Java/IE 8 problems

[Matthew]

I seem to have a problem running Java. I have IE8 on XP Pro, and the latest version of Java. There is a technical support website that I need to use that requires Java, I shouldn't have a problem but it acts like nothing is running. I went to Java.com, it verifies I have the latest version installed, but the test page fails there too. I have done all the standard things, uninstalled/reinstalled Java, cleared the cached files, re-started the PC, enabled Java in the browser, and enabled the Java setup to recognize IE8.

Any ideas? (I have not uninstalled/reinstalled IE8)

 

[RJM62]

This could be caused by a lot of things, but try the easy fixes first.

First of all, try using the Reset feature (Tools / Internet Options / Advanced Tab / Click "Reset" button on lower right). Confirm and click "Reset" when the box comes up. Restart IE8 and test Java. If it works, you're done.

If not, uninstall both Java (all installed versions) and IE8, and restart the computer. After it starts, repeat the above steps in IE7, and restart the computer again.

After the restart, download and install IE8 again, and restart the computer yet again. When the computer restarts, start IE8 and go through its little first-run ritual, then close IE8 and wait about 30 seconds. Then open IE8 and go to http://www.java.com and reinstall Java.

If this doesn't work, there are more things we can try... in the morning.

-Rich

 

[Matthew]

If this doesn't work, there are more things we can try... in the morning.

-Rich

thanks - I think this was going to be my next step anyway. Last night, after I started this thread, I tried to get into the Tools>Manage Add-ons just to see what was going on and IE8 threw an error and shut down. This was repeatable, so there's probably something wrong with the install of IE8.

I won't be able to get to that computer until tomorrow evening sometime. I'll have to see if I still have IE7 before I remove IE8.

I don't know how long this problem has been going on, probably since IE8, but I don't remember when I installed that.

 

[RJM62]

thanks - I think this was going to be my next step anyway. Last night, after I started this thread, I tried to get into the Tools>Manage Add-ons just to see what was going on and IE8 threw an error and shut down. This was repeatable, so there's probably something wrong with the install of IE8.

I won't be able to get to that computer until tomorrow evening sometime. I'll have to see if I still have IE7 before I remove IE8.

I don't know how long this problem has been going on, probably since IE8, but I don't remember when I installed that.

Sometimes certain settings, plugins, BHOs, and so forth that work fine on IE7 can cause problems on an IE8 upgrade, and the IE8 installer misses quite a few of them. The two browsers actually have some significant architectural differences. Going back into IE7 and resetting everything to the defaults, and then re-installing IE8, usually fixes these sorts of problems.

People who installed IE8 RC1 also can have a lot of problems when installing the final release. I usually recommend that they uninstall RC1 before installing the final release.

As an aside, Windows Media Player 11 is another annoyance in this regard, mainly because of all the additional DRM stuff, but also because of various plugins for WMP10 that are incompatible with WMP11. The WMP11 installer is too dumb to recognize them, and they sometimes cause WMP11 to crash within seconds of being started.

When that happens, simply uninstalling WMP 11 doesn't always fix the problem. It can be a real pain. So I recommend that all WMP plugins (Netflix and other viewers, MusicMatch, DivX and other special codecs, etc.) be uninstalled before upgrading to WMP 11, with a reboot in between just for good measure.

-Rich

 

[Matthew]

I did the Tools>Internet Options>Advanced>Reset and got Java working again. Still get an error that shuts down IE8 whenever I try the Tools>Manage Add-ons.

I think I'll eventually reinstall IE8 and try it all over again.

What's another good browser to use instead? I haven't used anything other than IEx since the old Netscape days.

 

[RJM62]

I did the Tools>Internet Options>Advanced>Reset and got Java working again. Still get an error that shuts down IE8 whenever I try the Tools>Manage Add-ons.

I think I'll eventually reinstall IE8 and try it all over again.

What's another good browser to use instead? I haven't used anything other than IEx since the old Netscape days.

Firefox is a great browser.

But you still need IE to work properly, even if you rarely use it. Like I said earlier, these problems often date back to the IE7 installation. Uninstalling IE8, resetting IE7, and reinstalling IE8 usually fixes them, and is quick an easy.

There's another thing we try if you like puzzles. Download and install HijackThis, install it, run it with the log option, and post the log here. DON'T FIX ANYTHING! Just post the log. Most of the stuff HJT finds is legit.

Maybe we can track down the troublesome add-on and remove it.

-Rich