Java 8 was the last major version to offer robust support for Java Applets and Java Web Start (via icedtea or legacy browsers), which are still used to control older industrial hardware and networking equipment.
Simply double-click the downloaded .exe file (e.g., jre-8u241-windows-x64.exe ). Follow the setup wizard. : If you install the JDK (Development Kit), it generally includes the JRE (Runtime). You do not need to install the separate JRE after the JDK installation, as it will prompt you to either install it or cancel. java runtime 1.8 u241
However, the trade-offs are substantial. Modern Java versions (Java 11, 17, 21, etc.) offer major leaps in performance and introduce new language features and APIs that enable more modern, efficient coding practices. Crucially, as 8u241 is from 2020, it lacks the critical security patches included in all later Java 8 updates (8u251 and beyond) and subsequent major releases. Therefore, for new projects or environments that can be upgraded, moving to a more current, supported Long-Term Support (LTS) version like Java 17 or 21 is strongly recommended. Java 8 was the last major version to
No significant performance regression.
java -version