Firefox recently added older versions of the Java plugin to its blocklist causing it to be disabled. This was done because the old versions are vulnerable to an attack which could take over your computer without your knowledge and access files or steal critical information like banking credentials. This article describes the steps to update Java and get it working again.

Old versions of the Java plugin are vulnerable to an attack which could take over your computer without your knowledge and access files or steal critical information like banking credentials. This article describes the steps to update Java and get it working again.

Firefox only blocks vulnerable versions of Java so the thing to do is to update to latest version. Unfortunately, simply installing a new version of Java doesn't necessarily remove older Java versions from your computer which will leave you vulnerable. So you'll have to uninstall any old versions of Java before going ahead with the update.

1. Go to the Java download page and download the latest Java installer but don't run it yet.
2. Click the Firefox menu and select Exit.Click the Firefox menu at the top of the screen and select Quit Firefox.Click the Firefox menu and select Quit.
3. From the Start Menu in the Windows taskbar, select Control Panel. The Control Panel opens.
   
   
4. Open the Windows program listing.
   • (Windows Vista/7) Click Programs and then Programs and Features.
   • (Windows 2000/XP) Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
5. From the list of currently installed programs, select any Java or Java Runtime programs.
6. To begin the uninstall:
   • (Windows Vista/7) Click Uninstall at the top of the window.
   • (Windows 2000/XP) Click Remove on the right of the Java listing.

     Note: Complete the uninstall process before proceeding.

7. Run the installer you downloaded in step 1.
8. Start Firefox

Java should now work as expected.

Firefox only blocks vulnerable versions of Java so the thing to do is to update to latest version.

1. Go to the Java download page and download the latest Java installer.
2. Click the Firefox menu and select Exit.Click the Firefox menu at the top of the screen and select Quit Firefox.Click the Firefox menu and select Quit.
3. Run the installer you downloaded in step 1.
4. Start Firefox

Java should now work as expected.

The thing to do is to update to latest version.

1. Click the Firefox menu and select Exit.Click the Firefox menu at the top of the screen and select Quit Firefox.Click the Firefox menu and select Quit.
2. From the Apple menu, select Software Update....
3. Select the Java update and click Install. Wait for the update to complete.
4. Start Firefox

Java should now work as expected.

If you had previously selected Disable in the blocking dialog, you may need to enable Java again:

1. Click the menu button , click Add-ons and themes and select Plugins.
2. Find the Java Platform or Java Runtime item and click Enable.

Working around the blocklist

If you are unable to update Java and it's critical for you to continue using it, you can re-enable the blocked version.

Enabling Java

1. Click the menu button , click Add-ons and themes and select Plugins.
2. Find the Java Platform or Java Runtime item and click Enable.