What happens if you delete java

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Click here and get The Ask Leo! Just how important is it to have Java on my PC? If I uninstall it, what will happen? If I can uninstall, how do I do it? And what I should have asked first is what is Java?

In this excerpt from Answercast 19 , I look at Javascript and Java , what might happen if you uninstall them, and how to recover from problems. I want to clear up one misconception from the start: Java and JavaScript are two completely different and unrelated technologies. I know that many people tend to refer to one, thinking that they are referring to the other.

JavaScript is basically part of your web browser. JavaScript is important. It is part of what drives much of the web technologies these days.

Modern websites frequently use it. Now the problem, of course, is that JavaScript is very powerful and with power comes the potential for misuse. It allows you to choose whether or not scripting should be allowed on a website-per-website basis. So if you visit Ask Leo! Java, on the other hand, is a programming language. It is also often used by websites, but it is not part of your browser.

So, for example, I happen to use GoToWebinar for my monthly webinars. Both the production side my side and the client side the side that you would use to view a GoToMeeting or a Webinar is a Java application.

You will get a notification from any website that needs a Java browser plug-in. However, you must install it from java. Only install Java in a single web browser, and use this browser only for Java sites. For example, if you normally browse the web with IE or Chrome, install the Java plug-in in Firefox or Opera, or vice versa.

Java is being attacked, and restricting it to one browser minimises the "attack surface". Also, whenever you install or update Java, do it carefully. Oracle may try to install other software that you definitely do not want, such as the Ask toolbar. Don't get caught. Java is a cross-platform system, so the same vulnerabilities may be present on other operating systems besides Windows.

Apple users have also suffered. Last year's Mac Flashback Trojan led to more than , infected Macs being added to a botnet , including in Apple's home town, Cupertino. Apple stopped including Java by default in OS X In effect, it treated Java as malware. This protected customers, but not everyone was pleased. Since Apple is a consumer electronics company, I don't expect it's too bothered about corporate IT.

I think everybody should be free to run whatever operating system and applications they like. However, you should be aware that running Java in the browser brings extra risk, and therefore you should take extra precautions.

At the moment, this may mean checking for updates every week, or even every day. You can do this with Secunia's Personal Software Inspector. I wouldn't trust Java's built-in updater. PCs are cheap but data may be irreplaceable.