Java Update Configuration

Disable Automatic Java Update

When you install the Java Run-time, by default it will enable automatic updates. This is to primarily to make sure that your system will apply any updates as soon as they are released to minimize the possibility of your system being attacked from a vulnerability that they have found. But, if it updates while your SIM is running, it has been known to cause a black screen for several seconds or slow down the network.

I recommended turning off the automatic installation of updates for Java.

1. In the "Control Panel, Java -> Update" tab. Change the "Notify Me:" to "Before downloading".
2. You can also change the time it checks to when you are not likely to be racing by clicking the "Advanced" button.
3. Please !!DO!! apply these updates at a time that works best for you to keep your system safe.

Disable Browser Plug-in

1. In the "Control Panel -> Java -> Security" tab, disable Java in the browser if you don't need it for any other website.
2. SIMRacingApps does not use the Java Browser Plug-in.

Java Security Information

I want to address some concerns you may have with Java about security. Java as a programming language has the same capabilities as any other language. A "bad" Java program can do harm to your system, but so can a program written in any other language. When you run any program, you are giving that program access to your system, allowing it to do anything the operating system will allow it to. You, as a user, must trust that the developer does not intend to intentionally harm your system before installing or running any program. You are in control. Meaning, the program cannot start itself without you performing an action to run it.

The security concerns come when you are not totally in control, like going to a website with your browser and it downloads code without you knowing it and the browser allows it to execute. The Java Browser Plug-in and other plug-ins like it, have this capability. Java implements a security layer that limits what that code can do when it is being executed from within the browser. Those limits are pretty strict. But, at one time if you visited a bad web site, there was a bug that allowed a hacker to inject code do more that what was supposedly allowed. That bug has been fixed for a long time and the vendor, http:://www.Oracle.com, has put major processes in place to prevent it from happening again. But, just in case it does, regular patches are released to plug any known or potential holes to the security. Also, browsers are now disabling most plug-ins by default and asking developers to redesign their websites so that the plug-ins are not required. SIMRacingApps does not use the Java Browser Plug-in. It uses the Java run-time. If you don't need the Java Plug-in for other sites you visit to work, you can disable it (See above).