How I Fixed SonarQube Installation Error: Java Not Installed on My System

Raj Bhatt
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When I first downloaded and extracted SonarQube , I was excited to explore it for my ASP.NET Core project to analyze code quality.

But that excitement didn’t last long. As soon as I ran the StartSonar.bat file, the console closed instantly — and nothing happened.

When I checked Task Manager , I noticed there was no java.exe process running either. That’s when I realized something was definitely wrong.

Before we jump into the fix, here’s a quick look at what you’ll learn in this post

What You’ll Learn

Why SonarQube closes right after you start it
The real reason behind the issue
Simple steps and commands to fix it
How to check if Java and SonarQube are working properly
Tips to avoid this problem next time

The Root Cause

After checking the logs located in:

  
    C:\\sonarqube\\logs\\web.log

I found the real issue — Java wasn’t installed on my system.

SonarQube runs on the Java platform , so it requires Java 17 or higher to start.

Without Java, the console window closes immediately after you try to run StartSonar.bat .

Step-by-Step Solution

How I solved the problem:

Downloaded and Installed Java 17

I downloaded Temurin JDK 17 from Adoptium.net .

Then, I installed it using the default path:

  
    C:\\Program Files\\Eclipse Adoptium\\jdk-17\\

Verified the Java Installation

After installation, I opened Command Prompt and ran:

  
    java -version

Output

  
    openjdk version "17.x.x"

This confirmed that Java was installed successfully.

Set the JAVA_HOME Environment Variable

To ensure SonarQube recognizes Java, I set the JAVA_HOME variable:

Variable name: JAVA_HOME

Variable value

      
        C:\\Program Files\\Eclipse Adoptium\\jdk-17

Then, I added this to the Path variable:

  
    %JAVA_HOME%\\bin

Restarted the System and Ran SonarQube Again

After a restart, I executed the command again:

  
    StartSonar.bat

This time, the console stayed open , and after a minute or two, I saw the message confirming SonarQube was up and running .

Accessing SonarQube

opened my browser and navigated to:

http://localhost:9000

The SonarQube loaded successfully!

Default Login Credentials:

Username: admin
Password: admin

The SonarQube dashboard loaded successfully!

Diagnostic Commands I Used

Here are the checks I ran while troubleshooting:

1. To check if Java is installed

  
    java -version

If you see:

  
    'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command

That means Java is not installed .

To check SonarQube logs for errors

Navigate to:

  
    C:\\sonarqube\\logs\\web.log

You’ll often find the reason why SonarQube failed to start here.

Key Takeaways

If your StartSonar.bat closes immediately or SonarQube doesn’t load on localhost:9000 , follow these quick checks:

Make sure Java 17+ is installed

Set the correct JAVA_HOME environment variable

Restart your system before running SonarQube again

Check logs under C:\\sonarqube\\logs for any errors

Conclusion

Setting up SonarQube can be tricky the first time — especially if you miss a small dependency like Java.

Once it’s up and running, though, it’s an excellent tool for improving code quality, consistency, and security in your projects.

I hope my experience helps you avoid the same mistake.

Always verify your Java installation before starting SonarQube!