Update tab is missing in my Java Control Panel settings

On my home and office computer, the update tab was missing in my Sun Java 1.6 Control Panel applet.  At the office, I found it was disabled in the registry.RPK Tramplin

Steps to find it*:

1. Start, Run, type regedit, OK

2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > JavaSoft > Java Update > Policy

3. I have a DWORD value titled “EnableJavaUpdate” with the value of “0” (zero).  I changed it to “1” (one) and the update tab appeared.

At home, this registry entry wasn’t there.   I could have tried adding it, but instead, I went to JAVA.com and installed the latest version, which added the update tab.

*Be very careful; messing with the registry can be very risky.

If this doesn’t work, check out jjoensuu’s and roja’s comments below.

 

17 replies
  1. Bill says:

    Thanks this worked but I had to update Java and manually enter the Reg DWord “EnableJavaUpdate”.

    Even after updating to Vers 6 update 22 I still did not have the ‘Update’ Tab on Java Panel. I manually added the DWord “EnableJavaUpdate” with the value “1” (one) and this corrected it. I added it to both the Current User Reg Entry and the Local Machine.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy

    Then followed the tip to disable the update at:
    http://www.timo.dk/wp/2009/03/21/disable-java-update-service-on-windows-vista/

  2. Jan says:

    Indeed!!
    I added the DWORD EnableJavaUpdate to my registry and the update tab appeared.
    No reboot required or so.
    great!

  3. Preston says:

    I just updated Java and the Update tab was not showing up when I opened Java from Control Panel. I followed the instructions for putting a command in the registry and it worked. I placed a command in the Local Machine only, though. THANKS!

  4. jjoensuu says:

    Thank you, worked for me as well.

    In my case I only had to add the DWORD to:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy

    No reboot or reinstallation was needed.

    A couple of things to note:
    1. the DWORD I added was a 32-bit type, although my Java is of 64-bit type (so there is no relationship between the DWORD type and the Java type in that sense).
    2. The numeric value I added was of type Hexadecimal (although perhaps a Decimal type would work as well, I have not tried that).

  5. bob says:

    I have the same problem – no java 1.7 update tab (Is it me, or is java always very difficult to work out how to update?)
    Anyway, in my registry under JavaSoft, I dont have an “Java Update” folder even.
    Regedit doesnt seem to give you the option of adding a folder, so I guess Im stuck.

  6. roja says:

    @bob

    Follow jjoensuu’s instructions and add the DWORD to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy

    instead of:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Update

    I had to create the Java Update and Policy keys before creating the DDWORD. Thanks all for your helpful comments.

  7. Stappie says:

    I have both the 32 and 64 bit version installed and only the 32 version javacpl.exe (in the ‘Program Files (x86)\Java\bin’ folder) has the Update tab.
    The weird thing is that the Control Panel -> Java link always opens the 64 bit Java Control Panel. I assume that the update process always runs in 32-bit mode.

  8. KT says:

    If you’ve installed only the 64-bit version it seems you still need to run the 32-bit java control panel to access the update tab. C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre7\bin\javacpl.exe. Process Explorer shows that the Win7 Control Panel option for Java executes using the 64-bit interpreter: “C:\Program Files\Java\jre7\bin\javaw.exe” -Xbootclasspath/a:”C:\Program Files\Java\jre7\bin\..\lib\deploy.jar” -Duser.home=”C:\Users\” com.sun.deploy.panel.ControlPanel

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