java update icon appears in task tray

Shortly after installing Vista Service Pack 1, I discovered an icon in my
task tray that urges me to update Java. Here is the detail:
Java SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 3:
"C:\Program Files\java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jucheck.exe"

I am a user only. Don't even know or care what Java is unless it's needed on
my pc. I don't do games or other resource-intense stuff like music. I do do a
lot of photos, Word docs, and financial things. Do I need this update, and if
not, how the blazes do I get it off my task tray? Thanks, Mike

Mike,
Yes, you need Java to access many Web Sites. Go get the update.
Gene K
"Mike F from TN" <> wrote in message
news:369F4CDA-CFA3-4660-9A14-...
> Shortly after installing Vista Service Pack 1, I discovered an icon in my
> task tray that urges me to update Java. Here is the detail:
> Java SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 3:
> "C:\Program Files\java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jucheck.exe"
>
> I am a user only. Don't even know or care what Java is unless it's needed
> on
> my pc. I don't do games or other resource-intense stuff like music. I do
> do a
> lot of photos, Word docs, and financial things. Do I need this update, and
> if
> not, how the blazes do I get it off my task tray? Thanks, Mike

Thanks, Gene. I have heard there are some security issues with Java. Can you
explain, before I go ahead and update? Mike

"Gene K" wrote:

> Mike,
> Yes, you need Java to access many Web Sites. Go get the update.
> Gene K
> "Mike F from TN" <> wrote in message
> news:369F4CDA-CFA3-4660-9A14-...
> > Shortly after installing Vista Service Pack 1, I discovered an icon in my
> > task tray that urges me to update Java. Here is the detail:
> > Java SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 3:
> > "C:\Program Files\java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jucheck.exe"
> >
> > I am a user only. Don't even know or care what Java is unless it's needed
> > on
> > my pc. I don't do games or other resource-intense stuff like music. I do
> > do a
> > lot of photos, Word docs, and financial things. Do I need this update, and
> > if
> > not, how the blazes do I get it off my task tray? Thanks, Mike
>
>

Mike F from TN wrote:
> Thanks, Gene. I have heard there are some security issues with Java.

And that's why it's important to keep it up-to-date.

Can you
> explain, before I go ahead and update? Mike

After you install the update, go to the Control Panel/Add Remove
Programs and remove all the Java entries except the latest one.

Alias
>
> "Gene K" wrote:
>
>> Mike,
>> Yes, you need Java to access many Web Sites. Go get the update.
>> Gene K
>> "Mike F from TN" <> wrote in message
>> news:369F4CDA-CFA3-4660-9A14-...
>>> Shortly after installing Vista Service Pack 1, I discovered an icon in my
>>> task tray that urges me to update Java. Here is the detail:
>>> Java SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 3:
>>> "C:\Program Files\java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jucheck.exe"
>>>
>>> I am a user only. Don't even know or care what Java is unless it's needed
>>> on
>>> my pc. I don't do games or other resource-intense stuff like music. I do
>>> do a
>>> lot of photos, Word docs, and financial things. Do I need this update, and
>>> if
>>> not, how the blazes do I get it off my task tray? Thanks, Mike
>>

"Mike F from TN" <> wrote in message
news:6422B582-3001-44D2-A0DB-...

> Thanks, Gene. I have heard there are some security issues with Java. Can
> you
> explain, before I go ahead and update? Mike

I'd be interested to investigate those supposed security issues. Java is
just about the most secure software you will ever find.

Use it without fear.

--
And loving it,

-Q
_________________________________________________

(Replace the "SixFour" with numbers to email me)

Perhaps I worded that wrong. As a user only and not very literate in this
area, I don't know how to express such questions. What I heard was that some
websites can do nasty things to our computers and that Java applets (or some
such word) were the culprits. Does that help?

"Qu0ll" wrote:

> "Mike F from TN" <> wrote in message
> news:6422B582-3001-44D2-A0DB-...
>
> > Thanks, Gene. I have heard there are some security issues with Java. Can
> > you
> > explain, before I go ahead and update? Mike
>
> I'd be interested to investigate those supposed security issues. Java is
> just about the most secure software you will ever find.
>
> Use it without fear.
>
> --
> And loving it,
>
> -Q
> _________________________________________________
>
> (Replace the "SixFour" with numbers to email me)
>

"Mike F from TN" <> wrote in message
news:3C294E9E-F1CF-4851-94EC-...

> Perhaps I worded that wrong. As a user only and not very literate in this
> area, I don't know how to express such questions. What I heard was that
> some
> websites can do nasty things to our computers and that Java applets (or
> some
> such word) were the culprits. Does that help?

I really don't know where you heard such nonsense! Java applets run in
so-called "sandbox" which significantly restricts what they can do. They
cannot access your local computer unless the applet is signed by a security
company AND you explicitly give it permission to do so. Almost all applets
are unsigned which means that it is impossible for them to do *anything* to
your computer let alone nasty things.

Java applets are much, much safer than Microsoft ActiveX controls and, as I
said, you can use them with absolute confidence. There may be web sites
that do nasty things to computers but they have nothing to do with Java.

--
And loving it,

-Q
_________________________________________________

(Replace the "SixFour" with numbers to email me)

Mike,
I have heard of security issus with Java; however, I have no specific
knowledge of the facts. It is likely that the update may fix those holes.
There are security issues with all software, Java (and javascript) included.
You will never feel completely safe. GET THE UPDATE.
Gene K
"Mike F from TN" <> wrote in message
news:6422B582-3001-44D2-A0DB-...
> Thanks, Gene. I have heard there are some security issues with Java. Can
> you
> explain, before I go ahead and update? Mike
>
> "Gene K" wrote:
>
>> Mike,
>> Yes, you need Java to access many Web Sites. Go get the update.
>> Gene K
>> "Mike F from TN" <> wrote in message
>> news:369F4CDA-CFA3-4660-9A14-...
>> > Shortly after installing Vista Service Pack 1, I discovered an icon in
>> > my
>> > task tray that urges me to update Java. Here is the detail:
>> > Java SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 3:
>> > "C:\Program Files\java\jre1.6.0_03\bin\jucheck.exe"
>> >
>> > I am a user only. Don't even know or care what Java is unless it's
>> > needed
>> > on
>> > my pc. I don't do games or other resource-intense stuff like music. I
>> > do
>> > do a
>> > lot of photos, Word docs, and financial things. Do I need this update,
>> > and
>> > if
>> > not, how the blazes do I get it off my task tray? Thanks, Mike
>>
>>

No matter what Sun claims it's java runtimes are almost *always*
vulnerable to applets escalating privileges. Here's the latest brouhaha
theory:

More details on the Pwn2Own Flash flaw that won the Vista machine
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=993

> So my guess, and I feel it is an educated one (of course time will tell), is that Sotirov
> helped out by providing some additional hacker ninjitsu by helping Macaulay load this Flash
> attack through a Java Applet, thus turning off any DEP protections the operating system provides.
> Heck, I wouldn’t even be surprised if he used the applet to do some fancy heap spraying to load
> the shellcode from the heap.

There has been an never ending issuance of Sec bulletins from Sun that
involve said applet escalation. The latest ones were:

http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/docum...=1-66-233321-1

> Two security vulnerabilities in the Java Runtime Environment Virtual Machine may independently
> allow an untrusted application or applet that is downloaded from a website to elevate its
> privileges. For example, the application or applet may grant itself permissions to read and write
> local files or execute local applications that are accessible to the user running the untrusted
> application or applet.

http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/docum...=1-66-233324-1

> A security vulnerability in the Java Plug-in may allow an applet that is downloaded from a
> website to bypass the same origin policy and leverage this flaw to execute local applications
> that are accessible to the user running the untrusted applet.

http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/docum...=1-66-233325-1

> A vulnerability in the Java Runtime Environment image parsing library may allow an untrusted
> application or applet that is downloaded from a website to elevate its privileges. For example,
> the application or applet may grant itself permissions to read and write local files or execute
> local applications that are accessible to the user running the untrusted application or applet.


And then one discovers that the java autoupdater leaves the older,
'affected' versions installed. Not only is that a security risk, no
matter what Sun claims, but disk space is being hogged by said older,
'affected' versions.
IF, as Sun claims, said older, 'affected' versions can not be called by
malware authors then why is this included at the *very bottom* of all
Sun Sec bulletins ? -

> Note: When installing a new version of the product from a source other than a Solaris patch, it
> is recommended that the old affected versions be removed from your system. To remove old affected
> versions on the Windows platform, please see:
> http://java.com/en/download/help/uninstall_java.xml


Java has been uninstalled on all of my systems and there have been
absolutely NO issues using any web site.


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



Qu0ll wrote:

> "Mike F from TN" <> wrote in
> message news:3C294E9E-F1CF-4851-94EC-...
>
>> Perhaps I worded that wrong. As a user only and not very literate in this
>> area, I don't know how to express such questions. What I heard was
>> that some
>> websites can do nasty things to our computers and that Java applets
>> (or some
>> such word) were the culprits. Does that help?
>
>
> I really don't know where you heard such nonsense! Java applets run in
> so-called "sandbox" which significantly restricts what they can do.
> They cannot access your local computer unless the applet is signed by a
> security company AND you explicitly give it permission to do so. Almost
> all applets are unsigned which means that it is impossible for them to
> do *anything* to your computer let alone nasty things.
>
> Java applets are much, much safer than Microsoft ActiveX controls and,
> as I said, you can use them with absolute confidence. There may be web
> sites that do nasty things to computers but they have nothing to do with
> Java.
>