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For an old KVM switch I need to run a browser with Java 1.6. But for all other cases I want to use the latest Java browser plugin which is 1.7.

On Linux I can create two profiles and put in each a symbolic link to the Java plugins. By this I can easily create two profiles: one for Java 1.6 and on for Java 1.7.

How to achieve the same on Windows?

It seems to me that the Java version which should be run in the browser is taken form a registry key. This makes it impossible to have two browsers with two different Java plugins on the same machine. How to work around this limitation/design error?

There is already a similar question about IE and Java 1.5/1.6 but it has also no answer.

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2 Answers 2

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Use a portable Firefox together with a portable version of Java 1.6 as second browser.
This way, you can still use your primary installed Firefox together with your installed Java 1.7

You need 3 things:

  1. Firefox Portable: The launcher FirefoxPortable.exe automatically detects portable Java versions
  2. jPortable: PortableApps.com is hosting a portable version of Java on sourceforge.net.
    There we find archives for older Java versions including some Java 1.6 versions » Yeah!

  3. When extracting jPortable and Firefox Portable you have to set up the correct installation paths. Otherwise Firefox cannot detect Java 1.6.

    [...]--+--\ CommonFiles \ Java \ bin \ java.exe
       |
       +--\ Firefox \ FirefoxPortable.exe

    As you see, the Firefox launcher jumps one folder level up and looks for a folder called CommonFiles and loads all plugins placed inside

proof screen enter image description here

It's possible you will see both Java versions in Firefox Portable under Addons » Plugins. Just disable Java 1.7 so your second browser will only use 1.6

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  • If I disable the newer Java, which is locally installed on my system, the jPortable Java is also disabled, if I enable jPortable Java, the other is activated as well and chosen over the jPortable one - making it impossible for me to use the older Java. Do you have any solution for that?
    – CodeManX
    Commented Oct 15, 2014 at 20:53
  • Set "plugin.scan.plid.all" to "false" in your portable firefox. This will prevent firefox from using the "MozillaPlugins" registry entry.
    – Marco
    Commented Mar 31, 2015 at 12:43
  • Sorry to jump on an older thread BUT I have followed your instructions but my Firefox brower loads the correct Java 6 update 22 plugin in the Java console it still uses my local install of Java which is Java 8 JRE update 202 is it possible for portable Firefox to use Portable Java and NOT the local Java JRE?
    – S.Mahmood
    Commented Mar 27 at 16:15
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You may want to look into http://browserstudio.com/. It's from the application virtualization folks at Spoon.net. You can mix Firefox, IE or Chrome with a number of add-ons/plug-ins, including Java.

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  • Worked pretty well, but only like 10 minutes, then you're asked to pay $20 per month for the service :(
    – CodeManX
    Commented Oct 15, 2014 at 20:52

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