Long-term support release candidate arrives, general availability comes next month Java 25, an LTS (long-term support) ...

Specifically, Java on the client is the problem. Oracle, which oversees Java, has stressed a need for users to upgrade to the latest version of Java to fend off security problems.

According to Microsoft, the following Java versions will be on the block list initially: J2SE 1.4, everything below (but not including) update 43 J2SE 5.0, everything below (but not including ...

For example, choose "Java SE 6" if you want to download any version number ranging from Java 6.0 to Java 6.43. You will select the specific update number on the next page.

Java is quite platform-independent and mostly upwards compatible, so it is common to compile a piece of code using a given J2SE version and expect it to work in later JVM versions.

Switching to OpenJDK is a logical choice, often driven by the need to reduce Java-related costs, secure support for legacy Java versions (discontinued by Oracle), or address similar business concerns.

Check the Enabled option to permit the latest Java Runtime version. Click on OK button to apply the setting changes. Click OK in Java Control Panel to confirm the changes.

To date, Minecraft is ranked as the most popular video game ever, with more than 200 million downloads. Now, the Java version of Minecraft is being brought under the Microsoft umbrella, too.

The update now will prevent all versions of the Java Web plug-in before version 1.7.11.22 from running on the system (previously the limit was version 1.7.10.19).

The latest versions of Java for Windows are Java 6 Update 31 and Java 7 Update 3. Mozilla is also considering adding a blocklist entry for the Java plug-in on OS X.