link, they aren't just getting a file; they are triggering a high-stakes installation: The "x64" Guard:
After installation, verify that JDK 17 is installed correctly by: jdk17windowsx64binexe link
A non-technical user might see this keyword as a jumble of letters. Let’s decode each segment: link, they aren't just getting a file; they
The installer may offer to install a standalone JRE. You because the JDK contains an embedded JRE. Uncheck this option to save space. Uncheck this option to save space
| If you want... | It comes from... | Typical path | |----------------|------------------|---------------| | (C/C++ linker) | Visual Studio Build Tools or Visual Studio | C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\...\bin\Hostx64\x64\link.exe | | jlink.exe (Java module linker) | JDK 17 itself | C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-17\bin\jlink.exe | | Symbolic link creation | Windows built-in ( cmd as admin) | mklink command, not link |