How do I change the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) that MATLAB is using on Windows?

I would like to use a different version of JVM than the default used in MATLAB on Windows.

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

MATLAB ships with one specific version of the JVM software on Windows depending on the release.  MATLAB is fully supported only on these shipped versions of the JVM software. Some components might not work properly under a different version of the JVM software. For example, calling functions in a dynamically linked library that was created with a different JVM software version than that used by MATLAB might cause a segmentation violation error message.

If you choose to change the JVM software version used by MATLAB, you must:

 

1.  Download and install the desired version of the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) or the JDK (Java Development Kit).  The latter contains the JRE and development tools.

2.  Determine the path of the JRE directory within that installation.  This varies by platform and whether you downloaded the JRE or JDK (see below).

3.  Set the path to the JRE directory.

• For R2021b and later versions, use MATLAB's jenv or matlab_jenv command.
• For R2021a and earlier versions, set the MATLAB_JAVA environment variable to this path, and start MATLAB while that environment variable is set.  See detailed instructions below.

Setting MATLAB to use new Java

 

Make sure you download the 32 or 64-bit version of the JDK or JRE, depending on your platform.  To determine which platform you have, you can issue the following in MATLAB:

 

>> computer(‘arch’)

The JRE is at the parent directory of the directory that contains the file "rt.jar".  For example, if "rt.jar" is at:

 

C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\rt.jar

you should set the MATLAB_JAVA environment variable to:

 

C:\Program Files\Java\jre6

To set MATLAB_JAVA:

 

1.  Click Start

2.  Right click Computer and choose Properties

3.  Click Advanced System Settings and then click the Environment Variables button.

4.  In the system variables section, set (or add) the MATLAB_JAVA system environment variable to the JRE path determined above

This change takes effect on the next launch of MATLAB from an icon, or from a subsequently opened command prompt window.

Verifying the Installation 

To verify that MATLAB is using the correct version of the JVM software, type the following at the MATLAB prompt:

>> version -java

If MATLAB is not using your value of MATLAB_JAVA, you may need to logout and log back in again.

To revert back to the shipped version of the JVM software delete or unset the "MATLAB_JAVA" environment variable.

 

Other OS: 

To change the JVM MATLAB uses for other systems, use the following links.

Linux:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/130360-how-do-i-change-the-java-virtual-machine-jvm-that-matlab-is-using-for-linux

Mac OS:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/103056-how-do-i-change-the-java-virtual-machine-jvm-that-matlab-is-using-on-macos

[Fredrik Gustavsson]

The above works very well. I made a Java file dialog (JfileChooser swing) using Matlab R2012b and discovered that some buttons were missing. It turned out this was a known Java bug. R2012b uses Java version 1.6.0_17 which still had the bug but the bug was fixed in 1.6.0_22. I installed 1.6.0_22 and followed the above procedure which solved the problem. Now, however, I have another issue. On my deployed standalone version of my program, including the Java file dialog, the missing buttons issue is back. I guess because the Matlab runtime uses the bug version 1.6.0_17. Is this the case and what can I do about it? To manually fix every computer running the deployed program is not a great idea because there are many of them.

Thanks!

[Greg Lyons]

This procedure no longer works as of Java 9, as rt.jar has been removed: Java Platform, Standard Edition Oracle JDK 9 Migration Guide.

I have always been mildly concerned from a security standpoint that MathWorks ships an older JRE with Matlab. I hope MathWorks addresses this concern in future releases.

[Yu Ang Tan]

Is there no way to choose the newer JVM?

I tried setting MATLAB_JAVA to the path 'C:\Program Files\Java\jre-9.0.4' but I get this error: 'Unable to start JVM because of an invalid Java option'.

[Tiasa Ghosh]

Did you find the solution to it?

Answer 2

[Michael]

Hello,

I'm getting this error-message after setting up the new Java-Version:

Warning: An error occurred while reading the desktop configuration file. Using the default configuration. The desktop configuration was not saved successfully

Any suggestions about a fix?

[Helder Oliveira]

After set up the MATLAB's java to version jre1.8.0_121, I'm getting the same as Michael. Any solution about this?

[Nicolas Harmand]

I have the same and Matlab still display the correct new version for java when asked : version -java Unfortunately, I still can't do what I was supposed to do with java 8 running on Matlab : make Matlab and ImageJ communicate correctly.

[hp]

 version -java

ans =

Java 1.6.0_17-b04 with Sun Microsystems Inc. Java HotSpot™ 64-Bit Server VM mixed mode the above version i have...and how to make guide to work...

Answer 3

[Kapil Nagwanshi]

Very Simple Solution!! Go to your jre folder C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_161 copy the content jre folder C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_161 paste it to 'C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R201XX\sys\java\jre' folder now it's ready to run with updated version

[Dalia Sobhy]

do you know how to do the same in mac OSX?

[Walter Roberson]

Which version of OS-X, exactly?

You have to know a bit of special magic to add java versions in El Capitan

You have to know major magic to add java versions in Sierra (the minor magic changed and stopped working but gives the impression it should do something.)

In High Sierra you have to hack.

[Tiasa Ghosh]

After following this step, the error message changed to Unable to start the JVM because of an invalid Java option

[Desla Sari]

What your solution for your problem ? My problem same with you

[Walter Roberson]

Desla Sari which operating system are you using? The methods for Mac are quite different than for Windows.

[Utsav Ladani]

Thanks Kapil

This method works.

[Marco A. Acevedo Z.]

Thanks for the solution. I have a silly question. Why is the folder address looking like this:

"C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2021b\sys\java\jre\win64\jre"

There seem to be 2 jre folders possible. Also, as a note, MatLab do not run with MATLAB_JAVA set to a JDK (v17) version of Java. Is it that it only works with JRE?

Cheers,

[Walter Roberson]

@Marco A. Acevedo Z.

You are correct, the file path does look like what you show. MATLAB uses that style a few other places as well when there is operating system / architecture-specific contents.

The first 'jre' is sort of the "class" of what is underneath; then the win64 is the specific architecture, and then the second 'jre' is the top level folder for a subsystem. There are situations in which there might be multiple folders under the architecture. For example it is common for compilers to split into different directories for the parser (which might generate intermediate code), the code generator, and the linker.

Answer 4

[Ivan Carrasco]

Set

C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2017b\sys\java\jre\win64\jre

as

MATLAB_JAVA

on

Environment Variables

:-)

Answer 5

[mohammadreza vali]

hello

plaese help

my windows is 8.1 32 bit

matlab 2011 in my pc is good

but in matlab 2015 after click F1, it shows

"""""""""""""""

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  at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.DocCenterProductPrefs.getProductFilterModel(DocCenterProductPrefs.java:33)
  at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.DocCenterDocConfigParams.<init>(DocCenterDocConfigParams.java:37)
  at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.DocCenterDocConfig.getLocalConfig(DocCenterDocConfig.java:77)
  at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.DocCenterDocConfig.getInstance(DocCenterDocConfig.java:65)
  at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.HelpPopup.createHelpPanel(HelpPopup.java:461)
  at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.HelpPopup.createComponents(HelpPopup.java:451)
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  at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.HelpPopup.showHelp(HelpPopup.java:347)
  at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.HelpPopup.showHelp(HelpPopup.java:229)
  at com.mathworks.mlwidgets.help.HelpPopup.showHelp(HelpPopup.java:156)
  at com.mathworks.mde.cmdwin.CmdWinEditorKit$HelpAction.actionPerformed(CmdWinEditorKit.java:1458)
  at javax.swing.SwingUtilities.notifyAction(Unknown Source)
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  at javax.swing.JComponent.processKeyEvent(Unknown Source)
  at com.mathworks.mde.cmdwin.XCmdWndView.processKeyEvent(XCmdWndView.java:2461)
  at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Unknown Source)
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  at java.awt.DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.preDispatchKeyEvent(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.typeAheadAssertions(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.DefaultKeyboardFocusManager.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.EventQueue.access$200(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(Unknown Source)
  at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
  at java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(Unknown Source)
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  at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(Unknown Source)
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  at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
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  at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
  at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)

"""""""""""""""

plaese help me

[e-mail]