Have you disabled Java?

What a saga...

When I heard about this latest (of many) security issue, I went looking in my XP's 'Control Panel' for the Java console thingamajig, to force an update - it wasn't there (despite Java definitely being installed).

Next option - I tried to un-install (in order to re-install) Java from the 'Add & Remove Programs' - it kept 'Configuring' Java, and the 'Console' would appear in 'Control Panel' - but it didn't 'uninstall'.

Eventually, after several attempts - it did eventually un-install.

I thought I'd leave it a day or so  (with a couple of re-boots) before installing the latest version, but, however...

As it happens, I haven't re-installed it - and notably, I haven't had any need for it either.

I'm not going to reinstall it until there is some compelling need to - it seems to be used more often by the 'hackers' than by most legitimate mainstream sites do.