Many users have encountered an issue where they cannot open certain apps that previously worked perfectly fine. They have reported seeing a Java-related error message stating that ” The registry refers to a non-existent Java Runtime Environment installation or the runtime is corrupted.”
Basically, seeing this error can mean that there are entries related to a previous Java installation or that the Java location has been manually changed after an installation, resulting in incorrect registry entries. If you are one of those users trying to fix this problem on your PC, then you have reached the right location. In this article, we have discussed some solutions that have helped other users to overcome this Java error.
Solution 1: delete nonexistent path log entries
Most users have reported that deleting registry entries for JavaHome and RuntimeLib if they go to a location that does not exist has helped to fix this problem. These entries must be manually removed from the Registry after verifying the existence of the path in File Explorer.
1. Open Run using Windows and R on your keyboard.
2. Enter regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor.
3. If prompted by User Account Control then click Yes.
Note: Before making any modifications to the registry, create a backup copy of the registry using File -> Export . While saving this file, be sure to select the Range as All. This backup can be imported later in case you have problems after the changes to revert the registry to its previous state.
4. Copy and paste the location below in the Registry Editor’s address bar.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREJavaSoftJava Runtime EnvironmentCopy
5. In the Java Runtime Environment , you will see different folders with Java version numbers.
6. Here click on the first folder of the Java version.
7. On the right, open the JavaHome String by double-clicking on it.
8. Select the path in the Value Data and copy using Ctrl + C .
9. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer. Go to the navigation bar and hit Ctrl + V to paste the copied path above and hit Enter.
10. If your path opens the folder location, then the path for this variable is understood to exist. Otherwise, it is clear that the path does not exist and can be removed.
11. If you are not taken to any location in File Explorer, right-click on JavaHome and select Delete to remove this entry.
12. In the same folder of the Java version in the right pane, double-click to open the RuntimeLib String.
13. Copy the entire path into the Value data using the Ctrl and C key combination .
14. As in Step 9 , open File Explorer and paste this copied path. Before hitting Enter make sure to remove jvm.dll at the end of the path.
15. If you see an error that the path is not available, remove this entry. Right-click on the RuntimeLib and click Delete.
16. After you have finished the manual check of the first folder in the Java Runtime Environment , perform Steps 7 – 15 for all the remaining folders in the Java version.
17. Reboot your PC after you have completed the manual verification and modification of the corresponding registry entries.
Check if the problem has been fixed after the system starts.
Solution 2: uninstall and reinstall Java
1. Just use the Windows and R open Run.
2. In Run , enter appwiz.cpl and click OK to open Programs & Features.
3. Here, sort the applications in the list according to the publisher by clicking on the Publisher .
4. Search the applications with publisher such as Oracle Corporation.
5. Right-click on each item identified in Stage 4 and choose Uninstall.
6. Follow the instructions and finish the uninstall process. Do this for all items associated with the editor. Oracle Corporation.
7. Reboot your system.
8. Now open your browser and navigate to this Link to download Java JDK. Go to the Java Downloads.
9. Select the Windows . Click on the link associated with the type of file you want to download.
10. Once the download is complete, double-click and open the installer and complete the installation on your PC by following the instructions on the screen.
11. After installation, reboot your computer. Check if the error is resolved when you try to open the application that was throwing this error.
That’s it!
You must have been able to overcome the Java runtime error when starting the executable for the application in question. Please comment and let us know the solution that worked for you in this case.