To set up the Java Development Kit and Eclipse on a Windows Computer:

Download Java:

Go to http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp, then click the Java SE Development Kit (JDK) 6 Update 11 download button

For Platform, select Windows

Click the ‘I agree’ checkbox and hit Continue button

Click on the link for jrejdk-6u11-windows-i586-p.exe (Don’t use the Sun Download Manager)

Note—this is the Java Development Kit (JDK). You need this to write Java programs. The Java Runtime environment is what you need to run java programs. The JDK includes the Runtime environment—you don’t need to download it separately.

Click Save and put the download in My Documents, Desktop, or some easy place to find it.

Click Run when the download finishes. Then click Run again.

When the license agreement comes up, click Accept.

Click Next to accept all the installation options.

Click Finish. The Java JDK should now be installed. You don’t have to register it, if prompted.

To get Eclipse and install it:

Download Eclipse:

Click this link: http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/download.php?file=/technology/epp/downloads/release/ganymede/SR1/eclipse-java-ganymede-SR1-win32.zip

And then click one of the download sites. Click Save and put the download in a convenient place. This is about an 85 megabyte download.

Click Open when the download finishes.

The download should now appear in Windows Explorer as a Zip file. Click Extract All. Follow the instructions in the extraction wizard. You can install to anywhere you like. I put min in C:\Program Files\Eclipse (I made an Eclipse folder in Program Files using the browse button).

You will probably want to make a shortcut for Eclipse. Go to the folder you installed it in, navigate into the Eclipse folder, right-click the Eclipse icon, click Create Shortcut, and then drag the shortcut out to your desktop or wherever else you want to put it. You can now start Eclipse by double-clicking on the shortcut.