https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2013/01/11/protecting-users-against-java-vulnerability/

If you haven't tried this fix yet start here: After wasting 2 -3 hours on my own trying to make this update work successfully, I found this thread. I experienced a variety of the frustrating problems described here, and tried several of the suggested solutions. In the end, the thing that FINALLY worked for me was cor-el's advice toward the top of the thread:

Try to delete the pluginreg.dat file in the Firefox Profile Folder and maybe addons.sqlite as well to reset the plugin registry databases.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

   Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder 

I note that I was unable to delete the addons.sqlite file as suggested, but just deleting the pluginreg.dat file did it for me.  Next time I updated my plugins, I finally saw both of the necessary plugins with the correct versions.  This suggestion also took less time than many of the other fixes I tried.

Thank you cor-el!

Running FireFox 18 on Window 7 64-bit Home Premium. Tried this:

Try to delete the pluginreg.dat file in the Firefox Profile Folder and maybe addons.sqlite as well to reset the plugin registry databases.

Did not work for me. The Java plug-in is still not installed :-(!

I have the Java Deployment Toolkit 7.0.110.21 10.11.2.21, but nothing else.

According to this bug on the Oracle site http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=8005410 , the problem occurs because their installer did not properly recognize prior Java versions and is compounded by a problem with systems having the JavaFX stand-alone application installed.

So, if you see JavaFX in your list of installed programs (Windows: Control Panel), remove it. It might also be best to remove all Java from your system before installing the new Java.

I would recommend JavaRa to uninstall all previous Java from your system, but, sadly, it has not been updated since October 2012 and does not include and will not find more recent versions of Java files and/or registry keys.

Oracle has released Java 7 update 11 to address the vulnerability recently recognized in Java 7 update 10 and some prior versions. Java 6 update 38 was not updated; support for the Java 6 versions ends in February 2013.

Best solution, based on advisory from Homeland Security, is complete disabling and/or uninstallation of ALL Java components/programs. Why risk the security of your computer/data just because Oracle has its head up its ass? Mozilla has automatically made Java an ask-first program, but I disabled it, and the Deployment Toolkit (I'm a developer), and unchecked all versions in the Java Control Panel. So far, not seeing ANY effects on ANY websites or programs. Perhaps Oracle will fix this problem sometime, since they claim Java runs on 3 billion devices....

mrnews54:

Not a developer here, and I have had Java disabled from all browsers for quite some time without ill-effects. I only have it on my system because one application uses it and I am trying to determine which portion of that application actually requires the presence of Java. Most/average users do not even need it installed. Many posts on the Java issues in this forum are from users who visit gaming sites.

I don't visit gaming sites. Although it is true I probably don't need it installed, but mine is always updated, therefore security issues aren't a concern for me. I'm careful when I browse, I don't click on everything, I don't download everything, I keep my security software up to date, all standard operating procedure. However, I use it for "time.gov" to keep my clocks accurate in my home. The latest update 11 didn't seem to resolve the issues, but maybe 12 will...

OK. Finally was able to get it installed and working.

Reviewing the listed bug (Thanks to TheOldFox! - http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=8005410 ), it listed issues with bad registry entries associated with installing JavaFX. I did have JavaFX installed at one time so it sounded like a match.

So... I de-installed all Java on the PC. Reinstalled 32- and 64-bit Java 7. Then installed both 32- and 64-bit standalone JavaFX http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/javafxjdk6-1728173.html ).

I de-installed the JavaFX installations and then the Java 7 installations to get to a clean slate.

I then re-installed 32- and 64-bit Java 7.

And it worked.

And no, don't use java for game sites.

Trunten:

I use time.gov to check the time. You only need Java if you wish to see an animated time display, per their information (second paragraph under "Issues") - http://time.gov/about.html . You can click "Click here to refresh time snapshot" just under the time/date to refresh the time display.

Trunten said:

"... mine is always updated, therefore security issues aren't a concern for me..."

Hackers are becoming very clever about infecting any site on the web, and with a zero-day vulnerability, it takes a few days or longer for a fix to be issued by software vendors (i.e., Oracle/Java) and sometimes an infected site owner will not know of the infection until users have already been infected and begin complaining. As for security software, unless it has a very vigorous behavioral analysis tool built-in, it may not catch some of the zero-day attacks as well. I run my browsers in a virtualized environment most of the time as an additional layer of protection for my system and OS. As of the end of 2012, Java has taken over the dubious spot of most vulnerable to attack, a "title" previously assigned to Adobe products.

Removing JavaFX didn't work for me at the time. Still acts broken in Firefox. Hopefully this is something the upcoming 12 update fixes. I went through everything I could think of...

Uninstalled Java, JavaFX, ran CCleaner, rebooted computer for good measure, reinstalled ONLY Java, and for the heck of it I ran CCleaner and restarted computer again... still no luck.

While many debate on if we need Java... do we even need JavaFX for Java to work properly? Or are this issues caused by something else?

Old Fox replied about the same time I did...

Yes, I'm fully aware of how time.gov works... I prefer being accurate when it comes to time and would prefer the animation option on their site. I'm fully aware of security as I've been online and working with computers for a couple decades now. I trust the sites I visit and don't just go randomly off to various places. I have a rather routine browsing schedule.

To be honest, time.gov is the only site I routinely visit that uses Java... no other sites I visit during my daily browsing habits use it. I don't visit porn and gaming sites... closest would be technology sites that provide news about games and other computer related news.

JavaFX - http://www.oracle.com/us/technologies/java/fx/overview/index.html

No you do not need JavaFX for Java to work properly.

That's what I thought, but I guess "saeba" got lucky. Even after removing whatever JavaFX is, Java's still broken, as I said. I'm tempted to return back to an old archived copy of update 9 I had. 7 update 9 worked just fine when I had it. Whatever happened with or after update 10 seems to break down.

Missing registry key ... see https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/947038#answer-397703

Java 7u9 is blocked by Mozilla

• https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2013/01/11/protecting-users-against-java-vulnerability/
• http://thenextweb.com/apps/2013/01/11/following-active-exploits-mozilla-adds-all-recent-versions-of-java-to-its-firefox-add-on-blocklist/
• Read second paragraph about Click to Play (CTP) - http://kb.mozillazine.org/Java
• Using CTP (user accepts responsibility for running vulnerable plugin) - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-to-use-java-if-its-been-blocked
• https://krebsonsecurity.com/tag/java-7-update-9/

How long ago was this? Because, as I said, it was still working fine for me for a long time including recently until I tried the last few updates.

Also, I know about being able to manually do registry stuff... but that's the one area of computers I will not ever risk modifying... even though I feel confident enough that I know a great deal over the past few decades... it's not worth the risk, in my opinion, especially if it's something a well known software company should already know how to handle without error... which seems to be the ironic problem here that most of us will probably wait for them to correct.

Trunten, The problems with Java 7 not being detected on some Windows systems began after installing Java 7 Update 10 with most problems being resolved by uninstalling Java and JavaFX and then reinstalling the lasted Java. See https://www.java.com/en/download/help/firefox_java.xml

As a last resort, if Firefox isn't detecting Java 7 Update 11 you can try downgrading to Java 6 which is still being maintained with security updates until February 2013.

From http://kb.mozillazine.org/Java#Windows_installation_issues under the Add back missing registry key subsection:

Note: Oracle is aware of the issue and a fix will be released in an upcoming Java update (7u12). [ref #1] ... [ref #2]

As a temporary workaround if all else fails, you can downgrade to Java 6 by uninstalling your current version of Java (and JavaFX, if installed) and then downloading and installing the latest Java 6 JRE for 32-bit browsers from this page or from Oracle's Java SE Downloads. See the Java 6 FAQ page for more information. Note that, after February 2013, Oracle will no longer post updates of Java 6 to its public download sites but a fixed Java 7 should be released by then.

Yes, I already knew when it happened... and I was considering going back to version 6, but, since support for that ends next month and 7 update 12 supposedly fixes the registry problems, I think I'm better off waiting.

As I previously stated a few times earlier, I've already tried all various types of uninstalling and re-installations of Java and JavaFX and nothing fixed.

I appreciate your help anyway, thank you.

Fyi - the key to my restoration was to install/de-install JavaFX download for JDK 6, the standalone version instead of the v7 release. That was pointed to in the bug. Reading the bug, not luck, was the key for me ;-)!

Installing JavaFX 7, which included Java 7, wouldn't have worked.

Thank you for the clarification, I appreciate it.

I keep trying to remove Java 7 Update 13 (though in Add/Remove programs it only shows it as Java 7 Update 9)and keep getting the same error message. Error 1714. "The older version of Java cannot be removed. Contact your technical support group." So, I go to Java support, which says I need to uninstall older versions of Java before I can fix the error. I also get an error box that says "The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable. Click OK to try again, or enter an alternate path to a folder containing the installation package 'jre 1.7.0_09-cmsi' in the box below." I have no clue what this is. It all started when Java automatically update to the supposed 'secure' version of 7 Update 13. I'm running in circles, and no one can seem to help? Very frustrating!!!!