Updating Java Runtime

[ITWombat]

Consecutive JRE updates seem to be installed side by side.

Two issues:
1)If the main purpose of the update is security, why leave the broken code in place?
The Add and Remove Programs wizard
2)If you maintain the same Windows over several months this could use up a lot o diskpace.

Is there way of making the JRE update process uninstall the old version before installing the update?

[NetworkGeezer]

How long do you go between rebuilds? Java updates aren't quite as frequent as ones for Windows.

[indie]

There hasn't been an update in a while, but I just have two scripts, one to silently uninstall the old Java and one to silently install the new java

Uninstall:
MsiExec.exe /qn /x {7148F0A8-6813-11D6-A77B-00B0D0142060} (This needs to match up with the version you have installed)
shutdown -r

Install:
jre-1_5_0_06-windows-i586-p.exe /s /v"/qn REBOOT=Suppress JAVAUPDATE=0"

[E1uSiV3]

if you deploy them with GPOs, set up the GPO to uninstall when it falls out of management, allocate the GPO using groups and remove the computers you wish to uninstall from the group. Do the same for the new version of jre but add the computers that have had old jre removed.