JVM options that matter, and the ones that no longer work

You take an old startup script, you move to Java 25, and the JVM does not start anymore: Unrecognized VM option 'PrintGCDateStamps' Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine. Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit. Many memory and GC options that you still find on the web have changed or are gone. Some are just ignored, others stop the JVM at startup. And the options that are useful today fit in a few lines. ...

October 22, 2026 · 5 min