How to downgrade java 7 to java 6?

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities

If you want to disable Java 7 and use Java 6 again on your computer, follow Apple steps to do that > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5559?viewlocale=en_US

I've got a new macbook air, running 10.8.2 and I followed the instructions above and Java worked in my browsers until 8:30 am CST today when it stopped working because of an update. I followed these instructions to a tee, but no results.

Do I need to restart?

Are there caches I need to clear?

Is there a preference somewhere that needs to be changed?

thefrews wrote:

My computer either seems to have hidden or completely removed anything Java on my computer. Java Preferences, JavaAppletPlugin, or any folder Java-related, but it's still on Java 7 Update 10.

There should be no need to remove it as both 6 & 7 can coexist and still use only one, but removal instructions are here.

However, you will find that the only Java that will work with Safari is Java 7u13 and Apple has not announced any plans to upgrade Java 6k for Lion / Mountain Lion users.

Your best bet would be to follow mend1's instructions for reverting to Java 6 and try Firefox, following these instructions on how to use Java if it has been blocked.

I am also having the same issue, retrying to go back to Java 6 after installing the new Java 7 Update 13. I am unable to disable Java 7 and use Java 6. I used the steps that mende posted but I am unable to open .jnlp files using Java Web Start. Is there something that I can change in Terminal to disable Java 7 and allow Java 6 to open Java Web Start.

I figured it out to still have Java 7 Update 13 but using the Java Web Start to work in version 6

I deleted both /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.meta.p list and XProtect.plist

After that I followed the instructions from:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5559?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Finally, I got everything to work the way I needed to.

gfadulous wrote:

I deleted both /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.meta.p list and XProtect.plist

There was no reason to have deleted the XProtect.plist as it has nothing to do with Java. Now you will have no protection from XProtect against malware until the next update, at which time Java 6 won't work any more.

MadMacs0 wrote:

gfadulous wrote:

I deleted both

/System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.meta.p list and

XProtect.plist

There was no reason to have deleted the XProtect.plist as it has nothing to do with Java.

Hmmm? The meta.plist file definitely affects Java since it precludes the JRE from running if it's earlier than what's listed in the bundle version key:

<key>com.oracle.java.JavaAppletPlugin</key>

<dict>

<key>MinimumPlugInBundleVersion</key>

baltwo wrote:

The meta.plist file definitely affects Java since it precludes the JRE from running if it's earlier than what's listed in the bundle version key:

Exactly correct, which is why I did not mention the XProtect.meta.plist in my reply.

But as long as I have the floor, I'd like to express my strictly personal opinion about what has been done.

First, I would not touch anything to do with XProtect unless my livelyhood depended on it. If it did then I would follow the instructions elsewhere in the forum to modify the XProtect.meta.plist to allow the use of Java 6 SE 1.6.0_37 and leave everything else alone. Then I would enable Java in my browser only for the period of time that I needed to use it for work and disable it again.

Again, there is no reason to touch the XProtect.plist at all for the purpose of re-activating Java and you loose all the malware protection that it provides.

Sorry, I misread it to say there wasn't anything affecting Java related to XProtect or its generated plist files. Thanks for correcting my slip.

I am running osx 10.8.

I followed the steps in the article and STILL have Java 7.... grrrrr....(*&@$(&WE&DSIJD(@$&#!&!@

synergy wrote:

I am running osx 10.8.

I followed the steps in the article and STILL have Java 7.... grrrrr....(*&@$(&WE&DSIJD(@$&#!&!@

Not altogether certain which article you are referring to, but if it's Java for OS X 2013-002: How to re-enable the Apple-provided Java SE 6 web plug-in and Web Start functionality it requires you already have Java SE 6 installed, either by migrating from a previous OS that had it or by installing it when Mountain Lion first came out. The latter capability appears to have been removed. If you did already have it then Software Update should have offered you to install Java for OS X 2013-002 recently.