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Java 8 SYMLINK files not working; gives an "Open With..." dialog box

JeffBarApr 1 2015 — edited May 8 2015

We just upgraded to Java 8 Update 40 and we're having trouble using the new path to the Java executables.

Java.exe, javaw.exe and Javaws.exe are no longer installed in the SysWow64 folder. Instead, SYMLINK files pointing to the files locations in C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.8.0_40\bin are installed in C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath, which is also added to the front of the PATH environment variable.

But if we try to use those SYMLINK files, whether in an app shortcut command that opens a .jar file, or by simply double-clicking them, we get an "Open With..." dialog.

But they do seem to work when run within a cmd prompt.

Using the path C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath (or no path at all since that folder is in the PATH variable now) is preferable over the version-specific Program Files path. If we use the Program Files path, we'll have to update any shortcuts that run Java executables every time Java is updated to a new version_update number.

Has anyone else seen this?  Is there a fix?

Thanks

Jeff

Comments

Tim Menke Apr 15 2015 — edited on Apr 15 2015

Also have this problem.    We also used to point our java app shortcuts to the system32 or syswow64, but with Java 8 this is no longer an option.  Updating shortcuts every time there is a new java version is unrealistic.  Similar to Jeff, the symlinks in the ProgramData folder don't seem to work.

Tim Menke May 8 2015

found a workaround:

java - Windows shortcut to a symbolic link to an executable - Stack Overflow

the symlinks work in the command line,  they just don't work in the GUI environment.  The question is though, is this by design or is it a bug.

so if you make your shortcuts start with "cmd /c <path to symlinks> -jar <path to jar>" and have that run minimized so the dos box does not appear, that is what is working for us now.

According to some other threads i've seen though.  the java installer is not supposed to be putting the version in the path by default according to their documentation unless you pass it an argument to explicitly do so.  So I think Oracle still has some explaining to do.

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