Why does the R2010b MATLAB installer fail to start on Mac OS X 10.5.8 and above?

When I run the installer for MATLAB 7.11 (R2010b) on Mac OS X, nothing happens or I get the following error:

Unable to find any JVMs matching architecture "x86_64".

Error: Cannot locate Java Runtime Environment (JRE).

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

The installer may fail to start on Mac OS X 10.5.8 and above if the default JRE is not set to 64-bit Java 6. To confirm, navigate to your Applications/Utilities folder in Finder and launch Java Preferences. In Java Preferences, check in the Applications section of the General tab. The installer will use the JRE that is in the top of the list. If you do not have 64-bit Java6 at the top, drag that option to the top of the list and then retry the installer.

If you do not have 64-bit Java options in Java Preferences, your computer may only support 32-bit and you will not be able to use R2010b and above. Try running Software Update to obtain 64-bit Java. If you still do not have 64-bit Java options after running software update, contact Apple to see if your computer supports 64-bit.

Please note that MATLAB versions prior to R2014b are not officially supported on OS X 10.10 and later, and versions prior to R2014a will not install. However, there is a workaround to install R2011a - R2013b on Yosemite:

How can I install MATLAB versions R2011a - R2013a on OS X 10.10 Yosemite?

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/161347-how-can-i-install-matlab-versions-r2011a-r2013a-on-os-x-10-10-yosemite