More Questions & Answers
About JExpress

JExpress is updated on a regular basis. The current version number appears in the release notes.

Learn how to tell which version of JExpress you are running.

You can see which version of JExpress you're using by selecting the About box from the Help menu.

You receive 6 months of free e-mail support from the day you purchase a binary license to JExpress.

If you're evaluating JExpress, then you get free e-mail support during the evaluation period.

Everyone gets unlimited free support via our online knowledge base.

Yes, you get 30 days free e-mail support during the evaluation period.

All major and minor releases will be available for download free during the 6 months after the date of purchase.

After the initial 6 months, you have the option of purchasing Annual Updates within 6 months. If you decide not to purchase the Annual Updates within the first year and then you decide that you want to get updates, you'll need to purchase a new license which supercedes the old license.

If you purchase updates for JExpress, then you get all major and minor releases for the next 12 months from the date of purchase. If you purchase the updates at the same time that you order a license for JExpress, then you'll get a total of 18 months of updates from the date of purchase (6 months included with the license plus 12 months for the Annual Updates).

If you let your updates lapse, then you can renew the updates.

Purchasing the annual updates does not include free technical support. You must purchase the Annual E-mail Support, if you'd like additional technical support.

You may only extend the annual updates if you currently can receive updates. Otherwise, you must renew the updates.

Six months of free updates are included with the purchase of a new license. If you extend your updates before the end of that 6 month period or before your current annual updates expire, then you can save over 42%.

Regardless if you extend or renew the updates, you'll get 12 months of all major and minor updates released starting when your current updates end if extending or when you place your order when renewing.

Purchasing the annual updates does not include free technical support. You must purchase the Annual E-mail Support, separately, if you'd like it.

Yes, all of our support staff have over many years experience in development and technical support.

You get unlimited free support via our online knowledge base. If you want special attention after the free support period, then you can elect to subscribe to the annual support program. You can learn more about our support programs by clicking here.

As a developer, you probably know how draining customer support can be. Yet, as a customer you expect competent, and timely responses to your questions and concerns from friendly, knowledgeable people.

In an effort to keep our engineers positive and determined to solve your concerns quickly, we use the term challenge instead of problem to describe customer incidents. It is much easier to rise to a challenge and overcome it. Problems, on the other hand, tend to mount and overwhelm too easily.

You'll quickly discover how much more effective our engineers are because they keep the right perspective about their jobs: to solve your challenges as quickly as possible.

The licenses for JExpress is to a single individual. You are free to produce an unlimited number of installers and updaters with JExpress ^___ royalty free. If a team of people work on building or producing the installers/updaters, then each person needs their own license to JExpress.

Please feel free to review the user licenses:

All the source that generated the class files in the JExpressInstaller and JExpressUninstaller subdirectories, and the jexpresswebstart.jar distributed with the binary license of JExpress. You also receive the source for the jexpresswebstart.jar, and the C and C++ source files for the program that bootstraps the installer by installing the JVM, called cinstaller.

This license does not include any source files to 1) the com or the JExpressUpdater subdirectories in the binary JExpress installation directory; 2) the native Windows interface program, called WinCmds; and 3) the program that launches a Java app on Windows, called JavaApp.

You can change the user interface or functionality in the Installer or Uninstaller in any way you'd like.

You also get 6 months of free technical support, as outlined in the license agreement, and free updates for six months.

Review the license: JExpress Installer Source

All the source that generated the class files in the JExpressInstaller, JExpressUninstaller, and JExpressUpdater subdirectories, and the jexpresswebstart.jar distributed with the binary license of JExpress. You also receive the C and C++ source files for the program that bootstraps the installer by installing the JVM, called cinstaller.

This license does not include any source files to 1) the com subdirectory in the binary JExpress installation directory; 2) the native Windows interface program, called WinCmds; and 3) the program that launches a Java app on Windows, called JavaApp.

You can change the user interface or functionality in the Installer, Uninstaller, or Updater in any way you'd like.

You also get 6 months of free technical support, as outlined in the license agreement, and free updates for six months.

Review the license: JExpress Updater Source

You receive all the Java and C/C++ source for all the classes and programs distributed with the JExpress binary license. This includes all the source produced by DeNova for the 1) installer; 2) uninstaller; 3) updater; 4) builder; 5) the program that installs the JVM (cinstaller); 6) the source for the Java Web Start jar; 7) the program that interfaces with Windows' (WinCmds); and 8) the program launches a Java app on Windows (JavaApp).

You can change the user interface or functionality in Builder, the Installer, Uninstaller, and Updater in any way you'd like for your internal use.

You also get 6 months of free technical support, as outlined in the license agreement, and free updates for six months.

Review the license: JExpress Full Source

Of course, we use JExpress to build the installer, updater, and uninstaller.

We also use IBM's jikes to compile the java code and gcc to compile the C and C++ code. The management tool for the java code and JExpress is ant and regular make and batch files are used to maintain the C and C++ code.

• You must have a 100% compatible Java Virtual Machine 1.4.x or later to develop installations, distributions, and updates with JExpress.
• The installers you create with JExpress must not be dependent on a JRE earlier than 1.4.
• You must also have a monitor that supports 24 colors as a minimum for Java apps to work.
• And you must have write access to the JExpress installation directory.

If a customer does not have a JVM installed, then JExpress can automatically install it before it proceeds to install your application.

Also the monitor on the target machine must support 24 colors as a minimum for Java apps to work, including the multiplatform installers created by JExpress.

Yes. You can add a custom command that interfaces with the Windows registry. The custom API in JExpress lets you query, add, replace, and delete items in the registry, get the name of the Windows and Program Files directory, and let you know which version of Windows you're using.

There are full docs about the Windows registry interface in the manual.

Yes, if you have JExpress. You can add a custom command to change an environment variable.

Any platform that runs Java 1.4.x, 1.5.x, 1.6.x, or later. This includes any current version of Windows (e.g., 2000, XP, Vista, 7), and several versions of Unix including Solaris, Linux, the Mac OS X, HP UX, AIX, and more.

JExpress is pure Java. Two major advantages of Java are that you'll have a more robust system than older languages generally afford and your installation-distribution system can operate on multiple platforms.

There is also a small component of JExpress that relies on C/C++ to handle the special native calls necessary for installing the JVM.

Kagi does accept purchase orders, but you must submit your order via Kagi's order form and follow these instructions.

We use Kagi as our authorized ecommerce store. When you click on a button to order on DeNova's site, you are automatically redirected to a secure order form on Kagi.

There are no shipping or handling charges as we deliver all software via the Internet.

If you are located in California or the EU, then taxes may be collected. *Before* you confirm your order, you will receive full details about the total cost of the transaction. There are no surprises on your credit card.

If you order via the secure online order form at Kagi's store with a credit card, then you will typically receive your user ID and password within a couple of hours, but it could take up to 1 business day after your credit card payment is approved. If you order via fax with a credit card, then it can take 4-8 days to process your order. If you order by prepayment through Kagi, then it usually takes 5-10 days after we receive your payment.

If you ordered with your credit card, then you can check with Kagi, our authorized ecommerce store, about the status of the order. Go to Kagi's secure server and enter the e-mail address and credit card number you used to place your order.

If you don't find any information about your order, then you can contact Kagi between 10am and 4pm US West Coast time at +1 (510) 601-5244 to get more info. Or, if it's been more than 48 hours, you can resubmit your order. We've never had Kagi double bill for an order, but if they would, you'd simply need to notify us and we'd get it straightened out immediately.

If you ordered by fax or mail, please remember that it can take up to 8-10 days to process your order. If you've been patient and still not gotten word, then send e-mail to or call Kagi between 10am and 4pm US West Coast time at +1 (510) 601-5244.

You can fully evaluate JExpress for one month without any obligations with the free trial copy. You receive free tech support during your evaluation period and we strongly encourage you to use it to insure your needs will be met. The trial copy is functional in every way the full release is, except that you can only use it in-house for testing for one month and the installers you create with it will only work for 5 days (and may not be distributed at any time).

You can get a refund, less a US$35 processing fee, if you purchased a product or service 10 days before the date you request the refund. You must destroy all copies of the product and stop distributing the installers, updaters, and uninstallers created by JExpress.

Kagi is DeNova's authorized reseller or ecommerce store so all credit card orders are made through them.

DeNova is ready to help with any questions about your bills or credit card charges. Please send questions to

Just send an e-mail message to with any questions about your credit card charges. Please do *not* include your credit card number in the email message. Someone will contact you as quickly as possible to resolve any difficulties.

You can use your Master card, Visa, American Express, Discover, EuroCard, if you prefer using a credit card. You can also pay by check or money order in US Funds. If you elect to pay by check, please allow 2-6 weeks for us to receive and process your order.