Problems with Java when installing Minecraft

The following should work for windows:

1. Go to Start>Run>cmd.

2. Type java -version and press return.

3. You should see something like this:

   java version "1.7.0_05"
   Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_05-b06)
   

4. Make a note of the second number on the second line (eg: java version "1.7.x_xx" --> 7.

5. 64 bit only: Check whether you're using a 64 or 32 bit version of java by looking in C:Program Files and C:Program Files (x86) for a folder called Java. Inside this folder there should be another which corresponds to your version number above. This should be jre? where the ? is 7 in this case. If you cannot find a jre? folder in the Program Files directory, then you do not have the 64 bit version of java installed. Go here and grab the Windows 64 bit version, then install it.

6. Windows XP: Right click on My Computer, select Properties, then select the Advanced tab.

   Windows Vista or 7: Right click on Computer, select Properties, then click on Advanced system settings.

7. Click Environment Variables.

8. Under System variables click on New.

9. Enter JAVA_HOME as the Variable name and C:Program FilesJavajre? as the Variable value, where ? is the version number from earlier (7 in this case).

10. Click OK to close all the windows, then try running Minecraft again.

To fix the command prompt error in step one (I was stuck on step one for a while). Right click computer and choose properties. Go to advanced system settings and then click environmental variables. Find the variable title and add ";C:Program Files (x86)Javajre7bin" That'll get you to the next step of the process. I'm still experiencing the same issue with java. I can't start the minecraft.exe file.

In my case, system variables were not the problem. I solved this issue by doing the following steps (for a windows machine):

1. Search for and delete the 'javasoft' folder in the registry
   • You can find your registry editor by typing 'regedit' in the Start search-bar.
2. Delete the 'sun' folder in the windows directory and the 'users/appdata' folders
   • Mine was in the 'LowcalLow' subfolder
3. delete any 'java' files from 'windows/system32'
   • For me this included 'java.exe', 'javaw.exe', and 'javaws.exe'.
4. reinstall jre

Additional notes that might be useless: I did not have to restart my computer to see the effects of these changes. I executed these steps in the numerical order listed. Once I finished these steps I immediately started up Minecraft.exe to find success.