Do you Java?

Sun Java has this nice "feature." Every time you update it the old version is left behind.

Which is great if you have some Java program that needs that version. For the rest of us it leave old, hopefully unused, vulnerable code laying around.

oh by the way it's not just a few megabytes. Per the MS "Add/Remove Programs" each version takes up between 60+ MB to over 100MB. Not that I've verified that I was more interested in removing the vulnerable code.

I have not found a better method than to sit there and remove them one by one hoping that it doesn't require a reboot... I know there are arguments for and against letting it reboot, but I want it off my system so I'll do as it requests to be on the save side.

UPDATE 1/23/07: The Internet Storm Center (http://isc.sans.org) has an article on the subiect (http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=2088) including a link on command line silent installs/uninstalls (http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/guide/plugin/developer_guide/silent.html). The uninstall requires the proper executable that was used for the installation

Update 2/21/07: Test Results

The good installation is a snap and using PSEXEC allows remote installations without a hitch Return codes I found are 0 installed and 1603 already installed. One caveat if you use "\\*" as your target it will install on everything in the domain including servers.

Uninstalling fails and throws a window explaining the options for Windows Installer switches. I don't know if I missed anything, but after a half dozen tests I decided move on for now.

Update 2/22/07: Silent Uninstall Resolved:

The link above was for older versions of Java I found the newer documentation online and basically here is how to uninstall silently.

1.5.0 Update 10 AKA 5.0 Update 10
msiexec.exe /qn /x {3248F0A8-6813-11D6-A77B-00B0D0150100}

1.5.0 Update 11 AKA 5.0 Update 11
msiexec.exe /qn /x {3248F0A8-6813-11D6-A77B-00B0D0150110}

Where 1.5.0u10=0150100
and 1.5.0u11=0150110

Additional details here: (http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/guide/deployment/deployment-guide/silent.html#uninstalling)