OptiFine is one of the best Minecraft optimization mods. In this quick and easy guide, let me teach you how to install OptiFine without installing Java on your Windows computer.
As most of you know, OptiFine improves the overall Minecraft performance and adds additional functionality such as support for HD textures, shaders, dynamic lights, variable render distance, FPS control, and more. The only caveat is that you need to have Java installed to install OptiFine. However, what if you don’t have Java installed and don’t want to install Java just to use OptiFine?
That is where this guide comes into play. It shows you a simple way to install OptiFine without first installing Java. To do that, we will use OpenJDK (Java) which already comes bundled with Minecraft. If you are wondering, that is the reason why you don’t have to install Java to play Minecraft.
The steps shown below will work for both the regular Minecraft launcher (win32) and the Minecraft launcher downloaded from Microsoft Store.
Install OptiFine without Java
We will use Java included with Minecraft to install OptiFine without manually installing Java again. So, make sure that you have Minecraft installed on your computer. After that, download OptiFine from the official website and follow the steps below.
First, launch the Terminal application on your Windows computer. To do that, press the Windows key + X shortcut and select the Terminal option.
After opening the Terminal window, click the dropdown icon on the title bar and select Command Prompt.
If you are using Windows 10 or a lower version, you can open Command Prompt from the Start menu.
In the Terminal window, run the below command while replacing “username” with your Windows username and the dummy OptiFine path with the actual path of the OptiFine_x_x.jar file.
“C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.4297127D64EC6_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Local\runtime\java-runtime-gamma\windows-x64\java-runtime-gamma\bin\javaw.exe” -jar “C:\path\to\OptiFine_X.jar”
Note: If for some reason the above command did not work, it might be possible the javaw.exe file location is different. In that case, you need to change the javaw.exe path in the command. Follow the next section to get the Java file location for the Microsoft Store Minecraft launcher.
If you are using the older win32 Minecraft launcher, run the below command. Don’t forget to replace the dummy OptiFine path with the actual path of the OptiFine.x.x.jar file.
“C:\Program Files (x86)\Minecraft Launcher\runtime\jre-x64\bin\java.exe” -jar “C:\path\to\OptiFine_X.jar”
As soon as you execute the command, you will see the OptiFine install window. Click the Install button.
The above action will install OptiFine. Click the Ok button to close the OptiFine window. You can also close the Terminal/Command Prompt window.
Now, open the Minecraft launcher and you can play the OptiFine modded Minecraft. Generally, the OptiFine version of Minecraft should be selected by default. If not, you can select it from the installations dropdown menu.
Find Java file Location in Minecraft Launcher
Unlike the older win32 Minecraft launcher, the Microsoft Store version is pretty deeply integrated into Windows. That means it is a bit harder to find the actual Java executable location. The good thing is, with a simple trick, you can find the Java executable file location of the Minecraft launcher. Here’s how.
First of all, open the Minecraft launcher and click the Play button to launch the game. Once you see the Minecraft game’s welcome screen, right-click on the taskbar and select the “Task Manager” option. This action will open the Task Manager.
After that, go to the Processes tab, right-click on the “OpenJDK Platform binary” application, and select the “Open file location” option.
Note: You might sometimes see OpenJDK Platform binary with direct file names such as javaw.exe or java.exe.
As soon as you select the option, you will see the actual file location in the File Explorer. Right-click on the javaw.exe file and select the “Copy as path” option to copy the full file path to your clipboard.
If needed, paste the path in Notepad and save it as a text file for safekeeping. You can use this path in the above command to install OptiFine without Java.
Note: Since you no longer need Java to play Minecraft, uninstall Java if you have it installed.
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That is all. It is that simple to install OptiFine without first installing Java again on your computer.
I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.
