Java, OpenOffice and Firefox

[A.S.]

I just went through the same painful process of trying to get the German grammar checker to work and realized that not only is it necessary to have a 32bit version of java, but it's necessary to have a fairly low version of Firefox. This got me wondering if only people who use Firefox are able to use Open Office. I don't understand the connection. What happens if you're an internet explorer user?

My original thought was to update everything once I got the grammar checker working, but I'm afraid this is not going to work, because it seems like either the computer is vulnerable or the grammar checker doesn't work. Is there some other avenue I'm overlooking? I really like Open Office and would like to continue using it.

[robleyd]

As far as I know there is absolutely no relationship between Firefox and AOO. What have you had happen that makes you think there may be?

PS and what is your operating system - please add it to your signature. How to update your signature

[Villeroy]

The latest Firefox version 52 does not support Java and Silverlight plugins anymore. There is a special "ESR" edition with Java support until 2018: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/o ... tions/faq/
Having a 64-bit browser, you need 64-bit Java for the plugins.
Having a 32-bit office suite, you need 32-bit Java for the features and add-ins that are programmed in Java.
There is nothing wrong with having many Java versions on the same computer.

[Bill]

You can download a 32-bit Java with any Web browser. If you download using a 32-bit browser, then Java.com will download a 32-bit Java by default. If you download using a 64-bit browser, then Java.com will download a 64-bit Java by default. If you're using a 64-bit browser, then click on the "See all Java downloads" link and download the "Windows Offline" installer to get a 32-bit Java.

[A.S.]

Thanks for all the info. I think I got confused because Firefox supported the use of Java and IE used Flash, therefore I was thinking one also had to use Firefox in order to get Java. When I started thinking that not all Open Office users use Firefox, it started to become clearer. I'm afraid I'm so lacking in understanding that I spend a lot of time clicking on things until something works and then I don't know what I did.

Robleyd, I've updated my signature. I'm currently using a previous version of Oo with its associated language packs because it works. I don't know if the language packs and language tools all have to match the Oo version, i.e. if I update Oo, if I have to update all the language packs or vice versa but I was getting very bogged down between that and the recent developments with Firefox going to a 64 bit version with no Java support. Although Firefox has a setting "Ask to activate" for Java.

Villeroy, if I download the ESR version, does it replace whatever other version I have?

Bill, I may have gotten similar info from Rory, in any case, I downloaded Java at the place you post and managed to get two versions of Java, one which is 1.8.0_121 and the other which is 1.8.0_121. They appeared that way in add/remove programs, the only distinguishing feature being that the 2nd one had (64 bit) in parentheses after it.

The hindrance to my using the grammar checker seemed(?) to be that the updated Firefox was preventing the activation of the Java. I had it on the computer but couldn't get Oo to accept it. I unintalled FF and put in an old version of FF and then I was able to get Oo to accept the 32-bit Java.

The previous time, I did something to activate it at the Java website. It looked like a little movie with a black screen with the word Activate in the middle of it. It took a lot of tries before I was able to get the Java website to present me with that option because it kept telling me it couldn't find Java on my computer. It may be that I used Internet Explorer that time, but I don't know. (weep/sob)

In several instances it seems that some of the problems I've been running into are specific to Win7, one of these being the inability to uninstall Foxit in order to get Acrobat back as the default for Uncle Sam. The newer versions of CCleaner hang. These problems are appearing with recent versions of tools, where the older versions still work as they should. It makes me think that Win7 is being allowed to become obsolete. (not really a surprise)

[Bill]

The hindrance to my using the grammar checker seemed(?) to be that the updated Firefox was preventing the activation of the Java. I had it on the computer but couldn't get Oo to accept it. I unintalled FF and put in an old version of FF and then I was able to get Oo to accept the 32-bit Java.

I have no explanation for that problem. I removed Java then downloaded it with the latest Firefox 52, installed Java and AOO found and accepted it.

The previous time, I did something to activate it at the Java website. It looked like a little movie with a black screen with the word Activate in the middle of it. It took a lot of tries before I was able to get the Java website to present me with that option because it kept telling me it couldn't find Java on my computer.

The "activation" in older versions of Firefox was to allow Firefox to use the plugin, but the plugin isn't supported by Firefox 52 so there is no option to activate it in Firefox 52. That "activation" has nothing to do with OpenOffice. I never "activated" the plugin in Firefox when using older versions of Firefox but could still enable use of Java in the OpenOffice Options.

[A.S.]

Hi Bill,
According to your signature you have Win10.

I got an error message from Oo when I tried to set up Java, that I didn't have a java runtime environment on my computer. Since I had both Javas (32 and 64), I went to the java website and ran the "Check what version of Java I have" and it gave me an error that it could not do this. My folders in both Programme and Programme x86 had the java folders installed, but I continually got the message that there was no runtime environment on my computer. I'll post screenshots of the error, but be warned, they're in German, so I'm giving approx translations.

The first error message says that Open Office needs a runtime environment and Java is defect. The second error message is that there is no java runtime environment in the folder I chose. The 3rd error is from the java website and it says "We could not determine whether java is currently installed and active in your browser. (This is probably why I thought it had to be activated by the browser.) It further says that if you have installed Java and an error occurs during the check (by the website), this indicates there are configuration problems, (for instance, the browser, the java control panel, security settings), or that the java plugin is being blocked by your browser. (Again, this is probably why I thought the browser was necessary for the activation of java.)

[Bill]

Your signature says that you're using AOO 4.1.2. I know that there is a bug in AOO 4.1.3 that will prevent detection of Java on some systems, but that bug doesn't affect AOO 4.1.2.

Re: JRE not found (Java 8)

[A.S.]

ah, this is helpful! That might explain why it worked with 4.1.2 even though I was looking for the bug in Firefox. For some reason whenever I hear the donk sound with an error message, I think it's a Windows error. Your explanation would also account for the error sound. I might test it to see if that's the problem I'm having, but for now I'm reluctant to mess with a working system. Thanks so much for your info! I really appreciate it.