SQL Developer Error Messages: "Enter the full pathname for java.exe" and "Cannot find a J2SE SDK installed at path"

"jre6" in the folder name implies you have JRE installed there, and not the SDK. Point it to somewhere where you have java.exe of a JDK/SDK installation, instead of JRE, and from thereon it should work.

If you had to power off during shutdown, it might've not been able to save the SDK reference, thus asking it on the next startup.

If your jdk file gets stuck on asking for the jdk file on repeat in windows 7, or you are having problems with the jdk file, try running SQLDeveloper as administrator rather than just the regular startup.

Resolved. It didnt work for me but after spending lot of time , here is what what I did to fix it.

1) Open the file

..\sqldeveloper\sqldeveloper\bin\sqldeveloper.conf 

and add the following line to set jdk path:

SetJavaHome C:\Program Files\Oracle\11g\product\11.1.0\client_1\jdk

If it don’t allow you to save the file, copy whole sqldeveloper folder to a different location where you have write access to modify this file.

2) Run sqldeveloper.exe (from the new place if you moved the folder out from oracle folders) as administrator and enter the jdk path that comes with your oracle installation:

C:\Program Files\Oracle\11g\product\11.1.0\client_1\jdk\bin

It should work then... hope it will help you save hours. - snehal