Determine Java Version

Multiple copies of Java can be installed on a single computer, and, if you have more than one browser, every one of them could be using a different version or none at all. You can determine your Java version by verifying it on the Java website, or you could check using the Windows command prompt, Mac terminal, or Linux terminal.

Steps

Verifying Online

  1. Open a new window in your web browser and click here to navigate to Java's website. Oracle, the makers of Java, have provided an easy page that will check your Java installation and report the exact version you're running. This can be done from any operating system.
  2. Click the "Verify Java Version" button to get started.
  3. If prompted by your browser's security program, allow Java to confirm your version.
  4. After a few seconds, check the results! This will include the Version number as well as the Update number. The version number is most important if you're checking for compatibility with other programs.

Windows

  1. Press the windows key + r and enter "cmd" with the dos open, type in java -version The output will look something like: Java version "1.6.0_03 Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_03-b05) Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.6.0_03-b05, mixed mode, sharing).
  2. On a computer without any version of Java from Sun Microsystems installed, this results in an error message:'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
  3. A computer with only Microsoft's ancient version of Java will also give this error installed. On a machine with multiple versions of Java, this command will return the default JVM.

Mac OSX

  1. Open the Hard Drive, located on the Desktop OR you may click finder menu to open Applications.
  2. With the Hard Drive open, go into Applications, then into Utilities.
  3. With Utilities open, open the Terminal and type in "java -version", then retrieve the current java version

Linux

  1. Start a terminal window with the terminal window open type in "java -version"
    • This should return something like Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.6) If it returns
      -bash: java: command not found
      This means that either it is not installed or you haven't set up your paths properly
  2. Use freely available Internet testers go to[1] and click the test java version button. Go to [2]
    • With Firefox 3 go to Tools Add-ons button and go to the Plug-ins tab.
    • With Firefox 2 or 3: In Firefox versions 2 and 3, enter in the address bar: about:plugins. If Java is installed there will be multiple Java entries.
    • With Internet Explorer 7 or 8 go to Tools select Internet Options in the General tab click on the Browsing History Settings button and select the View Objects button right click on an ActiveX control and get its properties. Each ActiveX control has a "code base" and for each of the Java entries it will display the version number.



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