Removing the Java Quick Starter Add-on

[EraserOne]

It seems from my 2 computers, one XP and one Vista, and from the information posted by Alice, that the Java Quick Starter add-on is only installed on XP systems, not on Vista systems as Vista has its own prefetching method.

Is this correct?

I have 2 computers one with Vista and other with XP and both using FireFox 3.04 and the XP has the java quick starter addon while my Vista does not have it,

Why is everyone trying to remove it? Is there something wrong with it?

[gadabout3]

I just ran a program called Secunia Online Software Inspector (recommended by Christian Computing Magazine) and it showed that Java was not up to date. So I opened Java 6 and downloaded update 11. Since then every time I open Firefox or a new tab in Firefox, I get an alert from ZoneAlarm that "Java(TM) Platform SE binary is trying to access the trusted zone". Like someone else said here, it keeps trying to phone somewhere. If I just permanently deny access to the trusted zone, ZoneAlarm will keep it from doing this, right?

I really don't understand too much about Java and it's uses - but it bugs me when it keeps wanting access and keeps trying to run - for what I have no idea. What are the dangers with this running?

[dPen]

Java Quick Starter can be removed from Firefox (Ver. 3.0.4) exactly as L Grizzly says below. Doing it also kills the jqs.exe right away. However, I needed to re-start Firefox to see JQS gone away from Firefox. I am using XP Pro SP3. I hope this helps.

-dPen.

Here's a tip:

If you install the latest Java Runtime (Java 6 Update 11), it automatically installs an add-on in Firefox without asking you. It's called Java Quick Starter. You can't uninstall through Firefox. Go to Control Panel, double click Java. In the Java control panel, click the Advanced tab. Click the + in front of Miscellaneous and uncheck the Java Quick Starter box to remove the add-on.

[Annjellicle]

There is no need to remove it (unless you are very sure of a reason why... consult an expert). All it does is "pre-fetch" common Java libraries so that when you click on something that requires Java, it doesn't have to go get them then.

Basically: When you start Firefox, the Quick Starter checks to see if you are running battery power or plugged in. (mostly for lap-top users). If you are on battery power, it does nothing so it doesn't waste time/power for you. If you are not on battery power, if checks what Java files are used most, and goes ahead and grabs them for you, so that if/when you click on something that needs Java, it already has some/most of the files it needs to run it and you don't have to wait for them to download.

It's a "good" thing, the only bad part is that they didn't tell people they were going to install it, so people were suspicious of it being there.

[windsorbug]

Is there a problem with having the Java Quick Starter in Firefox?

I have it listed in the Add-on's screen and the uninstall button is grayed out; the disable button is active.

What happens if it is disabled?

Thanks

[Guest]

Sorry about that last post -- I had not seen Annjellicle's post on this subject. Please ignore my post.

Thanks

[UncleSim]

Thanks for the uninstall info.

Nothing p***es me off more than hidden installations, and I'm very disappointed that a major company (Sun, I guess) would do this. Especially one that embeds and activates itself, and adds another program to my Task Manager, to use up memory for an internet feature I use once in a blue moon, if ever.

Very tacky.

[UncleSim]

Oh, did I mention...

It also silently installed and activated the Yahoo junkbar on my browser, as if I didn't already have Googlebar active.

Who do I dislike more, Yahoo, or Sun? Tough choice, today.

[novice]

I have the latest java6 (11), windows xp sp3, FF 3.0.5
I went into control panel>java control panel >advanced >java plug in -(unchecked this box) then under miscellaneous uncheck java quickstarter. Restarted Firefox and the extension is gone-no registry edit.

[Angry FF2 User Forced to FF3]

Thank Jebus, I turned off the advance plugin and I finally got Java working on my Vista Ultimate x64 with Firefox 3, I spent 5 hours, multiple reinstalls, and pulling my hair out trying to figure out why this stupid thing wouldn't work. I don't know whose to blame (I'm looking at you mozilla as this plugin ran fine in IE) but whoever it was ****. Never had this problem when I had FF2 on this box, FF3 is Mozilla's Edsel. If anyone else comes across this problem try the above post by 'Novice' to get your Firefox Java plugin working again

[LoudNoise]

Angry FF2 User Forced to FF3

This is a family forum. I edited your post.

[Lance Quagmire]

Alice
I can confirm npdeploytk.dll was the Java plugin left behind after uninstalling Java 6 Update 10.

Thanks, I appreciate that information, which may come in handy. Here's what I found out:

The Java 6 Update 10 release notes say, under Next Generation Java Plug-in, that the new plugin implementation, among other features, has
ability to select a particular version of the Java Runtime Environment for an individual applet.

The release notes link to https://jdk6.dev.java.net/plugin2/ for more information, where it says that the new Java Plug-In for Firefox is npjp2.dll on Windows (libnpjp2.so on Unix platforms).

Someone here posted a list of installed plugins, which included:
*Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U10: npdeploytk.dll - Java(TM) Platform SE binary
*Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U10: npjp2.dll - Java Plug-in 1.6.0_10 for Netscape Navigator (DLL Helper)

I did a google search on npdeploytk.dll and found a JavaWorld article, The new applet experience - Applet development with JavaFX Script and Java SE 6u10 which says,

You'll also discover the Deployment Toolkit Plugin, a browser plugin designed to interact with deployJava.js. The idea is for runApplet() to access the plugin to obtain a list of installed JREs, install a specific JRE or the latest JRE, and perform other tasks.
<snip>
Two Deployment Toolkit Plugin implementations
There are two implementations of the Deployment Toolkit Plugin. The Mozilla Firefox Netscape API-based implementation is contained in npdeploytk.dll, which is located in the browser's plugins directory, and is identified by MIME type application/npruntime-scriptable-plugin;DeploymentToolkit. Similarly, the Internet Explorer ActiveX Control-based implementation is contained in deploytk.dll, which is located in the windows\system32 directory, and is identified by ClassID CAFEEFAC-DEC7-0000-0000-ABCDEFFEDCBA.

As I figure it, npdeploytk.dll is used when a webpage is coded to call for it, to get information on installed JRE versions and possibly select which one to use or prompt you to install a needed JRE.

I found that npdeploytk.dll can cause Firefox 3 to crash on Vista, if it's left behind after you uninstall Java:
Sun's Bug ID: 6720641 Firefox 3.0 crashes with Deployment Toolkit in UAC enabled Vista

How to reproduce:
Install FF3.0 (if not there)
Install JRE (b27 PIT)

Un-instll JRE and Make sure that npdeploytk.dll exists in C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins directory. (b527 version)
Load this page : (or any page which use deployment toolkit java script)<snip>

Is it that big of an issue though?

[mightyglydd]

Absolutely, unless you don't mind any Tom Dick and Harry installing Add-Ons in Firefox without your permission.

[taob]

novice,

Thanks for the tip about disabling the "next-gen Java Plugin". I had the same issue with Firefox 3.0.5 on 64-bit Vista knowing that JRE 1.6.0_11 was installed, but nothing ever ran... only a blank space was left on the web page where the applet should have been. The plugin worked fine in IE7 and Safari. I figured the update process from Update 7 to Update 11 had corrupted something somewhere. I hunted through various config files, registry entries, uninstalled Java and Firefox entirely, etc.

I finally tracked down this thread here (though the subject is not indicative of this particular fix) and it solved the problem for me. Thanks!

[information]

I just installed the newest version of java yesterday, and noticed it put this plugin in Firefox. Then, my Firefox would hang about once every half hour. Not only would it hang, I couldn't close it through Ctrl+alt+del, it just stayed there until I restarted the computer. I disabled this addon and it hasn't done that since.

I noticed a behavior very similar to the one described above on XP SP3, FF 3.05, but I haven't conclusively linked it to the Java Quick Starter yet. I disabled the extension and restarted Firefox, the extension has remained disabled (does not switch itself back on, after several FF restarts and a reboot). I hope that this will fix things and have decided not to proceed to disable the plugin as described further down in the thread unless this simple measure doesn't clear up the crashes.

If needed, any relevant input would be appreciated. Thanks for the thread.