Tip

If you are unsure about the authenticity of an automatic update notification brought on by jucheck.exe, then it is strongly recommended that you go directly to the official Java website and upgrade to the latest version manually.

Jucheck.exe is a Java update check module. This file is part of the Java 2 Platform, which was originally developed by Sun Microsystems and is now owned by Oracle. In the Windows operating system, this file is located within a sub directory of the 'Programs Files' directory. Usually, it is found at an address similar to the one shown below. Most often, the size of this file is only a few hundred kilobytes. The jucheck.exe is a completely legitimate file, which is safe to install and to run on your system.

The purpose of the jucheck.exe file is to check for Java updates. It is an executable file (.exe) which runs in the background and looks for available Java updates over the Internet. It compares the version of Java installed on your system with the latest one that is available online. In case the version on your system is outdated, it prompts the user about the new updates. Usually, it will notify you via a 'User Account Control' dialog window. It asks you whether or not you want to allow changes to be made to your system. If you select 'Yes', the jucheck.exe initiates the downloading process for the new update and also manages the installation process. By default, this process is enabled to ensure automatic Java updation.

When the jucheck.exe finds an update, it immediately alerts the user. This is a good thing in most cases. However, if the user doesn't initiate the Java update by clicking 'Yes', then the juscheck.exe dialog window keeps popping up every time the system restarts. This can prove to be a real bother. Therefore, while it is recommended that the jucheck.exe be kept enabled and running on your system, you might decide to search for and download Java updates manually later, as per your convenience. In such a case, depending on your operating system, you can use one of the following procedures. Step 1: Click on the Windows 'Start' button and navigate to 'Control Panel'. Step 2: Click on 'Programs' and look for the Java icon. Double-click on it to open the Java control panel. Step 3: Select the 'Update' tab from the top, and click once to un-check the checkbox next to the "Check for Updates Automatically" option. Step 4: Lastly, click on 'OK' to save the changes you have made. In these operating systems, you will have to run the Java control panel in the Administrator mode. For that, go to the Java installation folder in Program files and search for 'javacpl'. Right click on it and select 'Run as administrator'. Now, click on the 'Update' tab, and un-check the checkbox next to the 'Check for Updates Automatically'. These steps will disable the automatic checks for updates, thus preventing the jucheck.exe process from running. Note that disabling jucheck.exe will only stop automatic updates. It will not adversely affect the Java installed on your system.

The jucheck.exe file is a legitimate file and completely safe to install on your system. However, there are several malware, trojans, and viruses out there that are known to disguise themselves as legitimate files to fool the users. An update popup may be caused by one such illegitimate process disguised as jucheck.exe. If you aren't careful, your system might get infected. The first thing to do as soon as a User Account Control pop-up shows up, is to check the name of the 'Publisher'. If the publisher is 'Unknown', then you must deny access to that process as it is most likely a virus in disguise. The second important thing to do is to check the location of the jucheck.exe file. Many malicious programs run from the 'Temp' folder or from the Windows 'Systems' directory. If you find that jucheck.exe is located in one of these folders, then don't allow it to run, and immediately delete it. The most important thing to do is to install a good antivirus on your system and run a complete system scan to get rid of all the infections.