I need to determine whether a particular system has 32-bit Java installed. I’m doing a remote query that only gives me access to the filesystem and registry, so I cannot attempt to run java.exe, or run any Java code.
I also want to make sure I detect both IBM and Sun Java, as well as any other distributions, which seem to put things in different places on the filesystem and in the registry.
The best I’ve come up with is to check for C:\Windows\SysWOW64\java.exe. Is this a reliable way to test for the presence of 32-bit Java, or are there certain versions that won’t put java.exe in that folder?
Update: I’m still looking for a more robust answer to this. Just to be clear, I don’t have access to a command prompt. Also, I want to detect Java no matter who the publisher is, what version number is installed, and no matter what path the user chose to install it on.
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\java.exe seems to fit these requirements, but I’d love some confirmation from someone more knowledgeable that every Java installer will indeed put that executable there.
I tried both the 32-bit and 64-bit installers of both Oracle and IBM Java on Windows, and the presence of C:\Windows\SysWOW64\java.exe seems to be a reliable way to determine that 32-bit Java is available. I haven’t tested older versions of these installers, but this at least looks like it should be a reliable way to test, for the most recent versions of Java.