Eclipse IDE

ApplicationEclipse Foundation

Also called eclipse, eclipse java

Eclipse FoundationProductivity

The Eclipse Foundation's classic Java IDE. The Windows process is eclipse.exe. Many schools still assign it. It is not IntelliJ IDEA.

What you need to know

Eclipse IDE is eclipse.exe. IntelliJ is idea64.exe.

Eclipse is the older Foundation IDE many schools still name. IntelliJ is JetBrains. Eclipse Temurin is an OpenJDK build whose process is java.exe, not eclipse.exe.

What is it?: Classic Eclipse Foundation Java IDE
Same as IntelliJ?: No. Different vendor and exe
Same as Temurin?: No. Temurin is a JDK

Feex says

If eclipse.exe will not start, I would check the workspace and the JDK it points at. I would not repair IntelliJ to fix Eclipse. Temurin java.exe is a runtime, not this IDE.

What is Eclipse IDE?

Eclipse IDE is a plugin-based Java IDE from the Eclipse Foundation. It is not IntelliJ and not the Eclipse Temurin JDK, even though both say Eclipse.

If you have never used it

If a syllabus said install Eclipse, use the Eclipse Installer from eclipse.org/downloads. Pick the Java package the class named. eclipse.exe is this IDE. idea64.exe is IntelliJ. Android Studio replaced Eclipse ADT years ago. Eclipse Temurin is a JDK, not this window.

What is it used for?

Java coursework

Workspaces and .project files many assignments still assume. IntelliJ uses a different project model.

Packages via the installer

Java, EE, and C/C++ packages. Temurin is a JDK, not this window.

Plugins from Eclipse Marketplace

Extra tools inside eclipse.exe. The JetBrains Marketplace does not apply here.

Who is it for?

Students whose professor still says Eclipse
Shops with old Eclipse workspaces
Anyone who downloaded Temurin and thought they installed the IDE

Current status

Eclipse IDE (2001) is a current java ide from Eclipse Foundation. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/.

How old is it?

Eclipse 1.0 shipped in 2001, the same year as IntelliJ. It was the default school Java IDE for a long stretch. Current Eclipse IDE packages still update. An Eclipse 3.2 CD from a textbook is stale.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Eclipse IDE for Java

Other packages

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per current Eclipse packages
RAM	2 GB class machines run coursework. Larger workspaces want more

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
eclipse.exe	Eclipse IDE

Startup components

Eclipse can reopen the last workspace. That is not a Windows service named Eclipse.

File locations

Common Eclipse IDE locations
Typical install	C:\Users\<you>\eclipse\

File formats

JAVAXML

Common problems

Workspace locked or on a network drive

Eclipse workspaces are picky. That error is this IDE, not an IntelliJ cache.

People install Temurin and look for a Java GUI

adoptium.net is the JDK. eclipse.org/downloads is the IDE.

Getting unstuck

Start the Eclipse Installer from eclipse.org/downloads

A random eclipse.exe zip from a file host is a common junk path.

Check Window > Preferences > Java > Installed JREs

Point at a real JDK such as Temurin. idea64.exe settings will not fix this.

Use a new workspace as a test

A broken .metadata folder is an Eclipse workspace problem, not a Windows user profile wipe.

Alternatives

IntelliJ IDEA is the usual modern Java IDE. VS Code is a lighter editor. Android Studio replaced Eclipse ADT for Android.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.eclipse.org/downloads/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	www.eclipse.org/documentation/ Vendor support
Official site	www.eclipse.org/ Start here, not a random exe host
Eclipse packages	www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/ Java, EE, and other installer packages

Related hardware

A current 64-bit PC is enough for coursework. Large EE workspaces want RAM.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Eclipse IDE official site · Vendor product page
Eclipse IDE help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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