I installed the latest JRE (J2SE 5.0 JRE) on a Windows host yesterday.
After installation, the host listens on several new ports. The listener
seems to be related to Java Web Start.

I don't need Java Web Start (just want a working JVM); I want a
host which listens to as few ports as possible on external interfaces.
(And no: I don't want to firewall - I consider it more secure and less
resource consuming to remove unneeded listeners.)

I've tried finding a way to stop Web Start through the Java entry in
Windows' control panel, but with no luck.

It seems that Web Start was once something that could be selectively
(un)installed, but that it isn't optional any more(?)

How do I uninstall Web Start from a modern JRE installation? If not
possible: How do I turn off Web Start? If not possible, either: How do
I make Web Start listen on 127.0.0.1 only?