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My daily Java
Thread poster: Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 08:04
Dutch to English
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Feb 18, 2015

I get a message to update Javascript every day and it is a nuisance. Is that normal or is there something fishy here?
 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 16:04
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Depends Feb 18, 2015

I was getting these messages too for a while, on my laptops. I think I ended up just ignoring them. They may or may not be dangerous, I don't really know.

[Edited at 2015-02-18 18:21 GMT]
 
Georgie Scott
Georgie Scott  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 16:04
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Not fishy but definitely a nuisance Feb 18, 2015

I don't think they are fishy, but they're known to be a nuisance and largely unnecessary. You can change your settings so that you are no longer prompted to install these updates.
 
Radian Yazynin
Radian Yazynin  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:04
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Don't update unless absolutely necessary Feb 18, 2015

Or you might have problems with applications requiring either older or earlier Java version. If all runs well in your PC don't disturb the environment.
 
Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 08:04
Dutch to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Feb 18, 2015

Thank you all for your advice.

Unfortunately you can't just ignore these messages, you have to say yes or no to make it disappear.
Changing my settings is an option if I can figure out how.
I agree, Radian, that updates sometimes can cause all kinds or problems, I won't do that for sure.
 
Meta Arkadia
Meta Arkadia
Local time: 21:04
English to Indonesian
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Don't "update" Feb 18, 2015

Radian Yazynin wrote:
Or you might have problems with applications requiring either older or earlier Java version.

There are different Java flavours, and you are referring to the JRE, the Java Runtime Environment.

The Wiki:
Despite some naming, syntactic, and standard library similarities, JavaScript and Java are otherwise unrelated and have very different semantics. The syntax of JavaScript is actually derived from C, while the semantics and design are influenced by the Self and Scheme programming languages.[9]
JavaScript is also used in environments that aren't web-based, such as PDF documents, site-specific browsers, and desktop widgets.

Whereas you can update Java JRE, you can't update JavaScript.

Tina should be very, very careful. Since JavaScript uses your webbrowser as a runtime environment, I'd disable JavaScript (somewhere in the browser Settings/Preferences, security), at least for the time being, to see if she still gets those messages. In that case, she should see a doctor, for antibiotics, I'm afraid.

Cheers,

Hans (writing from Java)
 
Meta Arkadia
Meta Arkadia
Local time: 21:04
English to Indonesian
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In short Feb 19, 2015

If it really concerns JavaScript, you're almost certainly dealing with malware.

If it's about JRE, I can only image the update message is triggered when you launch an app that requires a later Java version. The update is probably safe, but may render other apps useless (the only way out is to launch them with the appropriate Java version, probably using the command line). Downloading ... See more
If it really concerns JavaScript, you're almost certainly dealing with malware.

If it's about JRE, I can only image the update message is triggered when you launch an app that requires a later Java version. The update is probably safe, but may render other apps useless (the only way out is to launch them with the appropriate Java version, probably using the command line). Downloading the later version at https://java.com/en/download is safer than downloading using the pop-up, and also allows you to check your current version.

Correct me when I'm wrong.

Cheers,

Hans ▲ Collapse
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
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Italian to English
It may be a virus Feb 19, 2015

"The “Java Software Critical Update” pop-up ad is a social engineering technique, which is used by cyber criminals to install adware and potentially unwanted programs"

http://malwaretips.com/blogs/java-software-critical-update-removal/

[Edited at 2015-02-19 08:02 GMT]
 
Radian Yazynin
Radian Yazynin  Identity Verified
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Just uncheck the Auto Updates option Feb 19, 2015

Tina Vonhof wrote:
Changing my settings is an option if I can figure out how.

Depending on your current version there must be such an option (Control Panel/Java). Any auto download/update must be disabled.
 
esperantisto
esperantisto  Identity Verified
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Other thing Feb 19, 2015

Radian Yazynin wrote:

Or you might have problems with applications requiring either older or earlier Java version.


Java is not related to JavaScript, thus, updating Java won’t change anything for JavaScript. To me, any prompt to update JavaScript is very fishy because JavaScript engines are web browser components and thus are updated with respective browsers, not independently.
 
Oliver Walter
Oliver Walter  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:04
German to English
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Java is not Javascript Feb 19, 2015

esperantisto is right. The names are similar, but Java is a general programming language
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_(programming_language) ). It uses the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) that can be updated from time to time, but not every day:
http://java.com/en/download/... See more
esperantisto is right. The names are similar, but Java is a general programming language
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_(programming_language) ). It uses the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) that can be updated from time to time, but not every day:
http://java.com/en/download/

Javascript is a less general language for use within web pages, to enable them to take certain actions instead of simply displaying fixed content; your version of Javascript is, as far as I know, defined by the browser you use and it can only be updated by updating the browser to a later version. Javascript can be turned on or off in a browser:
http://www.wikihow.com/Turn-on-Javascript-in-Internet-Browsers
and some of its actions can be blocked (at least in Firefox, possibly other browsers) by installing add-ons or plug-ins but that doesn't update Javascript itself.
Tina's problem might perhaps be solvable by using Malwarebytes; e.g. see here:
https://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?/topic/149551-update-message-keeps-coming-up/

Oliver

[Edited at 2015-02-19 11:10 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 
Radian Yazynin
Radian Yazynin  Identity Verified
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Right, thank you Feb 19, 2015

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Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 08:04
Dutch to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Exact message Feb 19, 2015

Thank you all for your input.

I just received another message, here is what it says:

Do you want the following program to access your computer:
Program: Java auto updates
Verified Publisher: Oracle America, Inc.
File origin: hard drive

So it is indeed about Java not Javascript. It looks legit but surely they don't update the program every day?
I'll see if I can disable the automatic (?) updates.
 
Michael Beijer
Michael Beijer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:04
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
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Always keep Java updated! Feb 19, 2015

Hi Tina,

I also have Java installed, but have never gotten update messages every day. I'd say something fishy is going on.

I recommend you install and scan your computer with Malwarebytes (https://www.malwarebytes.org/ ), and maybe HitmanPro 3 (http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/ ).<... See more
Hi Tina,

I also have Java installed, but have never gotten update messages every day. I'd say something fishy is going on.

I recommend you install and scan your computer with Malwarebytes (https://www.malwarebytes.org/ ), and maybe HitmanPro 3 (http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/ ).

I disagree with people who said you should never update Java. The opposite is true. Many of these updates contain security updates, so ignoring them them is not at all in your interest. Always keep Java updated, or uninstall it*.

Can you take a screenshot of the dialogue that pops up?

Michael

*See e.g.: http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-update-java-or-kill-it/

[Edited at 2015-02-19 20:34 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 
Meta Arkadia
Meta Arkadia
Local time: 21:04
English to Indonesian
+ ...
Update, be careful about upgrades Feb 20, 2015

Michael Beijer wrote:
I'd say something fishy is going on.

Now it has been established we're talking about JRE, and not JavaScript, I'd say it's perfectly safe to update (as I mentioned above). Be careful about upgrades though, because they may render apps that rely on JRE useless.

JRE is "sandboxed" and is rather safe, with the exception of... JavaScript. Running an app that requires JRE (and there are many, especially for us, translators) activates JRE, but that activation goes unnoticed. The security problem is mainly caused by malicious JavaScript codes that run in your browser that can also activate JRE, and that - again - goes unnoticed. Unless you write JavaScript, I think you should disable JavaScript in your browser(s) to be on the safe side.

Cheers,

Hans
 
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