a scan. I do know that there was a recent Java update so the timing makes sense.

It's really just a programming language and doesn't use resources (other than a miniscule amount to run the program that looks for updates that makes the little coffee icon in the taskbar, and a few dozen megabytes of disc space) or anything.

It doesn't 'hurt' to have it but there' also generally no harm in removing it, as others have mentioned. It's not impossible however that some program you installed at some point (and possibly use with some regularity), or even a website you use, actually requires it to be installed, though ... that in fact could be WHY you have it on your machine in the first place ... something you installed has a requirement for Java to be installed so when you ran it's installer, it installed Java during the process. So it's possible that if you uninstall, one of your apps may stop and go "HEY! What happened to Java!"

So if you do uninstall Java and some app you have suddenly acts weird ...