This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

How do I enable Java in Firefox 12?

  • 6 replies
  • 207 have this problem
  • 40 views
  • Last reply by Fractalogic

Fractalogic
Fractalogic
more options

Hi there!

Here's the situation, I have only recently installed Java SE platform with Java JDK, JavaFX SDK and JRE for a freshly installed version of Windows 64-bit.

In the past I have used Firefox 3.6.x. But this time I installed the latest and greatest Firefox 12. But there is only one problem with it, it cannot run Java applets. Why?

I notice that when I go to Firefox button, Addons, Extensions, there is no extension named Java, like Java Console. Why is this? Does it mean that there is no Java plug-in installed for Firefox? How do I know the Java plug-in is installed?

How do I proceed with this problem? Please advise! I really don't feel like re-installing the Java all over again and all of it's components and having to re-configure everything from scratch. I feel this is an issue with Firefox not communicating with the already installed JRE.

Hi there! Here's the situation, I have only recently installed Java SE platform with Java JDK, JavaFX SDK and JRE for a freshly installed version of Windows 64-bit. In the past I have used Firefox 3.6.x. But this time I installed the latest and greatest Firefox 12. But there is only one problem with it, it cannot run Java applets. Why? I notice that when I go to Firefox button, Addons, Extensions, there is no extension named Java, like Java Console. Why is this? Does it mean that there is no Java plug-in installed for Firefox? How do I know the Java plug-in is installed? How do I proceed with this problem? Please advise! I really don't feel like re-installing the Java all over again and all of it's components and having to re-configure everything from scratch. I feel this is an issue with Firefox not communicating with the already installed JRE.

Chosen solution

What version of Java did you download? Firefox can only run the 32-bit version of Java.

Read this answer in context 👍 7

All Replies (6)

user633449
user633449
more options

The Java Plugin won't show up in Extensions, it will show up in Plugins in the add-on manager. What version of Java do you have installed?

Modified by user633449

Fractalogic
Fractalogic Question owner
more options

That's what I meant! I'm sorry about that, it's my mistake. The thing is that my language is set to Swedish so I was kind of guessing what the option would be called in English.

I have Java SE, version 7 update 4. I'm not sure of the internal version of the JRE but it should be the latest one since this was installed only a day ago.

Something else has been brought to my attention now. This Java package that I installed, it's a bundle with Java SDK (aka JDK), JavaFX SDK and the JRE. It was downloaded from the Oracle Technology Network website! That's www.oracle.com/technetwork

So it was not downloaded from www.java.com which is the "normal" download site for consumers that will only give you the JRE. This site of course doesn't give you the SDK, so if you want the SDK you have no choice but to go to the Oracle website!

So I am wondering, could it be that they don't pack the Java plug-in if you download Java from Oracle website? Maybe I have to download the JRE from the Java website?

Modified by Fractalogic

Fractalogic
Fractalogic Question owner
more options

1. Is there a special folder where Firefox stores plugins? I believe there used to be a folder for the plugins in previous versions, but I'm not sure about the latest version of Firefox.

2. Is it by any chance possible to get only the Java plug-in?

ideato
ideato
more options

The java plugin is visible in Windows Registry, go from regedit to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MozillaPlugins.

others but not all plugins is visible in C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins (in windows)


thank you

Modified by ideato

Tommyboy
Tommyboy
more options

Chosen Solution

What version of Java did you download? Firefox can only run the 32-bit version of Java.

Fractalogic
Fractalogic Question owner
more options

Hey guys! The problem is solved!

The short answer is you need 32-bit JRE! That is, even if you are on a 64-bit Windows machine!

I just went to www.java.com and clicked the download button right from the front page. A file named jxpiinstall.exe was downloaded to my desktop. It's only 871 kB in size. So it's like an online installer for 32-bit JRE. JXP is a short for Java scripted page.

Once it had pulled down the necessary install files from the web server it started the install guide. But before I proceeded with the install I took a snapshot (with beyond compare) of some of the Java and Firefox install directories for later comparison. After the install I found out that it did no major changes to the Firefox directory, but an additional folder was created for the 32-bit JRE.

Well, from that point on Firefox was able to recognize Java on the computer and start web applets with no problem at all.

Now I have following two plugins:

Java Platform SE 7 U4 10.4.1.255

Java Deployment Toolkit 7.0.40.255 10.4.1.255

So now I have two separate JRE environments, both the 64-bit JRE and the 32-bit JRE. Which is important to me, because my 64-bit JRE was not overwritten. So I won't need to reconfigure everything.

What about 64-bit Firefox? Will we ever see an official and stable release of 64-bit Firefox?

Well, thank you all for your support! I appreciate it!

Modified by Fractalogic