[java] Error:could not create the Java Virtual Machine Error:A fatal exception has occured.Program will exit

I have just installed Java SE Development Kit 8u91 on my 64 bit Windows-10 OS. I set my path variables . I tried java --version in my command prompt it gave me an error.

c:\Users\Onlymanu>java --version
Unrecognized option: --version    
Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine. 
Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit.

But when i tried java -version it worked.

I tried initializing _JAVA_OPTIONS environment variable and ever tried re-installation none of them worked. Can any one help me please?

This question is related to java java-8

The answer is


Java 8:

java -version

Java 9+:

java --version

I was facing a similar issue. Actually the command is :

java -version and not java --version.

You will get output something like this:

java version "1.8.0_162"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_162-b12)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.162-b12, mixed mode)

I think you have put command like java -VERSION. This is in capital letters You need to put all command in lowercase letters

javac -version
java -version

All characters must be in lowercase letter


java -version
java -showversion

Both commands work In Linux 16.04 LTS


the command should be java -version


Try executing below command,

java -help

It gives option as,

-version print product version and exit

java -version is the correct command to execute


Your command is wrong.

Linux

java -- version

macOS

java -version

You can't use those commands other way around.


--version is a valid option from JDK 9 and it is not a valid option until JDK 8 hence you get the below:

Unrecognized option: --version
Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine.
Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit.

You can try installing JDK 9 or any version later and check for java --version it will work.

Alternately, from the installed JDK 9 or later versions you can see from java -help the below two options will be available:

    -version      print product version to the error stream and exit
    --version     print product version to the output stream and exit

where as in JDK 8 you will only have below when you execute java -help

    -version      print product version and exit

I hope it answers your question.