Oh boy…all you Pogo gamers are going to have a fit. Here we go again. Another Java scare, this time addressed with a patch shoring up, count ’em, 40 security flaws which could be used by miscreants to control your computer or steal sensitive information. Gee, wasn’t it just 3 or 4 months ago Java patches supposed shored up Java? How can this be?
Do you need Java at all anymore? Let us ask you this…do you play games online? Then you need Java. And if you’re not using the current version, which is Java 7, Update 25 (25 updates??), then you’re at risk. So if you play games or need Java for some other reason, make sure you install the patch — or have the latest version installed.
OK…how do you know if you have the latest version installed? Open Control Panel (and in XP click Add/Remove programs, in Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 – Control Panel / Programs/ Uninstall a program) and find Java, if it doesn’t say Java 7 Update 25 then you don’t have the latest version and you need to uninstall your current version, then reboot and install the latest version from www.java.com .
Oh, and one more thing. Java doesn’t make enough money, so they’re bundling the McAfee Security Scan Plus…something you don’t need and certainly don’t want. So when you see this:
Uncheck the box like we did above, or you’ll have McAfee Security Scan Plus in your browser, and you don’t want that.
I have some Microsoft games and I play the games on the start page sometimes but have never been a fan of Pogo.
So now I am wondering if I need this update for Java since some web pages tell you if yours is outdated. I would assume anyone using a Java script on their pages we would need to update. If anyone knows please add this info as well.
What is Angels “One Click access all-in-one MapsGalaxy™ Toolbar!” (this is what I get when I click on the green bar at the bottom of your Java article). This doesn’t sound like a java update and I’m really reluctant to download this Angels toolbar thing. Can someone offer me clarification? I’m feeling like a real dummy here.
Thank you,
Judy
JUDY, TC and EB have said many, many, times. DO NOT CLICK ON THOSE DOWNLOAD BUTTONS WHEREVER YOU FIND THEM UNTIL YOU’VE READ EVERYTHING ELSE ON THAT BUTTON. THESE ARE ADS. It says “advertisement” right below it. TC and EB have no idea what ads are going to pop up there.
As for the Java update, and if you have JAVA installed on
your computer, the update notifications usually come straight to your computer. Follow the instructions in the article to find which Java version you already have. I suspect you might already have the current one through their automatic update function.
One more thing. I think you must have missed it somehow. The link to the Java site is in the article…..in the last line of TC’s instructions….. http://www.java.com Hope this helps.
PS for Judy. You are definitely not a dummy. Lots of people get “caught” by the deceptiveness of some of those ads. You, however, were smart enough not to install it right away, and smart enough to question it and post it.
Thank you Muriel, I was beginning to think I’d lost my mind.
so—if I don’t play games, and my Java is outdated, can I just leave it the way it is? I get that inference when I read your article, but want to make sure. My Java is WAY behind. When I am on Fb, Oracle is always wanting me to do something but I have always just closed the window. Didn’t know Oracle was connected to Java.
If you don’t need Java, your should uninstall it. Never ever leave an old version on your computer if you never use Java.
so—if I don’t play games, and my Java is outdated, can I just leave it the way it is? I get that inference when I read your article, but want to make sure.
No.If it’s on your system it can be attacked. If you don’t use it, uninstall it.
Just to let you know…..Tonight (Monday), my Java update notification finally arrived. (I have the Java Control Panel set to notify me when an update is ready to download and install). When I install the update through this method it automatically deletes prior versions. Evidently, if you uninstall Java yourself, and then go to java.com to download the new version, you get the McAfee offer. I didn’t get that. Instead, their auto update system still offers the infamous ASK.Com toolbar. UNCHECK IT!!! I have no idea what you get when you click on an update Java button at a gamesite. Just be vigilant.
I went and saw I had Java 67 NOT Java 25 so I removed it and went to the Java site and found out the new version IS Java 7 update 67…just so you know