Java 7 update 31 - Group Policy Deployment?

[Yeo695]

Is it even possible anymore to push out Java 8 update 31 via Group Policy (XP/7 32bit/64it) and still have it remove all previous version of 8, 7 and 6? Java Support website is saying the same thing it always has, however 8 no longer seems to remove previous versions.

 

If you have deployed it via GP or know how please include your method of deployment in as much detail as possible. (Also SCCM is not an option.)

 

Cheers

Edited January 26, 2015 by Yeo695
spelling

[Michael]

It's interesting you say that - I find sometimes it does remove older versions and sometimes it doesn't - but the newer instance still takes priority, as per Java in Control Panel.

 

And yes, you can deploy Java by extracting its MSI - Run the installer manually, then navigate to:

 

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\LocalLow\Sun\Java

 

Copy the MSI from here to your deployment share. Java 8 Update 31 is 74MB in size.

[pete]

Installing 8 won't uninstall versions of 6 or 7. It will remove earlier versions of 8.

 

If SCCM isn't an option, is WPP? Wsus Package Publisher - Home (free, works - edugeek thread here: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-server-2012/145271-wsus-package-publisher.html )

 

I create a custom update in WPP that checks the file version of java.exe. If it doesn't match whatever's current (and isn't a greater version), it calls the uninstall string for that java version (msiexec /x {hash goes here} /qn).

 

WPP use WSUS to deploy those packages. No SCCM needed.

Edited January 26, 2015 by pete

[Yeo695]

Installing 8 won't uninstall versions of 6 or 7. It will remove earlier versions of 8.

 

If SCCM isn't an option, is WPP? Wsus Package Publisher - Home (free, works - edugeek thread here: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-server-2012/145271-wsus-package-publisher.html )

 

 

I doubt I'll get approval to install something like this. It sounds like a good idea though.

[AliG]

How about Admin Arsenal PDQ Deploy about £200 a year fabulous for patching, package library available it pays for itself in man hours saved

[Arthur]

I use the PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit to deploy Java since it's easy to uninstall old versions of the JRE based on the application name shown in "Programs and Features" prior to installing the latest Java. i.e.

 

If ($deploymentType -ne "uninstall") { $installPhase = "Pre-Installation"
#*===============================================

# Uninstall existing JREs (versions 1.4.x - 1.8.x)
Remove-MSIApplications "Java 2 Runtime Environment"
Remove-MSIApplications "J2SE Runtime Environment 5.0"
Remove-MSIApplications "Java(TM) 6 Update"
Remove-MSIApplications "Java 7 Update"
Remove-MSIApplications "Java 8 Update"

 

Although I run the PADT via SCCM, you can also run it as a Group Policy startup script.