No Java virtual machine found starting Eclipse 3.6.1 on Windows 7 64bit machine

I know some C# and I use Visual Studio 2008 but now I am trying to help my son with some basic Java programs. I 开发者_如何学Chave installed what I think is the proper version of Eclipse:

eclipse-SDK-3.6.1-win32-x86_64

I have a little "hello world" starter .java file I want to run and play with but I cannot even get started on this machine. I get this message immediately:

"A Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or Java Development Kit (JDK) must be available in order to run Eclipse. No Java virtual machine was found after searching the following locations: C:\Users\john\Documents\eclipse-SDK-3.6.1-win32-x86_64\eclipse\jre\bin\javaw.exe javaw.exe in your current PATH"

This is an AMD Quad-Core Processor and I'm running 64bit Windows 7 so I believe the Eclipse SDK is also properly 64bit. I have been having a heck of a time trying to locate the proper Java "virtual machine" / JRE / JDK or whatever and get it downloaded such that this problem goes away and I get Eclipse running.

I am a total rookie on Java and its terminology and environs and would really appreciate some basic advice on this. Thanks.

Hop over to http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html and download the Java SDK. I think this will get you going unless I am misunderstanding something.

Just go through this steps, well explained in step by step :-)

Setting Up Eclipse with Java

Download the JDK from here: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html

The Eclipse SDK only contains the Eclipse IDE AFAIK :p

For pure Eclipse you do not need a JDK, just a JRE, so the easiest way is to go to http://java.com and allow it to install Java on your computer.

Then Eclipse will work.

If you're running 64 bit Windows and Eclipse, make sure you install 64 bit java!

See this question: Failed to load the JNI shared Library (JDK)