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Prism Java update guide
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prism-java-update-guide.md

How to Update Java with Prism Launcher

This guide will walk you through the steps to update your Java version using Prism Launcher. There are two sections: a quick tutorial for those who just want it to work, and an explanation of how Prism Launcher manages Java settings.

Quick Tutorial: Getting It to Work

Visual walkthrough of the steps Use this image as a guide for the following steps.

  1. Ensure you're using Prism version 9.0+. If not, you should update.
  2. Right-click the instance you’re using and select Edit.
  3. In the window that opens, go to Settings on the left toolbar.
  4. Check if the Java installation option is ticked. If it isn’t, tick it.
  5. Click Auto-detect:
    • A window will pop up showing available Java versions.
    • Look at the left column (Version). You're looking for a version where the first number is between 17 and 22 (inclusive).
    • If such a version exists, select it.
  6. If no suitable version is available:
    • Exit out of Auto-detect and click Download Java.
    • In the new window, untick Recommended (bottom of the window).
    • Select Java 21 and click Download.
    • Repeat step 5 to select the downloaded version.
  7. Finally, enable the Skip Java compatibility checks option in the instance Java settings.

How Prism Launcher Handles Java

Prism Launcher version 9.0 introduced the ability to download Java versions directly in the launcher. There's two layers of settings: Global Settings and Per Instance Settings.

Global vs. Per Instance Settings

  • Global Settings: Apply to all instances that do not have an override enabled in their per instance settings.
  • Per Instance Settings: Override global settings for that specific instance.

Auto-detect Java version Global Setting:

  • When enabled, this setting makes Prism ignore global Java settings for instances without overrides. Instead, it selects a Java version based on the Minecraft version.
  • For our use case, this is problematic. You’ll need to:
    • Either disable Auto-detect Java version globally, select the updated Java version globally, and disable per instance overrides.
    • OR, if you want it enabled for other instances, manually select the Java version in per instance settings (as shown in the quick tutorial).
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