Avast Asking Me To Update Java As It's Critical?

[91210]

My computer is a sony vaio windows 7 and i downloaded avast free antivirus from cnet.com which i tried to avoid but was the only available option which worried me as i've heard that cnet downloads are full of nasties.

I did this anyway as wondered whether this could just have been scaremongering from rival companies.

Since my download my computer has been not starting up straight away sometimes taking up to six times before it actually works.

I opened my computer in safe mode and ran a mse scan as well as an avast scan but nothing so i allowed microsoft to try and repair the changes and then i let it send a report to microsoft afterwhich my computer seems to be working fine.

I cannot 100% blame this download as i've downloaded other programs but can't remember whether it was around the time of the download or not.

I've just been prompted by avast that i need to update my java ( Oracle usa ). Everytime i start up my computer java comes up and asks whether i want it to allow it to make changes on my computer but i think i can remember that someone told me that this is a rogue program.

Is the avast from cnet safe?

What is java and do i need to update it and allow it to make changes on my computer?

Is it possible that avast and java are in cahoots with each other hence it not being seen as a rogue as it's been overlooked by avast?

When i allowed microsoft to send a report do they just send reports about the issue or do they send all of your computer files and history to microsoft as well? Not that i have anything to hide but just wondered what happens during this process.

Sorry about the many questions but i'm too old and not that technology minded.

Much appreciated for anytime anyone spends reading or replying to my q.

[Buenchico]

It's always best to download software directly from the developer's website. Here's where you should have got Avast from:
https://www.avast.com/en-gb/index

Any software downloaded from Cnet (aka download.com) should, in itself, be perfectly safe. (The people at Cnet do a good job of checking that the software their site hosts is always virus-free). The problem you have to watch out for though is that Cnet gets paid to bundle the perfectly good software (that you actually want) together with things like toolbars (which you almost certainly don't want). They don't do it with all of the software that they host (because the developers of such software sometimes include licence conditions prohibiting it) but you need to watch out for the words 'Installer Enabled' under the green download button. (If you see 'Secure Download' you've no need to worry). If 'Installer Enabled' is shown you can still download and use the software but you need to take great care to select 'Custom Installation' and then to remove the ticks that are in place alongside the 'optional' (i.e. 'unwanted') software which is offered to you.

Cnet's download link for Avast is shown as 'Secure Download', rather than 'Installer Enabled', so your download should be trouble-free.

There are various argument for and against having Java running on your computer but most computers have it running by default. It's important to ensure that it's up to date though, as it can be a way for malicious software to find it's way onto your computer.

NEVER click on any link which offers to update Java (or Adobe Flash or anything else for that matter), as you might have malware on your computer which is trying to get you to accept something really nasty onto it. Instead go to the website of the relevant software developer and get any necessary update from there. This is where you need to go to update Java safely:
https://www.java.com/

If you keep get update notifications, download, install and run the free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to look for anything nasty that could be giving you those messages:
https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/
(NB: When installing it, take care to deselect the pre-ticked option to accept a free trial of the Premium version)

[ichkeria]

To answer your question Java is a programming language used by some websites. It used to be very popular as it was one of the first languages to be able to run on many platforms. In order to do that it needs something called a runtime environment installed on the client (ie your) computer. And that is the problem: some unscrupulous websites offer to download it for you in return for malware or other unwanted add-ons
So as buenchico advises always update from java.com and nowhere else. If you have java already installed on your machine it will itself prompt you to download updates if it is so configured. Additionally because of the perception that Java is vulnerable to security issues your browser may by default refuse to run anything but the latest version. So that is another case where you may be advised to update