How to Clean your Java

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By ByDezin
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Article Rating: (17 Ratings)

We've all been there ~ playing our games on line and the response of the game gets slower... and slower... and slower... It's so frustrating! We think to ourselves, 'it must be my cable!' Soooo we call our ISP provider, play a half hour's worth of 20 questions with an IVR (interactive voice response system), then wind up for an eternity on hold for the next available tech, only to find out that our ISP signal is working fine. What the heck is the problem then??? Chances are, it's the java straining to run your application, subtly sending you in its own way, the message that it wants to be cleaned!

Whether you're aware of it or not, you probably already have Java. It's found almost everywhere now, computers, cell phones, navigation systems, thousands of different developers use Java for their applications and platforms - it's virtually everywhere.

The easiest way to clean out your computer's Java would be a program that will clean it all out for you. If, however, you don't have one of these programs (see the references for recommendations on some if you would like to get one) then follow these basic instructions to manually clean your java files and get your gaming or other java-required applications up to speed.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Click on Start and open your Control Panel. Double click the Java icon which will open your Java control panel.
Step 2

On the General tab you should see a "Settings..." button under the Temporary Internet Files heading. Click Settings. In the next window, on the bottom click Delete Files which leads to another window, click OK (you can uncheck applications and applets if you like, but it never hurts to let these get cleaned as they will update again the next time you use them). Wait a minute or 2 allowing all the files to be cleaned out.
Step 3

Once the files are cleaned, this will take you back to the Temporary Files Settings window that popped open, click OK; then back to the Java Control Panel, click OK again. Close your Control Panel. You have just cleaned your java temporary files and should find you have a better response from your java applications.
Step 4

ALTERNATE METHOD TO CLEAN JAVA (use this method for a quick clean while you are running an application using Java without having to close your application/reload/reinstall the application): If you have your java icon (coffee cup) in your task bar, right click the icon for the menu, select Open Console which will give you a pop up window, click the Clear button which will clear the console window and show the options menu. With the Java Console window still selected (active window), press "G" 2 or 3 times on your keyboard (upper if your caps lock is on or lower case will work - this will NOT work if you are holding your shift key to toggle to upper or lower case) . You will get messages for each keystroke "Garbage collect ... completed" and the amount of memory being used for java and what is now freed up from the clean. Recommended steps in your java console are C (always clears your console window and returns you to the menu), G (to get rid of your garbage) and X (to clear your classloader cache).

I hope this helps everyone run smoother and faster Java applications! :)

Comments

Diablo2 said

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on 6/5/2009 Very informative article, 5 stars.

rjfrisina said

on 2/14/2009 Nice article. I'm sure there will be many who will thank you for this great advice! 5*

Tenna10 said

on 2/7/2009 Suzanne sure knows her stuff! She has helped me and lots of my friends with her knowledge. This is one of the most helpful articles she has written. Lot's of people just aren't aware. Thanks Suzanne for writing about Java Temp files. I am sending this article to all my friends.