Can't get NetBeans to figure out which updated Java to use

Question

I'm using NetBeans 8.0.2 and every time I update Java, it installs into a folder named after its version number, then when I open NetBeans it says "Cannot find Java x or higher".

I've read that I can add a line to the etc/netbeans.conf file specifying the Java folder, but that means I have to change it every time Java updates. Commenting it out doesn't help.

Is there a better solution for this? I'd think NetBeans (like most Java programs) can figure out where the latest Java is and use that; I'm not sure if I can use environment variables or quite how I would get that to work yet.

Answer 1

The way I solve this is to install the JDK in the same directory each time there is a new version. I uninstall the old JDK first, then install the new JDK version in c:\\jdk8.