Removing previous versions of Java : How TO?

I'm new to patch manager. I have configured Java updates and they apply just fine. I'm also aware that these updates do not remove previous versions of java.

How can we use patch manager to remove previous java versions after installing the latest version (update)?

Seems like there could be some sort of uninstall routine for the entire domain group that would follow successful installations of the upgrades but I don't know.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Mike

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kellytice

Find a machine that has the specific version you wish to uninstall
In Patch Manager, select and right-click that machine, then launch Computer Explorer and go to the Installed Software tab.
Select the specific .MSI-based software you wish to uninstall and click "Uninstall" on the upper right.
On the computer selection page, the one machine will be targeted, but add other machines using the "Add machines" or "Browse Machines" options, or you can click the "Select Computers using Rules" option to scope it out to a larger group (patching group / OU / domain)
On the page after, you can determine to run that task now or schedule the uninstall for a certain time.

Note: this just works for .MSI-based applications, it would not be an available option for .EXE-based apps.

stcain

I duplicate the packages that come in from SolarWinds and then modify them to uninstall the previous version of JRE 8. I can't uninstall all old versions because we have some machines that need a specific version of JRE 6 for a specific application.

Then I make this change in the Package Boot Editor.

jasweat

Just so I'm clear, you copy the Java upgrade from Solarwinds, modify it with the MSI product code of the previous Java install so it will uninstall the previous version, and approve both Java updates (Install Upgrade and Uninstall Upgrade)? Or do you modify the Java upgrade from Solarwinds to uninstall Java previous, and then install Java upgrade? Essentially, you are only approving one update.

kellytice

You may already be aware, but when SolarWinds provides packages, there will typically be a 'full install' version and an "update" or "upgrade" version, like this:

Java Runtime Environment 8u131 (x64) <-- this one will deploy Java if it is not on the target machine(s) or will upgrade previous versions of Java 8.

Java Runtime Environment 8u131 (x64) (Upgrade) <-- this one will only upgrade previous versions of Java 8; it will not deploy it 'from scratch' on a target machine.

What you said above was generally correct - though you lost me a bit when you got to the Approval part - so I'll try to clarify:

Yes, you could clone a 'full install' package that SolarWinds provides and give the clone a new name, then Edit that package to use the PackageBoot functionality to uninstall specific .MSI product ID(s) before the 'new' Java version is installed (as described by stcain). If you happen to know the product IDs for multiple versions of Java, you could include each one in that PackageBoot definition to remove them all. The hardest part is knowing the Product IDs of the Java versions you want to remove - you should be able to use Patch Manager to do an Inventory to discover those Product IDs, or I would imagine there are probably webpages that list them all.

When it comes to deployment, you'd just have to publish the modified (clone) package into WSUS or SCCM and use that environment to deploy it (or perhaps use a Patch Manager task to deploy it directly). You should only have to Approve that one update.

wsitte

I have done what you described above and still can not get it to uninstall Java. It installs fine but the uninstall is not working at all.

This is what the package looks like for uninstalling Java 8 Update 111 64-Bit

And this is my add remove programs after I run Windows Update:

Even though this isn't my ideal way this would work I just want something to work in uninstalling old versions.

frgpugs

You could also just add the uninstall to the packageboot of the new Java install before you publish it. Ive done it in the past and it works fine. You can also use the REMOVEOUTOFDATEJRES=1 in the packageboot of the install package for the new java install but it will only remove java versions that have fallen below Oracles security baseline so you could still have several old versions left.

Just as a cool side note, the GUIDs are really easy to get for Java. For example 8u121 is 26A24AE4-039D-4CA4-87B4-2F64180121F0 and 8u131 is 26A24AE4-039D-4CA4-87B4-2F64180131F0. The number after the 2F is the version, so these are for the 64 bit version, for 32 bit its 2F32180131F0. Hope that helps

wsitte

I have already tried to add the GUID of the installed version but that does not seem to do anything. In the first screen shot above is where I have the package uninstall being setup, is that not correct?

-Will

antwesor

Yes, I have had success with manually removing java from computers. Luckily we are down to about 30 computers with Java still on them.

sz-a

For Example:

With the actual package for Java 8u181 there is an error in the Packageboot Script for uninstalling Java 8u172 --> the uninstall string/id is the same as for 8u171 and this is wrong.