If you use Java for small scripts or CLI tools (e.g., JAR-based DevOps utilities), JDK 17’s java.exe uses a default CDS archive that includes the core modules. On Windows NVMe SSDs, a simple java -version executes than JDK 11.

After installing jdk17windowsx64binexe , you can optimize the bin folder further.

The single biggest advantage of the .exe format is automation.

When you install Oracle’s JDK or OpenJDK (via Microsoft’s builds or Eclipse Adoptium), the launcher java.exe is not just a simple wrapper. Starting with JDK 17, this executable is optimized for modern Windows process management, including:

JDK 17 finalized many features that were in preview in earlier versions, offering a cleaner, more expressive language.